Vitor Belfort’s submission victory over Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 has set the stage for a legendary rematch against former Pride middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva.
Both middleweights will coach opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. As is customary, the coaches are expected to face off after the season finishes airing.
In Oct. 1998, Belfort blasted Silva across the cage with multiple rights and lefts for a first-round TKO stoppage. Silva, who didn’t really hit his prime until a couple of years after that bout, has been seeking a rematch ever since.
Over a decade later, Silva will finally get his wish when he goes toe-to-toe with Belfort sometime this summer.
Will the second time be the charm?
This bout is kind of a shame due to the misfortune of bad timing. In the first bout, Silva was still green behind the ears and had yet to develop into the world-beater fans know and love.
Now, “The Axe Murderer” still makes for entertaining fights, but his time of soaking up the spotlight as an upper-echelon contender is on a steep decline.
At 35 years of age, Silva’s chin is starting to show the wear and tear after years of being involved in countless wars.
In his past nine fights, Silva is 3-6, and four of those losses ended in vicious knockouts.
Belfort has the technique, speed and power to overwhelm Silva on the feet. The ground also plays into “The Phenom’s” favor. He is the better wrestler, and his ground transitions are more fluid.
The ground likely won’t even be a factor in this bout. Silva will opt to stand and trade with Belfort, which is a bad decision for any middleweight—outside of Anderson Silva.
It may not end in 44 seconds this time around, but it’s tough to see the rematch unfolding any differently.
Belfort will feel the action out on the feet early, and it will only be a matter of time before he lands a haymaker or puts together that fight-ending combination that sings Silva his lullaby.
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