UFC 148‘s headline match features a rematch of epic proportions. Anderson “The Spider” Silva will face off against Chael “The People’s Champ” Sonnen in a highly anticipated Octagon battle.
The first battle between these two skilled fighters won the MMA Fight of the Year Award in 2010. It was extremely close, but Silva forced Sonnen to submit in the fifth round with a triangle armbar.
Sonnen controlled most of the action for five rounds, but he was never able to turn his back control into a Silva tapout.
The first bout will be tough to match, but don’t expect Saturday night’s fight to disappoint.
Let’s make three last-minute predictions about the direction this fight will take.
Silva Will Stay on His Feet
Silva spent a surprising amount of time on his back last time. Granted, Sonnen is an extremely established wrestler in the Octagon and in college (NCAA All-American at Oregon in 1998), but Silva is too good of a fighter to face the same problems twice in a row.
He knows Sonnen’s approach, but I’m sure Sonnen will adjust as well. Silva’s lone weakness is his takedown defense, and Sonnen knows that’s his only real chance at scoring a victory.
Despite fighting from his back the first time around, Silva still managed to inflict damage. He landed his fair share of strikes, and that will only increase with a shored-up defense.
Silva has won 14 consecutive fights for a reason. Great fighters learn from their mistakes, and don’t expect anything less from “The Spider.”
Sonnen Will Surprise Silva
Silva has a direct advantage against Sonnen if this fight is fought upright, but Sonnen is a better striker than he gets credit for.
He only has seven career knockouts, but he is a lightning-quick striker. He’s also a very smart attacker and understands how to pick his spots.
Don’t expect him to land enough punches to win, but he will rattle Silva more than once. He has a ton of confidence, and he knows how close he came to winning the first battle. That will translate into Saturday night.
Sonnen can’t go toe-to-toe with Silva, but he knows that. He also knows Silva would prefer to stand up and will bring a game plan that fits that style.
Silva will land more shots, but he won’t go unharmed.
Silva Wins by KO
Silva’s insane length will earn him his 19th career knockout in this fight. He has a 77.6-inch reach, which gives him a 2.5-inch advantage over Sonnen’s 74-inch reach.
Expect that to have a major impact this time around.
Last time, Silva allowed Sonnen to get inside and take his legs. This time, Silva will protect himself.
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