Anderson Silva‘s 10th consecutive title defense was shrouded in controversy Saturday night. Did he really attempt to knee Chael Sonnen in the head while he was down?
It sure looked liked he did, and Sonnen believes that much is true. His coach, Scott McQuarry, plans to appeal the match’s result. He told MMAJunkie.com this:
“Obviously, there were minor infractions of grabbing shorts and greasing himself up,” McQuarry said. “But the knee to the face … I’ve looked at it from numerous angles. I can see where it hit his face. It did slide down to his chest. But that should be considered a no-contest.
“What I’m looking for is a rematch.”
If Sonnen’s party gets their wish then maybe we will see Silva versus Sonnen for a third time in the coming future, but that’s highly doubtful. There aren’t any concrete grounds for the appeal to go through, despite the obvious direction of Silva’s knee.
Silva is still the UFC middleweight champion. Whether people enjoyed the decision or not, he is going to be defending his title again.
Assuming the next opponent isn’t Sonnen, let’s take a look at two possibilities for “The Spider’s” next title defense.
Rashad Evans
Former light heavyweight champion Evans sent out a tweet Saturday night stating his willingness to fight Silva:
@lorenzofertitta i want 2 pick a fight with the middle weight champion! Lol Make it happen!! Please!!
— Rashad Evans (@SugaRashadEvans) July 8, 2012
Evans just lost to Jon Jones in April, but he’d won four straight decisions before that. He defeated Thiago Silva, Quinton Jackson and Tito Ortiz in succession before defeating Phil Davis in January.
Prior to that he lost the UFC Light Heavyweight championship to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98.
Evans has had mixed results lately, but he’s a talented fighter. He would give Silva a marquee opponent and an elite wrestler to face in the Octagon.
UFC fans wold be excited to see that, and each competitor would be challenged by the other. That’s a perfect matchup to me.
Mark Munoz
Munoz doesn’t bring Evans’ popularity to the fold, but he’s an exciting fighter in his own right. He’s only been active since 2007, and he’s racked up a 12-and-2 record with six knockouts so far in his career.
He will fight Chris Weidman on July 11. The fight on Fuel TV’s UFC showcase has major bearing on the idea behind a Silva versus Munoz match in the future. If Munoz wins, he deserves a shot at the middleweight crown.
Munoz hasn’t lost since losing a decision to Yushin Okami in 2010. Since then, he’s ripped off four straight wins including a devastating knockout victory over C.B. Dollaway on March 3, 2011. He’s enjoyed a solid run, and the best part of his career is still in front of him.
Giving Munoz a chance to knock off the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time would be a wonderful opportunity for this 34-year-old Filipino fighter.
It wouldn’t create the buzz of an Evans matchup, but Munoz may be more qualified right now. He just has to beat Weidman first.
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