Vinny Magalhaes who has been training Chael Sonnen in the art of submission defense, has predicted the self-styled “American Gangster” can submit perennial UFC 185-pound titlist Anderson Silva at UFC 148. Per an interview with Eduardo Ferreira and Tatame.com:
What are your predictions for this fight? Does Sonnen have chances to win?
[…] “Anderson might be much better then Chael on the floor, much better on the stand-up, but Chael’s style is hard on Anderson and I believe it will go the same way as the first one did: Chael taking him down and controlling him from the top. If he believes in his game, I believe he can submit Anderson this time. Now, if he doesn’t submit him, he’s gonna win via points.”
Sonnen, who has eight submission losses in 11 defeats, including Silva’s triangle-armbar he fell victim to at UFC 117, acquired the services of Magalhaes to shore up his oftentimes ailing Achilles’ heel.
The accomplished BJJ practitioner (second-degree black-belt) was paid double wages for two-weeks graft to ensure Sonnen learned at least the rudimentary arts of submission defense, particularly the aforementioned triangle-armbar and the triangle-choke (both of which have caused Sonnen problems in the past).
In addition, the former M-1 light heavyweight champion worked on tweaking his top control, which was an indicative aspect of his stratagem in his first fight with Silva.
Magalhaes believes said facet, if employed to the best of Sonnen’s abilities, could result in a submission victory come fight night.
UFC 148 is scheduled for July 7, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
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