Anderson Silva has accomplished more than any other fighter in UFC history. By accepting a light heavyweight bout against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153, which was previously headlined by a featherweight title fight between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar, Silva has added “event savior” to his long list of descriptions.
With Aldo and co-headliner Quinton Jackson being forced off of the fight card due to injuries, the UFC needed one of its biggest stars to step up in order to avoid cancelling a second event in as many months.
Though it has been pegged as one of the biggest mismatches in MMA history by oddsmakers, the bout between Silva and Bonnar helped the UFC avoid serious embarrassment. Additionally, Silva training partner Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira took a fight with Dave Herman on short notice to give UFC 153 a stronger co-main event.
With the event set to take place this Saturday at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, let’s take a look at the rest of the fight card and the competitors who should walk away from UFC 153 with a win.