Anderson Silva is the greatest mixed martial artist of all time and the reigning UFC Middleweight Champion.
At UFC 153 he steps back up to light heavyweight for a featured bout against Stephan Bonnar, and “The Spider” simply cannot take him lightly.
Bonnar poses a unique set of challenges for Silva, both physically and with his array of skills.
Silva has defended his title five times since his last trip to the 205-pound weight-class.
Back at light heavyweight, and without his precious title on the line, there is a chance Silva could get complacent. This is not a fight that was scheduled and sough after. Silva stepped up on short notice to bail out the UFC after an injury to UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo.
Bonnar is 6’4” and will be well over 205 pounds by the time the fight begins. He will be giving up the speed advantage to Silva, but with only a month’s worth of preparation, his size advantage could be an issue of concern for the middleweight champion.
“The American Psycho” has the tools to make this a rough fight for Silva. A bigger, stronger man who has decent takedowns, good ground and pound, and an excellent jiu-jitsu game.
Chael Sonnen got Silva down to the mat but was unable to exert a great deal of damage or force a submission, but if Silva finds himself on the mat during this fight, Bonnar could very well punish the champion.
This is only a three round main event. The shortened affair will give Bonnar an excellent chance to steal two rounds on the judges’ scorecards if the fight goes the distance. If he can take Silva down and stay in top position it will be a big feather in his cap.
Bonnar is a tough fighter. He’s stood toe-to-toe with some of the best fighters in his division. Each of his two TKO losses were by virtue of a cut. Silva has the ability to stop Bonnar, but that is a huge task for anyone.
Bonnar knows he can take a shot, and knows he will need to eat a few of Silva’s blows in order to get inside. He will try to make this an ugly fight.
Silva has to take Bonnar seriously, as Bonnar is a serious threat. In spite of all the betting odds and media predictions, Bonnar is a dangerous, live dog in this fight.
Unfortunately for Bonnar, Silva does not have a tendency to overlook anyone. Just ask James Irvin.
Implementing his game plan against Silva will be tough, but if Bonnar is able to make this a nasty fight then he stands an excellent chance of knocking off Silva.
If Silva takes Bonnar lightly, the world could be in store for one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.
But Anderson Silva has yet to have any lapse in focus during his UFC tenure, and he’s unlikely to start now.
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