Ever since UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was booked to face Stephan Bonnar in a light heavyweight bout, fans and analysts have been critical of the pairing. Despite being a massive mismatch on paper, don’t expect Silva to take “The Amer…
Ever since UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was booked to face Stephan Bonnar in a light heavyweight bout, fans and analysts have been critical of the pairing.
Despite being a massive mismatch on paper, don’t expect Silva to take “The American Psycho” lightly on Saturday evening. In an interview with the UFC, the Brazilian states:
You have to respect Stephan Bonnar. He is the reason why MMA and the UFC are where they are today. He has done a lot for the sport. He has to be respected and given a lot of credit.
While “The Spider” greatly respects the runner-up of the original Ultimate Fighter, he had other motivations for taking on the opportunity to fight in Brazil for the second time this year.
It was a request from Dana White to come in and save UFC 153. It was an opportunity to give back to all the Brazilian fans for what they did to support me in my last fight … I believe I have more agility, more speed at this weight. I don’t know about the power, but I do believe I am more agile. Due to the short amount of time to train, it is easier to make 205 rather than to try to cut down to 185.
UFC 153, which takes place at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena, was originally supposed to be headlined by a featherweight title clash between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar.
Unfortunately, “Scarface” pulled out of the event last month due to a foot injury he suffered during training.
Also worth noting is that Silva was willing to fight at light heavyweight for the now infamously cancelled UFC 151 card, but the UFC had already canned the event by the time Silva had contacted White.
Silva enters Saturday night with a a perfect 15-0 record under the UFC banner, while Bonnar comes in on the strength of three victories in a row.
Does Bonnar stand any chance of pulling off an upset here, or is he simply going to be another knockout victim added to Silva’s highlight reel?
(I’m sorry, Kryszszytoff, but I’m not going to promise a name to my child when I can neither spell nor pronounce it.)
Let’s be real, when we brought back the comment of the week last Friday, you were all pretty much fighting for the right to play second fiddle to Seth’s “less a writer, more a philosophizer” comment describing the benefits of loving oneself as a coping mechanism. Unfortunately for Seth, as soon as one of us signs our CagePotato contract, we are immediately excluded from winning any prizes of any kind, be it a simple comment contest or an MMA Journalist of the Year award, which is clearly why not one of us have ever been so much as nominated in the category.
But we had to pick a winner eventually, so head after the jump to see which one of you will be receiving a gold medal for coming in second place…
(I’m sorry, Kryszszytoff, but I’m not going to promise a name to my child when I can neither spell nor pronounce it.)
Let’s be real, when we brought back the comment of the week last Friday, you were all pretty much fighting for the right to play second fiddle to Seth’s “less a writer, more a philosophizer” comment describing the benefits of loving oneself as a coping mechanism. Unfortunately for Seth, as soon as one of us signs our CagePotato contract, we are immediately excluded from winning any prizes of any kind, be it a simple comment contest or an MMA Journalist of the Year award, which is clearly why not one of us have ever been so much as nominated in the category.
But we had to pick a winner eventually, so head after the jump to see which one of you will be receiving a gold medal for coming in second place…
With 31 percent of the vote, Busted Hyman has earned him/herself a CP shirt and all the glory that comes with it. Busted, please please e-mail [email protected] with your real name, address, and shirt size, and we’ll get you hooked up ASAP. As for the rest of you, better luck next week!
Now that Browne and Bigfoot have met in the Octagon on UFC on FX, the UFC now prepares for one of its most intriguing headliners in the company’s history. One might argue it is a mismatch of grand proportion, but the fighters and the UFC brass see this…
Now that Browne and Bigfoot have met in the Octagon on UFC on FX, the UFC now prepares for one of its most intriguing headliners in the company’s history. One might argue it is a mismatch of grand proportion, but the fighters and the UFC brass see this as an opportunity for something great to happen.
When fight fans heard that UFC 153 would now be headlined by Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar, a collective eyebrow was raised. While the circumstances were that both men were the ones to step up first and agree to fight, it still was confusing that these two men would be pitted against the other.
Following Silva’s most recent triumph over his greatest rival, ChaelSonnen, many felt that Chris Weidman, Michael Bisping, Rashad Evans or others would be the next name to grace the blue corner across from the greatest fighter of all time. However, due to timing, Silva was able to take a short-notice fight at light heavyweight, closer to where his natural walking-around weight is.
As the UFC promotional commercial indicates, this fight can end in one of two ways. The first being yet another, and arguably very expected, incredible knockout, or, second, the biggest upset in UFC history. Both very valid statements given the circumstances and history of both.
Both men are very well known in the MMA world, and for different reasons. Silva is the greatest fighter, and Bonnar put on what some consider the greatest fight of all time. Oddsmakers, fans, fighters and maybe even Bonnar himself would put money on Anderson Silva emerging as the victor off of sheer stats; but in this sport, anyone can win on any given night.
So what happens if Silva wins? Nothing much, because it was expected of him, with the variables of how he wins.
But what happens if Bonnar wins?
First off, there is no belt on the line for Silva, so his legacy as the Middleweight champion is still preserved. However, his record of being undefeated in the Octagon will come to an abrupt halt. While his record and history completely outweighs any one loss he might take now, it is the conceptual perception of the MMA world that this would hurt his legacy.
Many feel that this is a cakewalk for Silva, and losing to a guy who spoke of retiring soon is not a good loss to take, especially when you are considered the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. The fact that the fight is taking place a weight class up helps ease the blow of a loss, but at the same time, Silva has gone up to light heavyweight twice before, scoring two first-round knockouts.
Bonnar though, has never been finished in the Octagon. He has never been KO’d, nor has he ever been submitted. His durability against a man who has built his name upon KO’s and submissions will be truly tested. It is the relentless warrior inside of Bonnar that will be his biggest advantage in this fight. If he can weather the storm, who knows what could happen?
A decision win over Silva would be the softest way for Silva to take a hit from a loss, and it probably is the best chance for Bonnar as well to emerge victorious. Regardless, Silva is at a point in his career where fans are looking for reasons to hate him. Some hate him because of his consistent success, because of his actions, because of the Sonnen campaign or other reasons. Silva taking any sort of loss gives fuel to the fire.
It helps fuel arguments that fans have over who is the best pound-for-pound fighter, for example. FedorEmelianenko, Georges St. Pierre, Jon Jones and some others have all had great arguments in their favor for the P4P title, and a loss to Bonnar would not help Silva’s case in this regard.
But ultimately, a win for Bonnar would be groundbreaking. Bonnar is a fighter that has been around for a while, and he truly devotes himself to the sport and his fans. He faced Forrest Griffin in what has become known as the most significant and greatest fight in UFC history. Since that showdown, Stephan has been trying to make his way to the top for a belt, or just to be considered in the upper echelon of fighters.
The one thing that could top his fight with Griffin would be a win over Anderson Silva. If he can accomplish this, he can retire on the complete opposite spectrum of how Chuck Liddell retired. It’s hard to weigh which the media would jump on more: Silva’s loss, or Bonnar‘s victory? History has shown news favors the negative, so Silva would most likely be placed under the microscope, or at least until his next fight at middleweight. Silva would have to make a physical statement in his following fight to counter a loss to Bonnar.
Until Silva and Bonnar meet inside the cage at UFC 153, we can all speculate, analyze and pray that there are no more injuries or arrests that will affect this card!
But it is always darkest before the dawn, Potato Nation. So sayeth Two-Face.
Because through all of the depressing doom and gloom reporting we brought you guys this week, you kept your heads up. You stood tall and proud. Hell, you even had the intestinal fortitude to mock others’ misfortune like we taught you to. So with our faith restored, we are proud to bring back the Comment of the Week today so at least one of you can be rewarded for your ruthless, blackened souls.
Listed after the jump are the comments that gave us some much needed laughs this week, along with a poll for you to vote on your favorite. The winner will receive one of our classic “We Pull No Punches” shirts, but make sure to submit your designs for our next t-shirt contest, as we plan on giving a bunch away in the near future.
And the nominees are…
(Oh Michael, I just miss the days of one UFC event a month is all.)
But it is always darkest before the dawn, Potato Nation. So sayeth Two-Face.
Because through all of the depressing doom and gloom reporting we brought you guys this week, you kept your heads up. You stood tall and proud. Hell, you even had the intestinal fortitude to mock others’ misfortune like we taught you to. So with our faith restored, we are proud to bring back the Comment of the Week today so at least one of you can be rewarded for your ruthless, blackened souls.
Listed after the jump are the comments that gave us some much needed laughs this week, along with a poll for you to vote on your favorite. The winner will receive one of our classic “We Pull No Punches” shirts, but make sure to submit your designs for our next t-shirt contest, as we plan on giving a bunch away in the near future.
“if his plan is to have a kid and name it after each one of his losses then his wife is in for one busted taco”
–Clemmie, for reminding us all what darker times CagePotato has been through and making us feel a lot better by comparison:
“Have some faith in CP, gist, they know what they’re doing. They have already been fucked worse than they have ever been fucked before. It can only get better from there.”
“This sport hasn’t been the same since $kala left.”
-And finally, none other than Seth Falvo, for reminding us all of the common bond we share as Internet commenters/writers, which is coincidentally the easiest way to get over the influx of depressing news:
“Everyone else is debating flyweights, oversaturation, Old Dad, New Dad, New Old Dad, Fuel TV…and I’m just sitting here masturbating.”
Vote on your favorite below, and we will announce the lucky SOB on Monday.
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world’s leading questionnaire tool.
UFC President Dana White has been around long enough to know not to underestimate Stephan Bonnar in his UFC 153 bout with Anderson Silva.One of the most alluring aspects of MMA is the unpredictable nature of the sport. With such small gloves, and many …
UFC President Dana White has been around long enough to know not to underestimate Stephan Bonnar in his UFC 153 bout with Anderson Silva.
One of the most alluring aspects of MMA is the unpredictable nature of the sport. With such small gloves, and many ways to finish your opponent, the margin for error is minimal.
Silva is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world for a reason.
There has never been a fighter like him in the history of mixed martial arts. With a 15-0 UFC record, Silva has completely destroyed a multitude of world class names. The best term used to describe his skills: otherworldly.
Bonnar, on the other hand, has never stood out in any particular aspect of fighting. His strength lies in his indomitable spirit and ability to persevere.
The odds for the UFC 153 main event opened with Bonnar as a 13-to-1 underdog. White has taken criticism for even putting this fight together.
Silva is a world champion. Bonnar, who was retired before accepting the fight, has never even contended for a UFC title.
Why make this fight?
“There’s nothing wrong with fun fights, you can put on some fun fights sometimes,” White told ESPN.
“What people don’t realize is what a huge ‘Rocky’ story this is for Stephan. [He’s] been this guy that’s been right there. So many times he’s been so close. He’s on a four-fight win streak, and he felt like there were no big fights for him and then boom, this opportunity pops up.”
If Bonnar defeats Silva, it will be the biggest upset in UFC history. But the chances of that happening seem astronomical at best.
Still, longtime fans understand the danger of underestimating a fighter, especially one with a heart like Bonnar’s. As cliché as it sounds, anything can happen in MMA.
How many people picked Matt Serra to upset Georges St-Pierre at UFC 69? What about Gabriel Gonzaga knocking out Mirko “Cro Cop” at UFC 70?
This is a defining moment in Bonnar’s career. It may not be for a title, but he will have the rare opportunity to cement his place in history by knocking off quite possibly the greatest fighter in MMA history.
“I know Stephan Bonnar, and I know how much this means to him. He’s going after it. He’s going to try to win this fight. It’s the biggest fight of his life,” said White.
“He’s going to be so much bigger than Anderson in this fight it’s going to be crazy. Anderson has fought at 205 before. You saw what he did with Forrest [Griffin], but this is a completely different fight. This is a dangerous fight for Anderson.”
Now that Browne and Bigfoot have met in the Octagon on UFC on 
