UFC 148: 6 Fights to Make After Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2

UFC 148, one of the biggest fight cards in UFC history, is finally in the books.After an exhausting week in Las Vegas, the Bleacher Report team finally got to see history in the making when Anderson Silva decimated Chael Sonnen in the second round of t…

UFC 148, one of the biggest fight cards in UFC history, is finally in the books.

After an exhausting week in Las Vegas, the Bleacher Report team finally got to see history in the making when Anderson Silva decimated Chael Sonnen in the second round of their main-event rematch. It was an emphatic win for Silva. After a first round that made me believe we were in for a virtual repeat of their first bout at UFC 117, the middleweight champion rebounded in the second and put Sonnen away.

What’s next for the champion? The win cemented him as the greatest fighter in the history of mixed martial arts. As Brian Stann so deftly noted on the post-fight show, Silva is so good at what he does that there aren’t really any contenders worthy of stepping in the Octagon to challenge him.

But the show must go on, so let’s take a look at what might be next for Silva and the rest of his UFC 148 compatriots.

 

ANDERSON SILVA vs. HECTOR LOMBARD or MARK MUNOZ

As I noted above, there are no true deserving contenders for Silva’s belt at the moment. This is not to say that there aren’t good middleweights out there, because there are quite a few. Mark Munoz, Hector Lombard, Michael Bisping, Brian Stann and Alan Belcher are all deserving of title consideration. They’d be worthy of title shots against any other champion, but Silva is a different beast.

But the champion will need a new foe, so who will it be? I think there are two optimal opponents.

I’ve gone on record as saying that Lombard doesn’t deserve a title shot, and I still think that’s true. But he seems to be the guy that Dana White and Joe Silva are targeting for the next Spider bout, assuming that he beats Tim Boetsch in a few weeks. He has a long winning streak—even though most of it came against inferior competition—and that might be enough to secure him the shot. But I’d only give Lombard the shot if he beats Boetsch and does so in impressive fashion.

If Munoz beats Chris Weidman on Wednesday night, he should also be in consideration. A win would give Munoz five in a row against some of the toughest competition in the UFC. He would be a deserving challenger.

I can’t say the same for Weidman, though. A win over Munoz would make a big statement for the wrestler from New York, but I think he’ll still need one more win to secure his chance at the gold.

If Weidman beats Munoz, I think a fight against Alan Belcher makes perfect sense.

One thing is for sure: The middleweight division is getting a lot more interesting these days. 

 

CHAEL SONNEN vs. WANDERLEI SILVA

This one is a no-brainer. Sonnen has nearly talked as much trash about Silva as he did the other Silva, and it’s a fight fans want to see. Both guys are also coming off a loss, which makes it appealing from a booking standpoint.

Personally, I’d like to see Sonnen try his hand at light heavyweight. But if he elects to stay at middleweight, this is the fight to make. A date with Vitor Belfort might also be interesting.

 

CUNG LE vs. JAKE SHIELDS

We don’t know if Le will retire or continue fighting. I have a hunch we’ll see him in the cage at least one more time. A bout with Shields would be interesting, providing Shields gets past Ed Herman at UFC 150 in August. 

It would be a classic striker vs. grappler battle and a good test for both men.

 

CHAD MENDES vs. RICARDO LAMAS

Mendes easily handled Cody McKenzie at UFC 148 in a mismatch. Despite his loss to Jose Aldo earlier this year, Mendes should still be considered a legitimate contender, and he should face another fighter near the top of the division. 

Lamas fits that description perfectly. He’s riding a three-fight winning streak and beat Hatsu Hioki his last time out. He’s the ideal opponent for Mendes at the moment, and the winner should be in consideration for a shot at Aldo.

 

DEMIAN MAIA vs. MIKE PYLE

Because his fight against Dong Hyun-Kim didn’t last very long, we still don’t know what to make of Demian Maia at welterweight. He looked to be executing a grappling-heavy game plan prior to the injury that ended Kim’s night, and that’s a good thing for the submission specialist.

A date with Mike Pyle would be interesting. Pyle has won two in a row and would be an interesting opponent for the Brazilian. Pyle’s striking abilities would likely overmatch Maia on the feet, but it would be a different story if Maia could get the fight to the ground.

 

MIKE EASTON vs. MICHAEL MCDONALD

To me, Mike Easton is one of the more interesting fighters in the bantamweight division. He has more charisma than 90 percent of the UFC roster and could be a legitimate superstar in the division. And the UFC is clearly interested in pushing him into title contention, especially since he’s willing to fight teammate Dominick Cruz in a championship setting.

Easton has an eight-fight winning streak and is 3-0 in the UFC. McDonald is already championship material and could face the winner of the Urijah Faber/Renan Barao interim title match that takes place in a few weeks at UFC 148. But if the UFC elects to give McDonald another fight before putting him in a championship bout, Easton makes perfect sense. 

Fans haven’t exactly been happy with Easton’s decision-heavy style over his past two fights. Putting him in the cage against McDonald would certainly ensure that we’d see one heck of a fight.

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Silva vs Sonnen 2: Will the Third Time Be the Charm for Chael Sonnen?

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen will always be remembered for one of the most heated rivalries any sport has ever seen. Over the course of the past two years, we’ve seen the unexpected. We’ve seen an average fighter like Sonnen become what many conside…

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen will always be remembered for one of the most heated rivalries any sport has ever seen.

Over the course of the past two years, we’ve seen the unexpected. We’ve seen an average fighter like Sonnen become what many consider the No. 2 middleweight in the world. We’ve seen him talk, talk, and talk some more. But he’s backed up his talk.

We’ve seen Silva take it all in without retaliation.

However, that all changed in a media conference call leading up to their highly anticipated bout at UFC 148. Finally, Silva had enough. He began to pounce on Silva like a lion on red meat. He finally let Sonnen have a taste of his own medicine.

It appeared as if Sonnen finally had gotten to Silva. The insults and verbal abuse finally broke Silva.

But, the same couldn’t be said inside the Octagon as Silva was able to finish off Sonnen in just two rounds via TKO. It was Sonnen‘s second chance at capturing UFC gold and he came up short. Despite dominating the opening frame and winning the round arguably 10-8, Sonnen wasn’t able to take Silva down when Round 2 began.

Sonnen‘s failed takedown appeared to be a turning point in the fight as Sonnen is now 0-2 all-time against the middleweight legend.

However, despite falling short in both opportunities, Sonnen remains a top middleweight not only in the UFC, but the world.

If Sonnen is able to bounce back and capture two or three consecutive wins, the chances of a triology between the gangster from Oregon and the Brazilian greatly increase.

In any sport, it’s extremely difficult to defeat an opponent three straight times. MMA is no different.

If Sonnen and Silva square off once more, could the third time be the charm for the outspoken Sonnen?

Only time will tell.

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Appeal Proves Silva-Sonnen Feud Far from Over, Rematch on the Horizon?

Chael Sonnen is proving to be an itch that Anderson Silva can’t seem to scratch.As reported by Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden, Sonnen’s camp is set to appeal his UFC 148 loss to “The Spider.”The appeal is based around a knee thrown by Silva in the …

Chael Sonnen is proving to be an itch that Anderson Silva can’t seem to scratch.

As reported by Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden, Sonnen’s camp is set to appeal his UFC 148 loss to “The Spider.”

The appeal is based around a knee thrown by Silva in the second round, which led to a TKO stoppage.

Sonnen, who was obviously downed at the time, took a knee directly in the chest from Silva.

At first glimpse, the knee looks clean, but with a closer look, it’s obvious Silva pops Sonnen in the face with the follow-through just above the knee. In the UFC, it is illegal to kick or knee a downed opponent in the head.

What counts as a knee? If not a knee, would Silva’s strike be defined as a kick?

Sonnen’s chances of winning such an appeal will likely be a long shot, but it is certainly within the realm of possibility.

Snowden caught up with Sonnen’s manager Scott McQuarry, who had plenty to say about the questionable knee thrown by Silva:

Chael’s not the kind of guy who likes to complain after a fight. I felt I needed to take this action to protect him. At the point of impact, Anderson had his hand locked in the cage and his feet left the ground. We believe his intentions were clear. We started the process of filing a complaint with the Nevada Athletic Commission. We believe the knee that Anderson Silva threw was illegal with the clear intent to strike the face. And it did in fact connect with the face. Chael bit his tongue and needed eight stitches.

We’re going to ask for a rematch. We deserve a rematch. If the only way Anderson Silva can win is by cheating, we need to keep a closer eye on Silva before and during a fight. And we need a rematch now. Legal knee or illegal knee, there’s enough doubt with all the fouls to warrant a rematch.

Silva has to be growing tired of the ongoing feud with Sonnen. For over two years, Sonnen has disrespected his family, teammates and the entire country of Brazil.

Silva has already defeated Sonnen twice, and both of the bouts ended in stoppages.

With that said, a potential rematch between Silva and Sonnen is good for business. The UFC 148 main event was arguably the biggest fight in UFC history. If Sonnen wins the appeal, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think White would be quick to green-light the trilogy.

Buckle up, folks.

The Silva and Sonnen feud is far from over.

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UFC 148: Chael Sonnen’s Coach Planned Appeal, Demands Rematch from Dana White

Although middleweight contender Chael Sonnen seemed to accept his loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 148, Bleacher Report has learned that Sonnen’s training staff is less forgiving of Silva’s potentially illegal tactics. They believe a knee strike to a…

Although middleweight contender Chael Sonnen seemed to accept his loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 148, Bleacher Report has learned that Sonnen’s training staff is less forgiving of Silva’s potentially illegal tactics. They believe a knee strike to a seated Sonnen, which hit the challenger in the chest, also connected solidly with Sonnen’s face, making it an illegal strike.

“Chael’s not the kind of guy who likes to complain after a fight,” Sonnen’s head trainer, Scott McQuarry, said. “I felt I needed to take this action to protect him. At the point of impact, Anderson had his hand locked in the cage and his feet left the ground. We believe his intentions were clear.

“We started the process of filing a complaint with the Nevada Athletic Commission. We believe the knee that Anderson Silva threw was illegal with the clear intent to strike the face. And it did in fact connect with the face. Chael bit his tongue and needed eight stitches.”

McQuarry believes the potentially illegal knee changed the remainder of the fight, creating the opening for Silva to finish the bout with punches. After contacting Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer to determine how to proceed, he was informed that filing a complaint would almost certainly not result in the fight being declared a no contest.

Instead, McQuarry is taking his case to the fans and UFC president Dana White.

“What I’m going to do is change my tactic,” McQuarry said. “We’re going to ask for a rematch. We deserve a rematch. If the only way Anderson Silva can win is by cheating, we need to keep a closer eye on Silva before and during a fight. And we need a rematch now. Legal knee or illegal knee, there’s enough doubt with all the fouls to warrant a rematch.”

In addition to the knee strike, Silva was also caught rubbing Vaseline on his chest. Although referee Yves Lavigne caught this, McQuarry says that the substance sinks into the pores, making simply wiping it off ineffective. Additionally, Silva was warned twice for grabbing Sonnen’s shorts during the fight.

“I think it did make a difference in the outcome,” McQuarry said. “I know that Chael grabbed Silva’s shorts briefly too in response, but not for 15 seconds and two punches.”

While Sonnen and his team weigh their options, McQuarry hopes the people will make their voices heard.

“They need to call the UFC. We need a rematch. Chael is a great champion and deserves a fair fight.”

Chael Sonnen and Nevada Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer were not immediately available for comment. 

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Silva vs Sonnen 2: How Much of Anderson Silva’s Win Was Luck?

August 7th, 2010 was one of the most shocking days in UFC history.For the first time in his UFC career, middleweight champion Anderson Silva had his back against the rope. He had been beaten to a pulp for four and a half consecutive rounds. He was on t…

August 7th, 2010 was one of the most shocking days in UFC history.

For the first time in his UFC career, middleweight champion Anderson Silva had his back against the rope. He had been beaten to a pulp for four and a half consecutive rounds. He was on the verge of defeat and being stripped of his long-time title.

But out of nowhere, Silva was able to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in the sport’s history as he submitted Chael Sonnen with just two minutes remaining on the clock. It wasn’t scripted and it wasn’t expected, especially after what he went through the previous 23 minutes.

It was luck.

Like a rabbit out of the hat, Silva found a way to win. It will forever be remembered as arguably his greatest win of all-time. The ‘Fight of the Year’ demanded a rematch as Sonnen, two years later, was still on a manhunt for UFC gold.

The opening frame went as expected for Sonnen fans as he placed Silva on his back just six seconds into the fight. It was the same story, different day from their first meeting. Sonnen on top of Silva and a world of ground-and-pound surely to come.

Silva remained on his back until the opening round came to a close. This was the sixth straight round that Sonnen had controlled against Silva and he proved it was nothing short of his superior wrestling pedigree.

In the second round, Silva stuffed an early takedown by Sonnen as the two remained on their feet. From there, Sonnen flung for a spinning back-fist and missed, causing him to fall against the cage and down on his back. It was a mistake and a costly one at that.

From there, Silva was able to capitalize on Sonnen’s mistake. It wasn’t the breaking of Sonnen’s teeth that Silva promised, it was an opportunity given to him. It was a mistake that Sonnen would like back.

As we look back on the most anticipated rematch in UFC history, Silva certainly earned his due. He walked away the winner and no one can take that away from him. But one question remains from Silva’s 10th straight title defense.

How much of it was luck?

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UFC 148 Results: Is Mike Easton a Threat at Bantamweight?

Mike “The Hulk” Easton may not be a giant, green superhero, but he is certainly garnering plenty of attention in the ever-growing UFC bantamweight division.At UFC 148, he extended his win streak to eight with a unanimous decision victory over wily vete…

Mike “The Hulk” Easton may not be a giant, green superhero, but he is certainly garnering plenty of attention in the ever-growing UFC bantamweight division.

At UFC 148, he extended his win streak to eight with a unanimous decision victory over wily veteran Ivan Menjivar.

With the emergence of Renan Barao and Michael McDonald, the UFC bantamweight division is quickly loading up with talent. At 28 years of age, Easton is a legitimate bantamweight, who could one day crack into the upper-echelon portion of the division.

Unfortunately, he is still an unfinished body of work. Menjivar is undoubtedly a tough opponent, but Easton showed serious struggles in his ability to close the distance and cut off the cage.

Upper-echelon bantamweights such as champion Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber and Barao are masters at utilizing range to their advantage. Cruz is especially a matchup nightmare for most fighters due to his ability to move in and out of the pocket so easily on opponents.

Easton is certainly a threat at bantamweight. He boasts rare knockout power for a 135-pounder combined with a strong grappling base. The Maryland native is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under world-renowned BJJ practitioner Lloyd Irvin.

It will be interesting to see how his wrestling stacks up against some of the tougher guys in the division. Future bouts against Brian Bowles or Scott Jorgensen would go a long way in forecasting Easton’s UFC future.

Will “The Hulk” continue to smash his way to the top, or is he bound to hit a wall when he faces stiffer opposition?

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