After dominating Anderson Silva for nearly six full rounds between their two fights, Chael Sonnen came up short in his second shot at the UFC middleweight title at last night’s UFC 148.At 35-years-of-age, “the American Gangster” has likely fought in hi…
After dominating Anderson Silva for nearly six full rounds between their two fights, Chael Sonnen came up short in his second shot at the UFC middleweight title at last night’s UFC 148.
At 35-years-of-age, “the American Gangster” has likely fought in his last championship MMA bout—at least while “the Spider” is still the 185-pound king.
After almost defeating Silva at UFC 117, Sonnen’s legal situation prevented an immediate rematch. So Sonnen was forced to fight his way back up the contender ladder.
Losing definitively via a brutal technical knockout at last night’s fight, Sonnen does not have a strong case for a third showdown, making it almost impossible for him to make a serious climb back up to the top.
The middleweight crown isn’t the only piece of UFC hardware that Sonnen will find trouble in winning. A former light heavyweight who once fought for the WEC crown, Sonnen could make the jump back up to 205 pounds.
However, the talent pool is so deep in the light heavyweight division and champ Jon Jones’ reign doesn’t look like it will be ending anytime soon.
Sonnen’s last hope at capturing a piece of UFC gold is if Silva decides to retire or move up to 205 himself. Both options are entirely possible, but may not happen for a while, a bad sign for Sonnen if he wants to make one last run.
There’s no doubt that “the American Gangster” will continue to entertain fans as a member of the UFC’s roster, but his time as a title challenger has just about past.
Anderson Silva, the UFC middleweight champion, defeated Chael Sonnen in the second round via TKO on Saturday, putting on what was perhaps the the most impressive showing at UFC 148. Looking like a man possessed, his tranquil demeanor never c…
Anderson Silva, the UFC middleweight champion, defeated Chael Sonnen in the second round via TKO on Saturday, putting on what was perhaps the the most impressive showing at UFC 148.
Looking like a man possessed, his tranquil demeanor never changed.
Silva promised fans that he would give Chael Sonnen the beating of his life. It may have not been what fans expected, but Silva did keep his word.
Silva retained his title for the 10th time, and like a moving train he isn’t slowing down. Just look at yesterday’s performance.
Anderson Silva proved he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Let’s get one thing straight: Last night’s co-main event was by no means a legacy-cementing fight. The legacies of both fighters had been cemented well before last night, with both Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz being very influential in the UFC’s push towards the mainstream, being involved in unforgettable fights and holding the light-heavyweight championship. While winning the trilogy would be a nice way to cap off an otherwise lackluster rivalry, it would be nothing more than another “W” in the grand scheme of things. Especially for Tito – while Forrest is arguably worthy of a Hall of Fame induction, Tito already has been inducted.
Which perhaps explained why Tito Ortiz seemed more aggressive throughout the fight: Forrest had little to lose, Tito had nothing to lose. While the aggression of “The People’s Champion” seemed to have Forrest Griffin on the verge of defeat a few times during the fight, in the end it wasn’t enough. For the majority of the fight, Griffin managed to outstrike Ortiz en route to the unanimous decision victory.
Really, there is little more to be said for the actual fight. Two aging veterans entered the cage and performed like aging veterans. Both men looked slow, both men gassed out early, and if it weren’t for the names involved, this fight would have had zero chance of taking home the $75k Fight of the Night honors. If you want to watch the fight again, watch the fight again – if you missed it, you didn’t miss much.
Let’s get one thing straight: Last night’s co-main event was by no means a legacy-cementing fight. The legacies of both fighters had been cemented well before last night, with both Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz being very influential in the UFC’s push towards the mainstream, being involved in unforgettable fights and holding the light-heavyweight championship. While winning the trilogy would be a nice way to cap off an otherwise lackluster rivalry, it would be nothing more than another “W” in the grand scheme of things. Especially for Tito – while Forrest is arguably worthy of a Hall of Fame induction, Tito already has been inducted.
Which perhaps explained why Tito Ortiz seemed more aggressive throughout the fight: Forrest had little to lose, Tito had nothing to lose. While the aggression of “The People’s Champion” seemed to have Forrest Griffin on the verge of defeat a few times during the fight, in the end it wasn’t enough. For the majority of the fight, Griffin managed to outstrike Ortiz en route to the unanimous decision victory.
Really, there is little more to be said for the actual fight. Two aging veterans entered the cage and performed like aging veterans. Both men looked slow, both men gassed out early, and if it weren’t for the names involved, this fight would have had zero chance of taking home the $75k Fight of the Night honors. If you want to watch the fight again, watch the fight again – if you missed it, you didn’t miss much.
As for the implications of the bout: Does the victory for Forrest Griffin keep him relevant in the light-heavyweight division? Don’t be crazy – Griffin looked unmotivated and admitted to letting himself be lazy throughout the fight. Does the victory improve his chances of getting into the UFC Hall of Fame? Ask Frank Shamrock to comment on whether admission into the UFC Hall of Fame relies strictly on your record. Forrest Griffin’s Hall of Fame credentials begin with his legendary bout against Stephan Bonnar and end with his victory over Rampage Jackson for the light-heavyweight title. The fact that he jabbed and wheezed his way through three rounds against a fellow aging veteran should be treated for what it is: A footnote in his career. Even if he lost last night, I’d still be convinced that he’ll one day be in the UFC Hall of Fame.
As for his bizarre post-fight decision to walk out of the cage and head towards the locker room? I’ll leave that for you all to debate. To me, what was supposed to be a time for Tito to receive one last ovation from the fans became a collective “WTF” moment for everyone involved. Rather than continuing to focus on Griffin’s antics, let’s put the spotlight back where it belongs. Thank you for the memories, Tito. It’s a shame you went out winning only one of your last nine fights, but your legacy as one of our sport’s greatest light heavyweights had been cemented well before this.
Speaking of legacies, Cung Le certainly improved his with a hard-fought victory over the returning Patrick Cote. The decorated forty year kickboxer and former Strikeforce champion picked up his first victory in the UFC over arguably his toughest test to date. Le used his dynamic striking to outpoint Cote and pull off the upset; although when Cote was able to get inside against Le, he was able to do some damage.
While a victory in the UFC is a feather in the cap of any martial artist, it’s doubtful that Le has too much further to go from here. Aside from being forty years old, he’s also a somewhat one dimensional fighter attempting to make his way through a division with wrestlers like Jake Shields, Chael Sonnen, Chris Weidman and Mark Munoz, just to name a few. Even guys like Michael Bisping, Brian Stann and Alan Belcher are balanced enough to keep Le from the deep end of the division. This isn’t meant to take away anything from Le – it’s a reminder rather that he’s not an answer to the stalemate that has become the UFC middleweight division.
As for the rest of the fights on the main card, they happened. I wish I could say more for them than that, but honestly, there’s nothing that even can be said for them. Sorry, Maia fans, but I’m not going to act like a forty-seven second freak injury tells us anything about Demian Maia‘s attempt to rejuvenate his career by dropping to welterweight. Likewise, we’ve literally said since the booking of the fight that Mendes vs. McKenzie was a ridiculous mismatch. The fact that it ended the way it did, a thirty-second body shot KO, proved it. Also, Easton vs. Menjivar provided fans exactly what they expected: A fast paced unanimous decision that has become par for the course whenever the bantamweights are in the cage. Easton came out on top, looking good, but not great. Expect at least one more victory from Easton before he’s trusted with a title shot. Meanwhile, Menjivar drops to 24-9 in his career, and will be back to the drawing board after winning three straight in the UFC before last night.
The only thing sweeter than revenge is rubbing it in after revenge. Anderson Silva was in position to do just that following UFC 148. Instead, he showed sportsmanship, and under the given circumstances, it was quite surprising. Like the vast majority o…
The only thing sweeter than revenge is rubbing it in after revenge.
Anderson Silva was in position to do just that following UFC 148. Instead, he showed sportsmanship, and under the given circumstances, it was quite surprising.
Like the vast majority of UFC fights, trash-talking preluded the bout, but Silva intensified his verbal assault of Chael Sonnen beyond the norm. While The Spider did go into the generic I’m-going-to-hit-you-so-hard-your-mother-will-feel-it rant, he didn’t just take a shot at Sonnens toughness but his character as well.
Steven Marrocco of USA Today reported what Silva said going into the fight:
“First of all, Chael is a criminal,” Silva (31-4 MMA, 14-0 UFC) said through translator and manager Ed Soares. “He’s been convicted of crimes. He doesn’t deserve to be inside the octagon. And when the time comes and the time is right, I’m going to break his face and break every one of his teeth in his mouth.”
Silva didn’t literally dismantle Sonnen like he threatened to on Saturday, but he did record a TKO in the second round. Almost two years since their first bout, Silva had defeated Sonnen yet again, proving his superiority once and for all. The American Gangster was officially shut up.
What did Silva do after achieving the triumph that he had been patiently waiting for?
Now, I’d imagine that if I were in his position, my first reaction would be to stare Sonnen down, and then grab the mic and yell something like, “I told you all!”
But Silva, feeling merciful perhaps, didn’t gloat on his victory.
Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times reported that in the Octagon, the same Octagon he said Sonnen didn’t deserve to be in, Silva told his audience, “Show Chael we have manners. I want everyone to applaud Chael.”
Now, from there, Silva could’ve easily followed that up by taking a shot at Sonnen’s pride, but instead he told his rival, “If you’d like to have a barbecue at my house, I’d love to have you over.”
It takes far more humility to resist rubbing in revenge than it does courage to kick a man when he’s down. Silva chose to show humility against Sonnen, and he should be applauded for it.
David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and is a syndicated writer.
Anderson Silva took care of two years of business last night with his victory over Chael Sonnen. With this win, Silva has defeated his biggest nemesis who trash-talked him at every single turn.Now that the fight between these two is over, Sonnen has be…
Anderson Silva took care of two years of business last night with his victory over Chael Sonnen. With this win, Silva has defeated his biggest nemesis who trash-talked him at every single turn.
Now that the fight between these two is over, Sonnen has been brutally sent down the ladder once again.
There are many other middleweights waiting for a shot at Silva, and I don’t think Sonnen will climb his way back up to title contention again.
A large part of him getting this fight with Silva in the first place was his trash talk and promotion of this fight. Yes, he did submit Brian Stann, and he did win a controversial decision against Michael Bisping, but he got this fight largely because he’s the best hype man in the business.
I believe that there are too many other middleweights waiting for a shot at Silva for Sonnen to be able to climb his way back to the top.
Silva is getting older, and no one is sure when he’ll walk away from the sport. Sonnen is in his mid-30s as well, so the chances of both of them continuing to win and finally meeting again are very slim.
That being said, however, Dan Henderson has a title fight coming up. He’s 41 years old.
Age is just a number for some fighters. But I don’t believe that Anderson Silva will ever fight Chael Sonnen again. There would need to be a miracle.
Check me out on Twitter @FuscoNation16 for more UFC and other sports thoughts.
After snuffing out Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, everyone has been wondering who honestly poses a challenge for the champion. Running down the list of contenders at middleweight, there just doesn’t seem like anyone can truly push Anderson Silva the way that…
After snuffingout Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, everyone has been wondering who honestly poses a challenge for the champion. Running down the list of contenders at middleweight, there just doesn’t seem like anyone can truly push Anderson Silva the way that Sonnen could.
Well, an unlikely challenger may have emerged. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans has thrown his hat into the mix and honestly, that’s a fight that I can get excited for.
@lorenzofertitta i want 2 pick a fight with the middle weight champion! Lol Make it happen!! Please!!
I’ve always felt that Evans was not only one of the best fighters in the UFC, but one of the only light heavyweights that could truly match Anderson with both speed and technique. He’s considered “small” by light heavyweight standards and may actually be better suited for middleweight.
The fight makes even more sense as Silva told UFC President Dana White that he has no interest in moving up to light heavyweight to challenge current champion Jon Jones in a super fight.
While I’m sure guys like Michael Bisping and the winner of Mark Munoz & Chris Weidman feel they should be next in line, those fights really don’t interest me the way that one with Evans would.
They match up well stylistically and Evans possesses the takedown ability to push Silva like only Chael Sonnen could. On the feet Evans’ head movement and boxing would force a very technical match up.
I know the UFC is hoping to hold a huge show to close out the year. This may be the fight that gets fans to fill out Cowboy Stadium.
After dominating Anderson Silva for nearly six full rounds between their two fights, Chael Sonnen came up short in his second shot at the UFC middleweight title at last night’s UFC 148.