Tag: UFC 148

Silva vs. Sonnen Results: Where Does UFC 148 Rank Among Anderson Silva’s Wins?

All it took was one mistake for Anderson Silva to shut down Chael Sonnen the same way he shut down everyone else. If there’s one fighter in the world that you can absolutely make no mistakes against, it has to be “The Spider.” This ti…

All it took was one mistake for Anderson Silva to shut down Chael Sonnen the same way he shut down everyone else.

If there’s one fighter in the world that you can absolutely make no mistakes against, it has to be “The Spider.” This time, Sonnen just gave him the opening a little bit earlier than in their first fight.

When Silva immediately stuffed the takedown that Sonnen came at him with in the second round, most of us knew that “Uncle Chael” was in for a long couple of minutes before he either got the fight to the mat or was left lying on it, wondering how he had been beaten again.

Unfortunately for Sonnen, that’s exactly what happened, as Silva added another win to his current 13-fight win streak in the UFC and added yet another incredible victory to his resume.

Over the last six years Silva has done everything short of decapitate someone inside the cage. Yet when someone has been so dominant for such a long time, their accomplishments almost get taken for granted at some point.

Many people are calling last night’s win over Chael Sonnen the greatest of Anderson Silva’s career. At some point, though, the hysteria is going to wind down, and people will come back to their senses.

Silva’s win over Sonnen came in a big fight, in a big performance and at one of the biggest events in UFC history, but still it doesn’t even touch Silva’s first win over Sonnen at UFC 117.

Picking fighters apart on the feet is what Silva’s known for. While it was weird to see it finally happen to Sonnen after roughly seven rounds of fighting, the win itself was no better than “The Spider’s” knockout wins over Forrest Griffin or Chris Leben.

Obviously, fights like the UFC 148 main event and the front-kick KO of Vitor Belfort will stick around in fan’s minds for a long time, but the first win over Chael is honestly something Silva can build his legend around.

The man got beaten up for almost five full rounds, and he still found a way to pull off the victory with nothing but a last-ditch effort thrown together out of desperation.

As much far as the pre-fight hype and weigh-in staredowns go, this was probably the best fight of all time.

The problem is that no matter what happened, it was never going to be able to match its predecessor as far as the in-cage action is concerned. Unless Silva ends up in a superfight against Jon Jones or Georges St-Pierre, there isn’t a single fight that Anderson can take that will reach the same amount of publicity.

UFC 148 may have been the most important fight of Silva’s career. He definitely was in a must-win situation, so he showed up and did his job the way he usually does.

He weathered an early barrage, got his head together and finished the fight. It wasn’t as beautiful as some of his other finishes, but it served its purpose. Silva has now taken out every single fighter that’s been put in front of him with relative ease.

Maybe one day we’ll look back and see this fight as a monumental moment in UFC history, but unless that happens, it will have to settle with being tied as Anderson Silva’s second-greatest win of all time.

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“UFC 148: Silva vs Sonnen” Aftermath (Part I): Tough Talk Sold the Fight, But the Tougher Fighter Finished It

Vindication. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE)

Love him or hate him, Chael Sonnen did what few other men in the sport have been able to accomplish: he made you believe he could take out Anderson Silva. Whether it was his pre-fight promises to dump the champion on his ‘prissy little ass’ or the ease with which he did so in the opening round, for the first time in a long time you doubted Silva’s invincibility. In a time when injuries and injunctions have quashed the UFC’s most emotionally-charged and meaningful fights, ‘The American Gangster’ would not shut his mouth until you were convinced that his fight mattered. To be fair, he never shut his mouth; it was shut for him.

For those who think he’s bad for the sport, you should have checked your pulse when he worked his way to mount. It raced. You should check the ticket sales for this event. It’s a new US record. You should think back to so many of Anderson’s other battles marred by inaction in the cage and indifference in the champ. They sucked. You don’t have to root for the bad guy, but someone has to lose these fights, and it may as well be a loud-mouthed son of a bitch who refers to himself in the third person.

Anderson may not be flying home with the pocket full of Sonnen’s teeth that he desired, but he will be toting an extra twelve pounds of gold. Though he may be slightly disappointed, he’ll have a much easier time getting through airport security.

Vindication. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE)

Love him or hate him, Chael Sonnen did what few other men in the sport have been able to accomplish: he made you believe he could take out Anderson Silva. Whether it was his pre-fight promises to dump the champion on his ‘prissy little ass’ or the ease with which he did so in the opening round, for the first time in a long time you doubted Silva’s invincibility. In a time when injuries and injunctions have quashed the UFC’s most emotionally-charged and meaningful fights, ‘The American Gangster’ would not shut his mouth until you were convinced that his fight mattered. To be fair, he never shut his mouth; it was shut for him.

For those who think he’s bad for the sport, you should have checked your pulse when he worked his way to mount. It raced. You should check the ticket sales for this event. It’s a new US record. You should think back to so many of Anderson’s other battles marred by inaction in the cage and indifference in the champ. They sucked. You don’t have to root for the bad guy, but someone has to lose these fights, and it may as well be a loud-mouthed son of a bitch who refers to himself in the third person.

Anderson may not be flying home with the pocket full of Sonnen’s teeth that he desired, but he will be toting an extra twelve pounds of gold. Though he may be slightly disappointed, he’ll have a much easier time getting through airport security.

Seconds into his rematch with Chael, “The Spider” found himself in a familiar spot. The champ spent much of his first fight with Sonnen on his back getting walloped, and the first round last night was no different. A survivor of war-torn West Linn, Sonnen showed no fear as he brought the fight to Silva right from the opening bell, but as he learned in their first encounter it’s how you finish that matters most, and once again Chael came in second place in an ass-kicking contest.

You can point to vaseline or shorts-grabbing or ‘illegal’ knees–and you will–but right now Silva is the best in the world. He has been for a long time, and he will continue to be so until someone takes him out. Who could possibly do it? I have no clue. Silva is so far ahead of the rest of the pack that none of his potential opponents seem credible, and it’s tough to get excited for a title fight when you don’t believe that the challenger can do the unthinkable. I was excited for this fight. Thanks again, Chael.

Silva’s victory sets two UFC records—most consecutive title defenses (10) and most consecutive wins (15). His $75k “Knockout of the Night” check puts him one bonus shy of tying Chris Lytle‘s record 10 UFC Performance Bonuses.

– @chriscolemon

Check out: “UFC 148: Silva vs Sonnen” Aftermath (Part Two): Seizing (And Destroying) the Moment


UFC 148 Results: Did the Event Leave Us Wanting More?

Last night, one of the biggest fights in UFC history took place when Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva threw down for the middleweight strap. The card had much anticipation, as it boasted fights that were sure to be crowd-pleasers.Let me tell you a coupl…

Last night, one of the biggest fights in UFC history took place when Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva threw down for the middleweight strap. The card had much anticipation, as it boasted fights that were sure to be crowd-pleasers.

Let me tell you a couple things. I watched the pay-per-view. I had high expectations for the entire card. The last thing I will tell you is that I was less than impressed with last night’s fights.

If fighters got bonuses for go-to decisions, most of the fighters must have gotten a fat paycheck last night. Of the 11 bouts, eight went to the scorecards. Of the three finishes, one was due to an injury.

Don’t get me wrong, decisions can be entertaining. Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar and Dan Henderson-Mauricio Rua were amazing fights that went to decisions. But a majority of the fights that went to decision were pretty lackluster by my account.

These fighters need to realize something. Last night was one of the biggest events in history. When you have a spot on an event like that, you need to bring your A-game. What I saw last night was a lot of safe fights with competitors too scared to take a chance.

If that was their mentality, why are they even fighting for the UFC? The UFC likes fighters, and last night I saw a lot of guys avoiding finishes.

Not only that, but the judges were somewhat questionable last night. For example, one round Fabricio Camoes has Melvin Guillard mounted and dishing out some damage to “The Young Assassin.” It was the most significant happening of that round, but the judges still deemed that Guillard won a decision in a sweep. There is no way he won all three rounds, even though I still feel he won the fight.

There were other examples of rounds being given to fighters who didn’t earn them, but I don’t wish to rant on that much longer.

All in all, I don’t know why UFC 148 left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. I think that my expectations for the event were colossal to a point where anything would have been a letdown.

But this is why I say the cards everybody bashes are the best fight cards, while the ones with all the hype fail to live up to expectations.

UFC 147 got all sorts of heat for not having enough marquee fights. Hell, most of the prelims from UFC 148 could have made the UFC 147 main card.

The difference between the two fight cards is that UFC 147 delivered under scrutiny, and UFC 148 left us wanting more.

I can guarantee you that UFC on Fuel, which occurs next week, will provide better fights than UFC 148. All the potential UFC 148 had couldn’t protect itself from imploding. 

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Silva vs. Sonnen 2 Results: Can Mike Easton Become a Contender at 135?

There were other fighters at UFC 148 besides Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen, Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin.One specifically was Mike Easton, who defeated Ivan Menjivar by unanimous decision.Easton is now on a three-fight win streak in the UFC and on a e…

There were other fighters at UFC 148 besides Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen, Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin.

One specifically was Mike Easton, who defeated Ivan Menjivar by unanimous decision.

Easton is now on a three-fight win streak in the UFC and on a eight-fight win streak in MMA. During that win streak, Easton has taken out some recognizable talent like John Dodson, Josh Ferguson, Ivan Menjivar and former WEC bantamweight champion, Chase Beebe.

Easton can become a contender at 135 pounds, and the Washington D.C. native is still improving.

Easton has what it takes to become a contender in the division. Easton has the striking—black belt in Taekwondo—and the necessary grappling credentials—black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu—to make a run at the belt.

So far he has impressed me in his three fights in the UFC. His first fight with Byron Bloodworth was awesome and he finished with a TKO. Bloodworth even missed weight and was still beaten by the smaller Easton.

Now Easton has tested himself against Menjivar who is a really good test for upcoming bantamweights. Beating Menjivar is no easy task.

Easton should get one more fight under his belt in the middle tier and then start getting the bigger name guys in the division.

His mixture of personality and skills help make him an easy fighter to push to the masses. 

The only thing that goes against Easton that I can see being trouble long term is his size. He isn’t exactly the biggest guy, but that isn’t any reason to stop him from going far in the division. He isn’t as small as Joseph Benavidez or Demetrious Johnson, yet those two guys made title runs themselves.

Easton is getting better and will become a contender eventually in the bantamweight division proving big things can come in small packages.

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Silva vs. Sonnen 2: UFC Must Turn Intense Rivalry into a Trilogy

After yet another insane showdown that excited the world of mixed martial arts and captivated the sports world, the UFC must find a way to make a third match happen between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen.Even though Silva won the first fight between t…

After yet another insane showdown that excited the world of mixed martial arts and captivated the sports world, the UFC must find a way to make a third match happen between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen.

Even though Silva won the first fight between the two top middleweight fighters in the world, he was battered and bruised often in the 2010 bout. He was hit just 208 times in his first 11 UFC fights, but Sonnen landed a stunning 289 blows to the Brazilian in their first match.

Sonnen actually won the first four rounds unanimously by judges’ decision in that bout. But Silva came out of nowhere to submit Sonnen in Round 5.

Sonnen may have crossed the line with some of his comments in the meantime, but he deserved to gloat a bit after the beating he put on the sport’s greatest force.

Saturday’s sequel started just like the first began. Sonnen came out like a man possessed and brought Silva to the ground less than 10 seconds into the fight. He had Silva on his back for the entirety of the first round. 

Although, in usual Silva fashion, he took advantage of a slip-and-fall by Sonnen on a spinning blow that missed. He used the rare window of opportunity to pounce on the American to ensue blows that Sonnen wouldn’t recover from and would prompt referee Yves Lavigne to break up the fight with a TKO.

No one is arguing that Sonnen was the superior fighter in the octagon Saturday night or that he deserved the win like he suggested after their opening bout. In fact, Sonnen applauded Silva for accepting the rematch and for showcasing yet another impressive performance.

But the unfolding of events between the fighters Saturday night didn’t do much to prove that Sonnen is not capable of beating Silva.

With the way that the middleweight division currently looks, Sonnen undoubtedly poses the biggest threat to Silva’s championship belt. If “The Spider” ever loses in the octagon, it will most likely be to Sonnen. 

That’s not to say that Silva will accept a rematch. He looked stronger, more able and more comfortable than in the 2010 bout while answering questions of the rib injury’s impact on the first fight with his bitter rival. He proved he’s the best and shouldn’t have to rest his case on a third match.

But then again, why does a third match have to be the telling one? If Sonnen wins, isn’t Silva still 2-of-3? Does Sonnen have the respect for Silva and the sport to agree that a third fight wouldn’t decide the ultimate legacy between the two?

Besides, Silva is 37 and Sonnen is 35. We’d have to assume that a third fight wouldn’t be for at least one or two more years, when both mixed martial artists could be too far past their prime to even play. 

Even if they aren’t the dominating, young forces that they used to be, a fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen would boom UFC’s numbers and would be a breathe of fresh air economically for the sport.

Since the sport lives and dies on pay-per-view numbers, chasing the most sexy matchup is a must for Dana White. And with some of his best men on the edge of their careers, he’ll have to do everything he can to ensure that they get back in the ring one last time.

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Silva vs. Sonnen 2: Was Angering Silva Sonnen’s Ultimate Downfall?

It was an anti-climatic finish to the second fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen at UFC 148.After a dominating first round that saw Silva charge immediately at Sonnen and then get double legged and held on the ground for five minutes, Silva p…

It was an anti-climatic finish to the second fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen at UFC 148.

After a dominating first round that saw Silva charge immediately at Sonnen and then get double legged and held on the ground for five minutes, Silva pulled off a victory in convincing fashion.

Sonnen angered Silva to a whole new level going into this fight. It seemed like a bad idea to anger a man who can destroy you in just any way humanly possible. Though was this the ultimate downfall for Sonnen?

The answer is really simple: No.

See Sonnen‘s one mistake wasn’t angering Silva. The huge mistake was throwing a spinning backfist that led to him slipping. Sonnen couldn’t get the second round to go like the first round.

Sonnen took Silva down instantly in the first and with a lot of ease, but in the second round he couldn’t do it and seemed different from the first round. Now instead of Silva getting dominated, Sonnen was getting out-struck and didn’t have a good answer for the amount of strikes thrown his way.

The one key mistake was the spinning backfist. That’s a move that should be only be thrown under supreme confidence that you can land it—which if Sonnen did, I’m shocked. Silva’s the best fighter at avoiding strikes, and throwing something like that won’t surprise him. It will have trouble landing.

The anger might have played a sub-role to the spinning backfist. Sure, behind every punch Silva threw there was a little hate peppered on. Every punch meant something. One punch for disrespecting my family. Another for disrespecting my teammates. A knee to the body—yes it was to the body, people—for his home country.

Sonnen did the right thing in trying to hype up the fight and it worked. You can’t go wrong with the record breaking numbers UFC 148 did. But to say that angering Silva was the downfall is pointless. Sonnen made his mistake in the ring and not outside it.

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