Tag: UFC 148

[EXCLUSIVE] In Final Comment Before UFC Title Bout, Chael Sonnen *Sort Of* Reacts to Anderson Silva Cheap Shot


(The time for talk is over…but we still bugged Chael for one last quote before he rematches Anderson)

Anderson Silva can deny it all he wants, but Chael P. Sonnen has gotten inside his head. After years of Sonnen antagonizing the middleweight champion, Silva has appeared to snap emotionally.

First, “The Spider” lashed out at the challenger with threats during a recent conference call promoting their UFC 148 rematch taking place Saturday night, and then on Friday he got in Sonnen’s face at the weigh ins in Las Vegas and hit him on the chin with a shoulder strike.

“Chael no respect nothing. Chael no respect [the] UFC, Chael no respect my country,” a fired up Silva told Joe Rogan moments after weighing in and striking Chael on stage. “Tomorrow, I go to fight.”

Sonnen appeared unmoved on stage after Silva’s surprise shoulder strike, leaving his hands up and standing stone-faced. We spoke with Sonnen a couple hours after the weigh in and asked him if he’d expected Silva to do something like that after all his trash talk, and if the shoulder bump had revved him up even more to fight his nemesis.

Sonnen had received an IV to help him rehydrate and begin recovering from his twenty pound water weight loss in just twenty four hours at that point and said he that he was done talking – But not without one last golden nugget of hype before going to war tomorrow…


(The time for talk is over…but we still bugged Chael for one last quote before he rematches Anderson)

Anderson Silva can deny it all he wants, but Chael P. Sonnen has gotten inside his head. After years of Sonnen antagonizing the middleweight champion, Silva has appeared to snap emotionally.

First, “The Spider” lashed out at the challenger with threats during a recent Anderson Silva Promises to Beat Chael Sonnen So Badly It Will ‘Change the Image of the Sport’” href=”http://www.cagepotato.com/anderson-silva-promises-to-beat-chael-sonnen-so-badly-it-will-change-the-image-of-the-sport/” target=”_blank”>conference call promoting their UFC 148 rematch taking place Saturday night, and then on Friday he got in Sonnen’s face at the weigh ins in Las Vegas and hit him on the chin with a shoulder strike.

“Chael no respect nothing. Chael no respect [the] UFC, Chael no respect my country,” a fired up Silva told Joe Rogan moments after weighing in and striking Chael on stage. “Tomorrow, I go to fight.”

Sonnen appeared unmoved on stage after Silva’s surprise shoulder strike, leaving his hands up and standing stone-faced. We spoke with Sonnen a couple hours after the weigh in and asked him if he’d expected Silva to do something like that after all his trash talk, and if the shoulder bump had revved him up even more to fight his nemesis.

Sonnen had received an IV to help him rehydrate and begin recovering from his twenty pound water weight loss in just twenty four hours at that point and said he that he was done talking – But not without one last golden nugget of hype before going to war tomorrow.

In typical Sonnen form, Chael mostly ignored the specifics of our questions but laid it on thick with intensity and a colorful metaphor. “Listen to me. Please. Hell is coming to dinner and I’m coming with him,” Sonnen said.

We’re not sure what that means but damn if it doesn’t sound good and make us want to watch Sonnen take on Silva just a tiny bit more. About an hour later and just a few hours after weighing in at 185 pounds, Sonnen weighed in again privately, we are told, and had gotten back up to 204 pounds.

Life on the last day of the “Dolce Diet” may not be “fun,” and joyful as its namesake coach Mike Dolce insists (video below), but it has worked for the first half of what Sonnen needed – making weight. Saturday night we’ll get to see how well he and Silva fare against one another.

Don’t forget to read out live play-by-play blog for all the action!

– Elias Cepeda

UFC 148: Cung Le vs. Patrick Cote Will Be Fight of the Night Winner

Cung Le and Patrick Cote are an excellent and equal matchup at UFC 148. It’s a classic striker-versus-striker match, as both have disciplines primarily in striking and this match could turn into an all-out brawl similar to the Forrest Griffin-Stephan B…

Cung Le and Patrick Cote are an excellent and equal matchup at UFC 148. It’s a classic striker-versus-striker match, as both have disciplines primarily in striking and this match could turn into an all-out brawl similar to the Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar match at the end of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Le’s best ability is his kickboxing, as he is completely undefeated in kickboxing matches. As part of his excellent mix in kickboxing, he takes elements of sando, tae kwon do and basic kickboxing to create one of the nastiest arsenals of kicks. MMA Weekly notes that:

Le has marked his MMA career with spectacular kicks that come from every direction and angle, and still stands as one of the most unique fighters in the sport when it comes to his style of fighting.

That matchup issue could lead to a quick fight.

However, Patrick Cote should be up for the challenge. Cote comes into this fight as a late addition due to Rich Franklin taking on Wanderlei Silva at UFC 147. It’s not the first time he has been a late replacement for someone, though.

Early in Cote’s career, he took on Tito Ortiz and proved that he belonged in the promotion with a close decision loss. This fight should be something similar to the Ortiz fight for Cote in that it should go the full three rounds. 

Unlike Le, Cote’s specialty comes from muay thai and boxing. But one thing that Cote has going for him that could lead to his victory: his heart. As Carlin Bardsley of SportsNet points out:

Cote knows he has to make the most of the opportunity he’s been given. Stepping up to fight a big name on short notice brings him back to the beginning of his UFC career and brings him full-circle. If he brings with him the same enthusiasm, the same grin, and the same punching power that he brought in his UFC debut against Ortiz, he may very well establish himself as a force once again in the world’s largest promotion.

Cote wants to win this fight as a way to re-establish himself in the UFC and eventually end up with a title shot in the light heavyweight division. Cung Le is trying to do the same as a fighter and this epic battle should be a way for both to have an excellent showing.

Both Cote and Le have amazing conditioning regimens and have the ability to punish their opponents and take punishment for 15 minutes easily. This should be an all-out war between two top strikers and the Fight of the Night.

 

Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist and Trends and Traffic Writer for Bleacher Report. As a Featured Columnist, he covers the Atlanta Falcons, NFL and NFL Draft. He is also the Falcons analyst at Drafttek and also runs the NFL Draft Website ScarDraft.com and the host of Kvetching Draftniks Radio.

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Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie: Final Prediction

UFC 148 may have most of the attention on its main event and co-main event, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other intriguing fights on the card. In fact, a featherweight bout between former lightweight Cody McKenzie and former title challenger Chad …

UFC 148 may have most of the attention on its main event and co-main event, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other intriguing fights on the card. In fact, a featherweight bout between former lightweight Cody McKenzie and former title challenger Chad Mendes should be one of them.

If you saw the weigh-in, you would have noticed that Mendes and McKenzie had a very intense stare down. After some trash talk and some head-to-head contact, the face off was over, but the lasting image would be the give-no-ground staredown the two shared.

When Mendes and McKenzie enter the cage tonight, there will be several factors that play into the fight.

In terms of striking, both men cannot be considered elite. Mendes has come a long way from the early days when he looked like he didn’t know what he was doing. He has power in his fists, but his ground striking is much better than his striking on the feet.

McKenzie is still pretty green on the feet. He would rather get into a submission war than throw hands, so the striking advantage has to go to Mendes.

In terms of wrestling and grappling, Mendes also has the advantage. He has the better takedowns, the heavier top game and all-around more skillful wrestling. While McKenzie has some slick jiu-jitsu, Mendes has stifled to jiu-jitsu guys such as Rani Yahya in the past.

McKenzie has one advantage in this match, which is submissions. His “McKenzitine” submission, a modified guillotine, has put away many opponents in his career, including UFC opponents Aaron Wilkinson and Marcus LeVesseur.

Mendes works with Team Alpha Male, whose signature submission is the guillotine. He will have this move well scouted, so I doubt it plays a factor tonight.

In the end, I see Mendes using his superior boxing to get a takedown. When he gets the fight to the ground, expect him to utilize ground-and-pound to try and earn a stoppage. This may open up a submission, which will ultimately get him the win.

Prediction: Chad Mendes def. Cody McKenzie via submission (rear naked choke) 

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UFC 148: Last-Minute Predictions for Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen

UFC 148’s headline match features a rematch of epic proportions. Anderson “The Spider” Silva will face off against Chael “The People’s Champ” Sonnen in a highly anticipated Octagon battle.The first battle between these two skilled fighters won the MMA …

UFC 148‘s headline match features a rematch of epic proportions. Anderson “The Spider” Silva will face off against Chael “The People’s Champ” Sonnen in a highly anticipated Octagon battle.

The first battle between these two skilled fighters won the MMA Fight of the Year Award in 2010. It was extremely close, but Silva forced Sonnen to submit in the fifth round with a triangle armbar. 

Sonnen controlled most of the action for five rounds, but he was never able to turn his back control into a Silva tapout. 

The first bout will be tough to match, but don’t expect Saturday night’s fight to disappoint. 

Let’s make three last-minute predictions about the direction this fight will take.

 

Silva Will Stay on His Feet

Silva spent a surprising amount of time on his back last time. Granted, Sonnen is an extremely established wrestler in the Octagon and in college (NCAA All-American at Oregon in 1998), but Silva is too good of a fighter to face the same problems twice in a row.

He knows Sonnen’s approach, but I’m sure Sonnen will adjust as well. Silva’s lone weakness is his takedown defense, and Sonnen knows that’s his only real chance at scoring a victory.

Despite fighting from his back the first time around, Silva still managed to inflict damage. He landed his fair share of strikes, and that will only increase with a shored-up defense. 

Silva has won 14 consecutive fights for a reason. Great fighters learn from their mistakes, and don’t expect anything less from “The Spider.”

 

Sonnen Will Surprise Silva

Silva has a direct advantage against Sonnen if this fight is fought upright, but Sonnen is a better striker than he gets credit for.

He only has seven career knockouts, but he is a lightning-quick striker. He’s also a very smart attacker and understands how to pick his spots. 

Don’t expect him to land enough punches to win, but he will rattle Silva more than once. He has a ton of confidence, and he knows how close he came to winning the first battle. That will translate into Saturday night. 

Sonnen can’t go toe-to-toe with Silva, but he knows that. He also knows Silva would prefer to stand up and will bring a game plan that fits that style.

Silva will land more shots, but he won’t go unharmed.

 

Silva Wins by KO

Silva’s insane length will earn him his 19th career knockout in this fight. He has a 77.6-inch reach, which gives him a 2.5-inch advantage over Sonnen’s 74-inch reach.

Expect that to have a major impact this time around. 

Last time, Silva allowed Sonnen to get inside and take his legs. This time, Silva will protect himself.

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UFC 148 Weigh-In Video: Anderson Silva Outlands Chael Sonnen 1-0 in Significant Strikes

(Video: YouTube.com/UFC)

More so than any of the punches ‘The American Gangster’ landed on the champion during their first encounter, it’s been his incessant jabs since that evening that have caused the most damage. It may have taken a couple of years of unrelenting taunts, but Chael Sonnen has finally gotten under Anderson Silva’s skin. Never underestimate the heart of a pretend champion.

Two weeks ago we saw Anderson’s cool demeanor begin to fade with promises of extreme violence against Sonnen. Things escalated on Tuesday with the champion violating Sonnen’s personal space, a press conference faux pas if ever there was one. Last night, however, the uncannily smooth Brazilian officially lost his cool, popping Sonnen with a shoulder to the face as the two squared off at the weigh-ins. I’m not sure if Brazil has area codes, but if so it’s safe to say which one Silva’s repping.

If you aren’t pumped for this fight, you’re dead inside. Actually, if you read this site, you’re probably already dead inside. So…just enjoy the fight, alright?

Full weigh-in results after the jump.

(Video: YouTube.com/UFC)

More so than any of the punches ‘The American Gangster’ landed on the champion during their first encounter, it’s been his incessant jabs since that evening that have caused the most damage. It may have taken a couple of years of unrelenting taunts, but Chael Sonnen has finally gotten under Anderson Silva‘s skin. Never underestimate the heart of a pretend champion.

Two weeks ago we saw Anderson’s cool demeanor begin to fade with promises of extreme violence against Sonnen. Things escalated on Tuesday with the champion violating Sonnen’s personal space, a press conference faux pas if ever there was one. Last night, however, the uncannily smooth Brazilian officially lost his cool, popping Sonnen with a shoulder to the face as the two squared off at the weigh-ins. I’m not sure if Brazil has area codes, but if so it’s safe to say which one Silva’s repping.

If you aren’t pumped for this fight, you’re dead inside. Actually, if you read this site, you’re probably already dead inside. So…just enjoy the fight, alright?

 

Full weigh-in results (via: MMAFrenzy.com)

  • Anderson Silva (184) vs. Chael Sonnen (185)
  • Forrest Griffin (204) vs. Tito Ortiz (204)
  • Patrick Cote (185) vs. Cung Le (185)
  • Dong Hyun Kim (170) vs. Demian Maia (170)
  • Chad Mendes (146) vs. Cody McKenzie (145)
  • Mike Easton (135) vs. Ivan Menjivar (136)
  • Fabricio Camoes (156) vs. Melvin Guillard (155 )
  • Khabib Nurmagomedov (155) vs. Gleison Tibau (155)
  • Riki Fukuda (185) vs. Constantinos Philippou (186)
  • John Alessio (156) vs. Shane Roller(155)
  • Yoislandy Izquierdo (156) vs. Rafaello Oliveira (156)

 

UFC 148 Live Stream: Online Viewing Info for Saturday’s Epic MMA Event

Anderson Silva will attempt to extend his record for most consecutive title defenses to 10 in a rematch against Chael Sonnen, who nearly upset the champion when they first faced off two years ago. That bout highlights the UFC 148 card. There are a tota…

Anderson Silva will attempt to extend his record for most consecutive title defenses to 10 in a rematch against Chael Sonnen, who nearly upset the champion when they first faced off two years ago. That bout highlights the UFC 148 card.

There are a total of 11 fights on tap for Saturday. It’s one of the most complete cards of the year for UFC. With that in mind, here’s a look at all the key viewing information and a breakdown of the biggest bouts of the night.

 

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

When: Saturday, July 7 at 10 p.m. ET (Main Card)

Watch: Facebook and FX (Preliminary Card) and Pay-Per-View (Main Card)

Live Stream: UFC.com provides multiple options

 

Fights to Watch

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen

No fighter has been more dominant over the past handful of years than Silva. Not only has he defeated every challenger thrown his way, but he has often made it look easy, showing just how far ahead of the middleweight pack he has been.

Sonnen did give him a run for his money in the first matchup, though. He was able to make himself into the aggressor and kept Silva on his heels for much of the fight. But in the fifth round, he got caught in an armbar and was forced to tap out, ending his run at the title.

He gets another chance now, and he looked strong in a January victory over Michael Bisping. Although Silva is still the favorite to retain the belt, he will face another tough test from the American, who’s looking for his big break.

 

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz

Even though both of these fighters have name recognition, they have been struggling as of late and would really benefit from a win on Saturday. Griffin has lost three of his last five fights, and Ortiz has lost five of his last six.

One of Griffin’s wins during that span did come against Ortiz. It was a split-decision victory back in late 2009, which helped fuel a rematch. The key for Griffin will be getting back to fighting at his pace, not accelerating to match his opponent.

As for Ortiz, he’s looking for any proof that he still has some great performances left in him. He was knocked out in each of his last two outings and just hasn’t looked like his old self. Now would be a perfect time to turn things around.

 

Cung Le vs. Patrick Cote

Le was unable to make the immediate statement he was hoping for in his first UFC fight, losing to Wanderlei Silva by knockout. The last thing he needs is to begin his UFC career on a two-match losing streak, so it’s a big night.

His opponent will have plenty of motivation. Cote returns to the promotion after four fights away and will be looking to show that he deserves to stay this time around. He was let go following three consecutive losses a couple years ago.

With so much on the line for both guys, this should be one of the most intense fights of the night. It will come down to which guy can better absorb some shots, because both are capable of landing some big ones and will be looking for the KO.

 

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