Tag: UFC 148

UFC 148: Chael Sonnen’s Trash Talk Is Perfect Weapon to Defeat Anderson Silva

At UFC 148, Chael Sonnen will once again have the opportunity to do something that no one else in UFC history has been able to do: defeat Anderson Silva. Yet all the talk about what will happen in this fight misses the biggest point of all—that S…

At UFC 148, Chael Sonnen will once again have the opportunity to do something that no one else in UFC history has been able to do: defeat Anderson Silva. Yet all the talk about what will happen in this fight misses the biggest point of all—that Sonnen has already won the battle. 

One of the reasons that this is expected to be the biggest UFC event of the year, aside from the amazing ending to the first fight between these two at UFC 117, is because of the talk that Sonnen and Silva have done leading up to this show. 

For Sonnen, talk is nothing new. He has made himself into a star because of his ability to cut a promo on anyone at any given moment, regardless of the situation. He made the first fight into must-see TV because of his mouth. 

Now, with Silva falling into the trap, Sonnen has the advantage that he needed for this fight. 

Silva has built a career on being unflappable. He is so smooth and effortless inside the Octagon that he doesn’t have to play into the theatrics of a fight. Sure, there have been moments in the past when he has done it, but never to this extent. 

Even Silva’s comments during the conference call last week, when he said he was ” going to break his face and every tooth in his mouth. I know he’s on the call listening to this and playtime is over. There’s no more talking from him. I’m going to beat him out of the UFC.”

Sonnen knows that on talent alone he can’t compete with Silva. He needs an advantage somewhere in order to win this fight. 

What better way to set yourself up for a victory than by getting into the head of your opponent?

Defeating Sonnen is not going to be good enough for Silva. He wants to destroy him, literally and figuratively. Silva does not want to see Sonnen walk out of the Octagon on his own. He wants to send a message in the biggest way possible. 

Fighters who enter a match feeling like they have something to prove often leave themselves open to mistakes. Silva has never done that before, but he has never looked like this leading up to a fight. 

Sonnen has set all the pins up to pull off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. He just has to knock them down on Saturday night. All of this has come thanks to a whole lot of talking, which is what makes Sonnen so brilliant. 

 

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Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen: Spider Will Eat the People’s Champ Alive

Confidence is everything. Anderson Silva is scheduled to fight Chael Sonnen in UFC 148 on July 7, but he’s already won. If the Spider isn’t already in Sonnen’s head, it’ll only take one powerful blow to have the American Gangster on his heels after all…

Confidence is everything.

Anderson Silva is scheduled to fight Chael Sonnen in UFC 148 on July 7, but he’s already won. If the Spider isn’t already in Sonnen’s head, it’ll only take one powerful blow to have the American Gangster on his heels after all of the pre-fight trash talking that has been going on.

Steve Marrocco of the USA Today reported that Silva is quite confident that he won’t only defeat Sonnen on Saturday, but that he’ll dismantle him. In fact, “confident” is a massive understatement.

Silva said in a conference call last week:

“What I’m going to do inside the Octagon is something that’s going to change the image of the sport, I’m sorry. I’m going to beat his (expletive) like he’s never been beaten before. This is going to be violent and I am sorry. I’m going to make sure that every one of his teeth are broken, that his arms are broken and his legs are broken. He’s not going to be able to walk out of the Octagon by himself. I can guarantee that. He will need a plastic surgeon afterward.”

He wasn’t finished, though. According to bjpenn.com, in the pre-fight press conference Silva reportedly whispered in Sonnen’s ear, “You’re going to die.”

I wouldn’t bet on any of Silva’s threats to actually come true, but expect him to still beat Sonnen down.

When the two competitors fought back in August of 2010, Silva forced a submission in the fifth round. Let’s just say if Sonnen was ever going to defeat Silva, that was his chance.

According to Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie, Silva defeated Sonnen despite a battling through a rib injury which was serious enough to provoke his doctor to advise him not to fight. Following the loss, Sonnen tested positive for extremely high testosterone levels as well as performance enhancing drugs and was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission, according to Sherdog.

Of course, Brett Okamoto of ESPN reported that Sonnen struggles with Hypogonadism and because of that, he’ll actually be able to use testosterone in the days leading up to the rematch, as long as his testosterone-to-epitestosterone level stays under the Nevada State Athletic Commission limit.

Now, if Sonnen couldn’t beat Silva with an illegal amount of testosterone fueling him, then how in the world is he going to pull off a victory without its advantage?

Silva hasn’t lost a fight since 2004 (besides his illegal-kick disqualification against Yushin Okami in 2006). You’d be nuts to bet against him this weekend.

 

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.


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Silva vs. Sonnen: Expect Anderson Silva to Breeze to Victory in One-Sided Match

The most anticipated UFC fight of 2012 will fail to live up to its lofty expectations. On Saturday, when Anderson Silva (31-4) takes on Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) at UFC 148 for the middleweight championship, he’ll do so knowing that steroids were a …

The most anticipated UFC fight of 2012 will fail to live up to its lofty expectations.

On Saturday, when Anderson Silva (31-4) takes on Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) at UFC 148 for the middleweight championship, he’ll do so knowing that steroids were a factor in their first match.

Back in 2010, Sonnen was the clear victor in their fight for the first four rounds, but succumbed to a vicious submission in the final round.

After the match, Sonnen tested positive for steroids, something that naturally infuriated Silva. Nobody knows for sure how much it affected Sonnen’s performance, but there is no question he dominated for well over four rounds. Now Silva is taking this fight extremely seriously to show the world he is the better fighter once and for all.

You don’t want to mess with an angry and focused Silva.

Since 2010, Silva has really honed his submission skills. He beat wrestling specialist Dan Henderson with his jiu-jitsu skills. He destroyed Travis Lutter with elbows to the head. He has become the premier all-around fighters in the sport and can handle any sort of style thrown his way.

Already one of the best standup fighters, it’s hard to find any sort of flaw in Silva’s repertoire at this point.

Sonnen is susceptible to mental errors, which has led to way too many submission losses (eight of 11). You don’t want to make a mental mistake against the ultra-cerebral Silva. Sonnen will try and win this fight on the ground, but it’s hard to see him stymieing Silva for too long.

He hasn’t shown the progress of Silva since their last battle, and you have to wonder how much of an impact steroids had on his career before getting busted. He simply doesn’t have the power to keep up with Silva anymore. If he stays on his feet, this fight could be over in the blink of an eye.

Assuming he takes it to the ground, I still like the quickness and agility of Silva. He’ll coax Sonnen into an error that will ultimately lead to defeat.

Age is not a factor considering Silva is 37 and Sonnen is 35. The motivational edge and flying fists and feet of Silva will eventually make this a fight that will be over by the third round.

In a fight between two battle-tested veterans, the decisive edge goes to Silva.

 

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UFC 148: Forrest Griffin and Biggest Locks to Win at Marquee Event

UFC 148 is set to take place on Saturday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and while there are several intriguing bouts on the card, many of them appear to be quite predictable as well. All of the bouts on the main card are pitting a couple…

UFC 148 is set to take place on Saturday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and while there are several intriguing bouts on the card, many of them appear to be quite predictable as well. All of the bouts on the main card are pitting a couple of big-name fighters against each other, but that doesn’t always result in a high-quality tilt.

Anything can happen in UFC, but many of the fights that are receiving top billing look pretty predictable on paper. That doesn’t mean that the fights won’t be entertaining, but few of them are evenly matched. This appears to be one of UFC’s most stacked cards in a while, but it may not translate to a great event.

Here are the biggest locks to win on Saturday night at UFC 148.

 

Forrest Griffin

Forrest Griffin has had mixed results in his fights over the past few years, but he is considered a huge favorite in his light heavyweight bout with Tito Ortiz on Saturday.

Ortiz was once a dominant fighter in his own right, but he has lost five of his last six decisions, including a defeat at the hands of Griffin three years ago. That fight was split on the scorecards, but Ortiz hasn’t done anything to suggest that the result will be different this time.

Griffin was knocked out by Mauricio Rua in his last contest, but he picked up an impressive win over Rich Franklin before that, so there is no doubt that he has all the momentum. Griffin is four years younger and Ortiz looks as if he is nearing the end of the line. Another loss to Griffin could spell the end of Ortiz’s career, and I believe that is what we’ll see at UFC 148.

 

Anderson Silva

If UFC fights were won with words, then Anderson Silva would be in big trouble against Chael Sonnen. There is no bigger trash talker in the sport than Sonnen, and while he often is able to back it up, that won’t be the case when he faces Silva.

Conventional wisdom says that Silva should be slowing down at the age of 37, but he is the UFC middleweight champion and is as dominant as ever. In fact, Silva has won a remarkable 15 straight bouts and will look to make it 16 on Saturday.

Sonnen has performed well as of late too, with just one loss in his past six fights, but that loss was against Silva. The two stars locked horns at UFC 117 and Sonnen was forced to tap out in the fifth round due to a triangle armbar. Sonnen put up a good fight, but Silva was in control throughout.

Silva may not be able to walk over Sonnen, but he will ultimately have his hand raised at the end of the night.

 

Chad Mendes

Chad Mendes is a rising UFC star, and although he is coming off a tough loss against Jose Aldo, he is a huge favorite in his featherweight bout against Cody McKenzie.

The 24-year-old McKenzie has a spectacular record of 13-2, but he has lost two of his past three contests. Mendes is just 27, and his record stands at 11-1. Those statistics would seem to suggest that Mendes and McKenzie are relative equals, but Mendes has faced much stiffer competition thus far and is battle tested when compared to the younger McKenzie.

Mendes is considered by many to be a future UFC Featherweight Champion and if he is going to reach that level, then he has to fend off guys like McKenzie. Both of these guys are very hungry to prove that they are ready to make the leap and face top-level talent, but only one fighter can do that, and I expect it to be Mendes.

 

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

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Anderson Silva Must Win in Impressive Fashion to Restore His Aura of Greatness

At UFC 148, it’s not only a necessity, it’s an absolute and categorical must, that Anderson Silva leaves the Octagon with a victory that will forever etch his name in the annals of  MMA history—a win that will restore his aura of…

At UFC 148, it’s not only a necessity, it’s an absolute and categorical must, that Anderson Silva leaves the Octagon with a victory that will forever etch his name in the annals of  MMA history—a win that will restore his aura of greatness in the eyes of his peers, fans and naysayers.

To some and maybe even to Silva, Chael P. Sonnen was just a stepping stone on his trajectory to greatness, but that was farthest from the truth as “The Spider” found to his cost at UFC 117—he encountered the rudest of awakenings—he was both victim and accomplice to a complete and utter mugging.

The MMA world stood aghast, wide-eyed and gobsmacked as they witnessed the No. 1 pound-for-pound king getting served on a platter of humble pie, humiliation and embarrassment.

Long story short, it was a rout, save for the fact he just about mustered a Hail Mary submission in the dying minutes of the final frame.

Sonnen, though the vanquished, basked in the glory of his humiliated foe and from thenceforth incessantly rubbed salt into Silva’s gaping wounds

Some sections of the media as well as the fans were mesmerized and intoxicated by the rhetoric-spewing Sonnen, so much so they actually believed he was the sole combatant in the 185-pound class that had Silva’s number.

Now it’s up to Silva to change their mindset.

Come UFC 148, the stakes will be higher than they’ve ever been for the 37-year-old Brazilian…period.

A decision win is out of the question.

A victory via submission happened two years ago.

Only a sublime performance and knockout of epic proportion will suffice.

In his last two outings, Anderson Silva (31-4 MMA, 15-0 UFC) has scored a brace of mind-boggling knockouts (back-to-back); to restore his aura of greatness, it’s a prerequisite Sonnen makes the hat trick.

UFC 148 is scheduled for July 7, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

 

For additional information, follow Nedu Obi on Twitter.

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UFC 148 Predictions: Emotions Will Get in Anderson Silva’s Way vs. Chael Sonnen

Even UFC president Dana White was shocked when he heard the things Anderson Silva was saying about his UFC 148 opponent Chael Sonnen during a conference call this week. “I didn’t see it coming,” White told USA Today’s John Morgan. “I’d be lying if I sa…

Even UFC president Dana White was shocked when he heard the things Anderson Silva was saying about his UFC 148 opponent Chael Sonnen during a conference call this week.

“I didn’t see it coming,” White told USA Today‘s John Morgan. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t dancing in my office a little when he was talking on the conference call, but I didn’t see that one coming.”

Silva is usually not one to talk trash. He’s usually one to get his work done in the cage, as evidenced by his 14-0 UFC record. That’s why his outburst regarding Sonnen was so unexpected and so delightful to someone like White, who needs all the help he can get as he promotes this matchup.

Silva’s outburst was likely the result of one of two scenarios: He knows he has to pull his weight when it comes to promotion because he usually leaves the mouthing off to his opponent, or he was so genuinely bothered by Sonnen—who has insulted Silva, his wife and his country in the past—that he finally lost his cool.

During this week’s media conference call in anticipation for Saturday’s fight, Silva told reporters (via The MMA Blog’s Dave Coulson):

He doesn’t deserve to be inside the octagon, and when the time comes, I’m gonna break his face and break every one of his teeth in his mouth. … Right now, play time is over. I’m gonna beat Chael like he’s never been beaten before. I’m going to beat him maybe the way his parents should have beaten him to teach him some manners. This joke is over. …  He’s never gonna want to fight again after I’m done with him.

Now, you understand White’s shock.

But the problem is this: Silva is quite obviously overcome with fury, and his words aren’t going to faze Sonnen in the least. Sonnen is used to the trash talk and the overt aggression that accompanies the world of UFC, and fighting words from his fiercest rival are expected, if not welcomed.

The only thing that can defeat Sonnen is whatever happens in the ring on Saturday, and judging by what happened the last time these two faced each other—when Sonnen seemed to have victory in his grasp before falling apart in the final round—either fighter is capable of winning.

Sonnen, however, might have the emotional edge. He might be the one who is capable of maintaining his cool throughout the match rather than giving it everything he has early on. He might be the one who can hold himself together instead of falling apart into a hysterical mess.

It all depends on how serious Silva is about his anger. If he was putting on a little show for the reporters—and for Sonnen—on the conference call, maybe there’s nothing to worry about.

But if he truly is so uncharacteristically furious that the things he said were genuine, and if he lets that anger get the best of him, Sonnen could be in better shape than he thought on Saturday.

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