UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen will fall to Anderson Silva at UFC 148 in what will be his second missed attempt to steal the division crown from Silva.The two fighters will meet July 7 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand to decide who walks a…
UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen will fall to Anderson Silva at UFC 148 in what will be his second missed attempt to steal the division crown from Silva.
The two fighters will meet July 7 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand to decide who walks away with the UFC middleweight championship in hand, and who goes home with plenty of questions to be answered.
Sonnen and Silva met nearly two years ago in August 2010 at UFC 117 in Oakland, Calif. Sonnen had Silva right where he wanted him before getting lured into a triangle armbar in the fifth round to lose the championship fight via submission.
Sonnen has made believers out of many, winning his last two fights since the loss to Silva, but meanwhile, his opponent is 14-0 since making his UFC debut in 2006. Silva has defended his middleweight title nine times since he claimed it almost six years ago.
Silva, 37, is fighting on another level and has been since he came to the UFC. Sonnen is a tough fighter and a legitimate challenger in the middleweight division, but his last five losses have all come via submission, showing a glaring weakness in his game.
Silva feasted off Sonnen’s defensive shortcomings in the first meeting at UFC 117, and he’ll do the same when both men meet again this summer.
Silva has only had two of his 14 career UFC fights go to a decision. His knockout power is no joke, and if he doesn’t put Sonnen to sleep on July 7, he will find a way to put him in a compromising position where he is forced to tap.
There is a reason why Anderson Silva is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and on July 7 against Chael Sonnen, he’ll prove it once again.
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Anderson Silva is definitely having it his way at Burger King.According to Tatame.com, the fast food juggernaut is expected to dish out a whopping 500,000 Real ($250,000 USD) just to stamp its logo on the reigning middleweight champ’s UFC 148 fight sho…
Anderson Silva is definitely having it his way at Burger King.
According to Tatame.com, the fast food juggernaut is expected to dish out a whopping 500,000 Real ($250,000 USD) just to stamp its logo on the reigning middleweight champ’s UFC 148 fight shorts.
For that much money, some fighters would get the logo tattooed on them.
Silva and Burger King combined forces for a pair of commercials in 2011. The above video was the first commercial released by the duo.
“The Spider” shows off his “vocal cords” by honoring a BK Stacker with a rendition of Minnie Riperton’s hit song “Loving You.”
Silva is widely regarded as the top pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, and his Octagon success has led to multiple opportunities outside the cage, including deals with Nike and Budweiser.
His willingness to branch out should be admired. Along with welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre, Silva is paving the way for future fighters to land lucrative deals with mainstream sponsors.
Keep on laughing, as Silva continues to sing his way to success.
(Were you the country bumpkin that called me a Guido, or was it Hughes?)
It might be just me, but every time I see or even hear Matt Serra on camera, I expect him to have a trio of deli meats clenched in one fist and a bottle of Patron in the other. He exudes the Long Island Italian meathead stereotype more than any other professional fighter out there, and although I normally despise those people, I can’t help but laugh when he launches into his shtick. It’s kind of like how if you were to take Sofia Vergara’s voice and implant it into anyone else but her, the results would be gratingly annoying rather than hilarious and enthralling.
Whether you agree or not with the above statement will likely impact your excitement to learn that “The Terra” recently…hosted (?) a video blog for the UFC called Fight Camp Insider. And wouldn’t you know it, Serra managed to not only snag fellow wordsmith Chael Sonnen for an interview, he ended up spending the whole day with him. Needless to say, a good time was had by all.
Video and a recanting of the events after the jump.
(Were you the country bumpkin that called me a Guido, or was it Hughes?)
It might be just me, but every time I see or even hear Matt Serra on camera, I expect him to have a trio of deli meats clenched in one fist and a bottle of Patron in the other. He exudes the Long Island Italian meathead stereotype more than any other professional fighter out there, and although I normally despise those people, I can’t help but laugh when he launches into his shtick. It’s kind of like how if you were to take Sofia Vergara’s voice and implant it into anyone else but her, the results would be gratingly annoying rather than hilarious and enthralling.
Whether you agree or not with the above statement will likely impact your excitement to learn that “The Terra” recently…hosted (?) a video blog for the UFC called Fight Camp Insider. And wouldn’t you know it, Serra managed to not only snag fellow wordsmith Chael Sonnen for an interview, he ended up spending the whole day with him. Needless to say, a good time was had by all.
After a brief chat with Ray Longo and an assessment of how fat he’s gotten (answer: kind of), Serra embarks on a journey to a previously uncharted land known as Oregon to take a tour of Team Quest’s longtime training facility. And after a discussion of Sonnen’s pizzeria, its negative impact on his weight cut, and another fatness assessment (seriously, this episode is veering towards King of Queens territory in a hurry), Serra finally gets down to business. That business, is comparing Matt Longo’s attractiveness to that of Marlon Brando.
Simply put, these are the kind of interviews I live for. I don’t want to hear about how training camps are going, and what some guy’s gameplan is for his upcoming fight. That nonsense is whitewash at this point. We already know what everyone’s going say, even when it’s someone like Chael. I want to hear two men talk about pizza and The Godfather with metrosexual undertones. And on this front, Serra delivers in spades.
At this point, Serra is in need of slice, preferably topped with some nice gabagool, and heads over to Sonnen’s joint, known to the general public as Mean Street Pizzeria. He alludes that he is not unlike a ninja turtle in that he has an insatiable appetite for martial arts and pizza pie, which is perhaps the most accurate life assessment we have ever had the privilege of witnessing. No joke: a couple college buddies of mine from Long Island ran into Serra at a Chipotle in Huntington, where he proceeded to tell them that he once consumed a three man 36” pizza challenge by himself just down the street and stayed for cannolis afterward. All we’re saying is that Serra is less of a mixed martial artist and more of an ass-kicking philosopher. Like Kung Fu Panda.
He orders a straight slice of cheese to start. Fat joke. Martial arts. Consume pizza. The cycle repeats.
At eight and a half minutes in, Serra meets up with Chael at his place in the outskirts of town. “It’s in a nice neighborhood,” Serra remarks. You think that’s impressive? Tito Ortiz bought his own neighborhood. But what Tito Ortiz didn’t have, or at least failed to show us, was the awesome Whack-a-Mole style training device designed by Nexersys that Sonnen keeps in his house. You’ll have to see it for yourself, but it’s basically Dance Dance Revolution or Guitar Hero for mixed martial arts fighters, and it just shot to the top of our wish lists. “If you could get this to hold a coffee, it would be Longo,” Serra jokes.
Sonnen also recounts his WEC 36 fight with Paulo Filho in which Filho both failed to make weight (changing the fight to a non-title bout in the process), and was apparently haunted by the ghosts of Xanax’s past. The good news: Filho ended up sending Sonnen the belt after he won the fight. The bad: The rest of Filho’s career.
After the tour, the crew heads back to Sonnen’s stomping grounds, where they come upon Yushin Okami mid-sparring, likely for his upcoming bout with Rousimar Palhares. Though at the time this was filmed, we imagine Okami was still expecting to face Luiz Cane, being that he is not attempting to free his ankle from a bench vice.
But even better than the pizza, even better than Okami, is the entrance of Mama Sonnen at the 12:52 mark. And believe it or not, she still holds Chael’s mouthpiece in between rounds, like a true mother should. Things conclude with an intense sparring session for Sonnen, who gets put through the ringer of Team Quest products before bidding Serra adieu.
I think it’s safe to say that Serra has found his future calling in the MMA biz. Half fighter interviews, half Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Matter of fact, if Serra threw on a spiky blonde wig, a pair of backwards sunglasses, and a few more sweatbands, he could pass as Guy Fieri’s body double without anyone knowing the difference.
In less than three weeks time all roads will lead to the MGM Grand Las Vegas, Nevada, where UFC 148—the most eagerly awaited event since the UFC’s inception—will take place. In the past, certain events staged by the Zuffa-based promot…
In less than three weeks time all roads will lead to the MGM Grand Las Vegas, Nevada, where UFC 148—the most eagerly awaited event since the UFC’s inception—will take place.
In the past, certain events staged by the Zuffa-based promotion have grabbed the fans imagination to no end—UFC 47: Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz; UFC 40: Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock and UFC 94: Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn ll to name a few—but none more so than the aforementioned affair, which has Anderson Silva vs. ChaelSonnen ll as its main attraction.
Due to Sonnen’s none stop shenanigans, but more importantly his incessant rhetoric, said bout, is enough per se, to sell this event as the most anticipated in UFC history. Furthermore, it’s guaranteed to whet the appetite of even the least savant of the MMA contingent.
Apropos expectation, it’s safe to say its boxing version of Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. The difference being, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Silva vs. Sonnen grudge match of the ages is going down.
Moreover, “The People’s Champ,” formerly known as “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” and erstwhile 205-pound titlist makes his curtain call when he takes on another former light heavyweight champion in the guise of Forrest Griffin.
Prior to the event, Ortiz, the only man in the history of the aforesaid division to successfully defend the belt a record five times, is set to be inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame.
Also featured on the bill is Demian Maia who makes his welterweight debut against the South Korean “Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim, following an unsuccessful stint at 185 pounds. The gauge is on as to whether the Jiu-Jitsu wizard will fare better in this weight class.
Fighter come-actor Cung Le and former feather weight title contender Chad Mendez are on a resurgence mission following respective shellackings at the hands of Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva and current 145-pound champ Jose “Scarface” Aldo.
In addition, the rest of the card looks tasty as well, so expect a bagarre (fight) from all quarters.
At the end of the night’s proceedings, the moniker attached to UFC 148 as the most anticipated event in its history will be meritorious in every sense of the word.
UFC 148 is scheduled for July 7, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
MMA fighters are the baddest men on the planet. The number of ways they can hurt you is staggering, their capability for wreaking havoc seemingly limitless. Luckily for us mere mortals, these wrecking machines usually leave all their violence in the ca…
MMA fighters are the baddest men on the planet. The number of ways they can hurt you is staggering, their capability for wreaking havoc seemingly limitless. Luckily for us mere mortals, these wrecking machines usually leave all their violence in the cage, leaving us safe to walk the streets.
But sometimes, things escalate. Someone makes the mistake of attacking them, their friends or a woman. Someone says the wrong thing at the wrong time. And then?
All heck breaks loose.
What follows are 10 stories teaching a single life-lesson: Don’t mess with a professional cage fighter.
In but a few short weeks the biggest rematch in the history of MMA will take place in Las Vegas (not that you’d necessarily know based on advertising or hype), when Anderson Silva defends his UFC middleweight title against Chael Sonnen. The best …
In but a few short weeks the biggest rematch in the history of MMA will take place in Las Vegas (not that you’d necessarily know based on advertising or hype), when Anderson Silva defends his UFC middleweight title against Chael Sonnen.
The best ever.
His defining nemesis.
All the marbles.
Some people love Silva, some hate him. Some people love Sonnen, some hate him. In that mix, it’s likely to be a noticeably split crowd when the two enter the cage.
But, with the most bankable fight they could possibly sell going down at UFC 148, what’s best for the UFC?
Looking at a Silva win, there’s plenty to like for the promotion.
Their most invincible champion confirms he’s the best ever, beating his greatest foil and proving the first time was no accident. When they write the book on the sport and talk about the greatest warriors of this generation, the Silva legacy will be officially unquestioned with two wins over Sonnen.
A Sonnen win, on the other hand, is much more of a here and now proposition.
The ultimate black hat, the only man to ever walk up to the most dangerous man on earth and stick a finger in his chest, to actively pick a fight with Silva and mean it with every fibre of his being, proves that he truly is the better man. From there, the inevitable immediate rematch and completion of the trilogy would likely secure the greatest rivalry ever as the most profitable as well.
Realistically, it’s win-win for them.
However, as dorks worldwide have reminded us since Highlander first made the point, “there can only be one.”
At a time when UFC cards are happening more often than a bachelor changes his underwear and injuries are leaving many of them in shambles, the capacity to have not only Silva-Sonnen II but also a trilogy bout has to be appealing. Sure, the legacy of Anderson Silva, The Undefeated Champion, is a nice idea, but it’s not as valuable to the UFC as the ability to finally get on a strong run of pay-per-view action and get some cash in coffers.
As it stands, after this weekend’s dreadful UFC 147 offering numbered events from 148 to 152 look promising. Names like Silva, Sonnen, Urijah Faber, Hector Lombard, Frankie Edgar, Jon Jones, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, Georges St-Pierre, and Carlos Condit are all slated to enter the cage during that time.
How good would it be for them to cap it off with another year-end battle between Sonnen and Silva, a final time and for the title that Oregon’s favorite son (or greatest shame, depending on who you ask) defends for the first time?
Pretty good, regardless of which man one would be rooting for. One would surely pay to see it a final time, particularly if the second incarnation is even half the fight the first one was.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see that a Sonnen win is more beneficial to the UFC at the moment. Anderson Silva’s legacy, while incredible and even more impressive should he continue his streak with another win over Sonnen, isn’t something the promotion can monetize right now. A third fight between the two, however, is.
At the end of the day, for the UFC, it’s all about making that bread (though not so much so that they kept Kimbo Slice, one of history’s all-time great bread makers, around). A Sonnen win assures they can do that one more time.
Even if he doesn’t know it yet, somewhere in the back of his head, Dana White will be rooting for Chael Sonnen at UFC 148.
UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen will fall to Anderson Silva at UFC 148 in what will be his second missed attempt to steal the division crown from Silva.
