Tag: UFC 148

UFC 148: Everything You Need to Know About Silva vs Sonnen 2

Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen II. Undeniably the biggest fight of the summer and maybe even the year.First set to be fought in a soccer stadium in Brazil, now to be fought at MGM Grand, this grudge will come to a screeching halt. We all know what happ…

Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen II.

Undeniably the biggest fight of the summer and maybe even the year.

First set to be fought in a soccer stadium in Brazil, now to be fought at MGM Grand, this grudge will come to a screeching halt.

We all know what happened the first time around. Chael took the fight to Anderson like no one ever had before. Dominating him not only on the ground but also getting the best of him during standing exchanges. The incredible performance by Sonnen was quickly soiled by his inability to defend the triangle choke. Eight seconds is what separated crowning a new Champion from witnessing MMA‘s version of The Immaculate Reception.

What makes this rematch so intriguing is that both men have to make adjustments. Silva definitely doesn’t want to be carrying Chael’s body weight for 20 minutes, and Chael doesn’t want to get caught up in Silva’s tricky triangle.  

So what is set to change for the next bout? Who’s made the proper adjustments and necessary changes needed in order to secure a victory? Well here’s everything that you need to know about the main event of what’s sure to be one of the most successful UFC PPV events of the year.

Begin Slideshow

Power Ranking the First UFC Champion in Each Weight Class (Post-UFC 31)

The UFC has grown recently into one of the most known sporting organizations in the world, but it hasn’t always been that way.When the Ultimate Fighting Championship first started, it was only known to diehard fans who really went out of there way to f…

The UFC has grown recently into one of the most known sporting organizations in the world, but it hasn’t always been that way.

When the Ultimate Fighting Championship first started, it was only known to diehard fans who really went out of there way to find out more about the sport.

While most fans these days think of guys like Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, and Dan Severn from the early days or guys like Chuck Liddell, B.J. Penn, and Forrest Griffin when they think of the legends of the sport, none of these men held a UFC belt first.

Now, a key note to remember in this article is that the list doesn’t officially start until post-UFC 31 due to the fact that UFC 31 was the first event to feature the same weight classes that we have today. Also, the recently included featherweight and bantamweight divisions will be listed as well.

So, who were the first UFC champions in the weight class era of the UFC? Here they are, power ranked from the worse to the best first champions in UFC history.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 148: Michael Bisping Sees Chael Sonnen Defeating Anderson Silva

They may not see eye to eye on most things, but Michael Bisping does see Chael Sonnen beating Anderson Silva.In an appearance on HDNET’s “Inside MMA,” Bisping weighed in on the upcoming UFC 148 main event and gave his thoughts on where he ranks amongst…

They may not see eye to eye on most things, but Michael Bisping does see Chael Sonnen beating Anderson Silva.

In an appearance on HDNET’s “Inside MMA,” Bisping weighed in on the upcoming UFC 148 main event and gave his thoughts on where he ranks amongst the middleweight elite.

“Chael Sonnen’s fighting Anderson Silva, and I think Chael wins that fight to be honest. I think the first fight is going to give him a lot of confidence. The way he fought handily for four and a half rounds. I think he’s going to go in there with a lot of confidence and do the same thing, but not get submitted in the last round.

After that, Chael’s going to need someone to challenge him, and I mean, who is there? Vitor Belfort’s injured. I mean, who are the challengers? I was fighting Chael for the number one contender. Just because I narrowly lost that fight doesn’t mean I go to the back of the pile. So I’m hoping to fight for the title. Hopefully, I’ll get the knee correct, and then they’re going to need a challenger. I’m here, ready and waiting.”

Bisping was expected to fight Tim Boetsch at UFC 149, but a knee injury sustained during training forced him to have to undergo surgery and withdraw from the bout. He hopes to be ready to return as early as September.

Upon his return, Bisping has one request for the UFC:

“UFC, come on, hook a brother up. Come on, where’s the title shot? Six years, fighting the best, I’m ready to rock. Alright, I can’t walk properly right now, but as soon as I get that minor detail out the way, I’ll fight for the world title.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dana White: ‘Chael Sonnen Is Not Afraid of Anderson Silva’

Throughout his dominant reign as UFC middleweight champion, Anderson Silva has managed to instill fear into every opponent, except for Chael Sonnen.The Oregon native shocked the world back in August 2010 at UFC 117 in a five-round dismantling of arguab…

Throughout his dominant reign as UFC middleweight champion, Anderson Silva has managed to instill fear into every opponent, except for Chael Sonnen.

The Oregon native shocked the world back in August 2010 at UFC 117 in a five-round dismantling of arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history.

Silva, who was used to effortlessly dominating every opponent, looked lost throughout most of the fight as Sonnen proved he was made for more than just spewing memorable punchlines.

In the end, Silva was able to dig himself out of a massive hole in the waning minutes of the fifth round with a submission. While the victory was owed to “The Spider” that night, Sonnen walked away with increased confidence.

There wasn’t anything abnormal or “superhuman” about Silva. He is beatable, and Sonnen may be the only man that can do it.

In an interview with ProMMANow, UFC president Dana White chimed in on why he believes Sonnen is different than any opponent Silva has ever faced:

“The thing I like about Chael…He’s nutty as hell, I mean half the [expletive] the guy says is like what, right? But, he backs it up. When the guy goes in there and fights man he fights. I know this, most guys go in and they’re scared when they fight Anderson. They’re intimidated. He’s got like that Tyson aura. People are scared and afraid. Chael Sonnen is not afraid of Anderson Silva. He’s not. And that makes it a completely different fight than anybody else he fights.”

Sonnen has had plenty to say since his UFC 117 loss to Silva. He has been bold enough to not only call out the champ, but he has also taken verbal jabs at Silva’s teammates, family and the entire country of Brazil.

The Silva and Sonnen rematch is already being billed as one of the biggest grudge matches in UFC history. As usual, White has opted to stay away from making any predictions, but he is admittedly looking forward to this blockbuster fight.

“Well, I don’t ever make predictions but a lot of people don’t like Chael or like Chael, whatever the case may be. I do believe that Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter ever in MMA history, and not just the UFC, I think he’s the greatest ever. He’s broke every record in UFC history, and Chael Sonnen is the only guy to almost ever beat him. I think it’s going to be a fun fight. It’s either going to be an absolute war, Anderson is going to go out and destroy him quickly, or who knows. It’s definitely interesting.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

NSAC Chooses Yves Lavigne to Ref Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2

One of the biggest grudge matches in MMA history will fall directly on the shoulders of veteran referee Yves Lavigne.MMAJunkie was the first to break the news of the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s decision to go with Lavigne to call the rematch bet…

One of the biggest grudge matches in MMA history will fall directly on the shoulders of veteran referee Yves Lavigne.

MMAJunkie was the first to break the news of the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s decision to go with Lavigne to call the rematch between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen at UFC 148.

“I was kind of shocked because I didn’t expect that one,” Lavigne told Mauro Ranallo on Friday during an appearance on The MMA Show. “To be honest, it’s a privilege when a commissioner asks you to go into his jurisdiction to go ref. Normally, I’m just happy to be a part of the show because it’s a privilege to be there.”

Lavigne certainly isn’t new to working major UFC title bouts, particularly grudge matches. He has called a pair of high-profile grudge title matches including Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 113 and Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Serra at UFC 83.

While Lavigne lacks the notoriety of a Herb Dean or “Big” John McCarthy, he has enough experience to ensure confidence in the NSAC that he is capable of calling such a high-profile bout.

UFC 148 is scheduled to take place on July 7 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. There will be a lot of emotion heading into the main event considering some of things that have been said between Silva and Sonnen.

On a side note, UFC president Dana White won’t have to worry about Steve Mazzagatti ruining his night, unless Lavigne is also hit with the injury bug.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 148: Will There Ever Be a UFC Champ as Dominant as Anderson Silva?

We often forget just how good Anderson Silva actually is.I know I do. I used to make a habit of picking against Silva. Every time “The Spider” had a new opponent, I tried to make a case for why THIS was the guy who was going to finally end the Silva my…

We often forget just how good Anderson Silva actually is.

I know I do. I used to make a habit of picking against Silva. Every time “The Spider” had a new opponent, I tried to make a case for why THIS was the guy who was going to finally end the Silva myth once and for all. My memory isn’t what it used to be, but I can remember picking against Silva when he faced Dan Henderson, Demian Maia and Vitor Belfort. Boy, was I wrong.

Silva is the greatest champion in UFC history, and there really isn’t another belt-holder even approaching his level of excellence. There is another current champion who might someday reach and exceed the levels marked off by Silva, but we’ll get into that in a few moments. 

First, some Silva stats:

  • Most title fight wins (10)
  • Most consecutive UFC title defenses (9)
  • Most consecutive wins (14)
  • Highest significant strike accuracy (68.5 percent)
  • Knockdowns landed (15)

An interesting takeaway from the stats: Silva has more knockdowns landed than even Chuck Liddell, the feared power-puncher who made a career of knocking people out. And when it comes to striking accuracy, only Cain Velasquez has approached Silva’s lofty numbers—and in far fewer bouts, too, which makes Silva’s percentage all the more impressive.

Yes, Silva is the greatest and most dominant champion in UFC history. Will anyone surpass him? 

I think so, and you know who I’m going to mention: Jon Jones, the current light heavyweight champion. 

Jones is in the early stages of what appears to be a long-lasting and utterly dominant title reign. He’s dispatching great opponents with ease and with grace—much like Silva has done for the majority of his UFC title defenses—and he’s doing it all while barely taking damage. And he’s constantly evolving and improving his game, which means each consecutive opponent has more to worry about than the previous one did. That’s the hallmark of a great champion.

Will Jones surpass Silva in the dominance department? Yes, he will. He’s young and has a long career ahead of him, leaving him plenty of time to become the greatest fighter the sport has ever seen. But that shouldn’t take away from what Anderson Silva has accomplished.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com