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UFC 153: Who Will Emerge as Anderson Silva’s Next Opponent at Middleweight?

Win or lose at UFC 153 this weekend, Anderson Silva will still be UFC middleweight champion. Due to his three round main event against Stephan Bonnar taking place in the light heavyweight division, Silva has left the UFC’s middleweight contenders…

Win or lose at UFC 153 this weekend, Anderson Silva will still be UFC middleweight champion.

Due to his three round main event against Stephan Bonnar taking place in the light heavyweight division, Silva has left the UFC’s middleweight contenders trapped in limbo for a few months, an unfortunate development in a division that has finally seen some new blood creep into the title picture over the last year.

The middleweight division feels fresh for the first time in years, and that’s largely thanks to Silva’s stoppage win over Chael Sonnen at UFC 148.

Ever since the first fight between “The Spider” and Sonnen at UFC 117, there’s been a small chink in Silva’s armor of invincibility

Sonnen dominated that fight in virtually all aspects of the game for 4.5 rounds and it was the first time in Silva’s UFC career that he had shown any form of vulnerability.

In Silva’s subsequent bouts against Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami, the champion made sure to remind us what had made him the greatest fighter on the planet to begin with, but in the back of everyone’s mind was Chael Sonnen and his slow rise back to the top of the division.

With Sonnen out of the way both Silva and the fans are allowed to finally look at what the rest of the division has to offer, and luckily for the UFC, there have been some fighters putting in the work necessary to earn themselves a crack at the belt.

At the top of the list is longtime middleweight contender Michael Bisping.

Bisping has been considered a top-tier fighter for quite a while now, but he has always lacked the quality wins that made him a true threat for the title at 185.

With wins over two fan favorites in Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Brian Stann sandwiching a controversial decision loss to Sonnen, Bisping finally has a resume worthy enough to throw his name into the mix for a title shot.

Due to Bisping’s popularity he may be the opponent that makes the most sense for Silva at this point, and if the UFC was able to book the fight in Bisping’s home country of England it would be a huge boost to an already growing MMA community.

But as great as a potential fight with Bisping has to sound to the UFC, they can’t ignore the quick and brutal rise of Chris Weidman.

The New York based prospect has been destroying competition during his five-fight Octagon career, and with the exception of a decision win over Demian Maia in a fight that Weidman took on 11 days notice, “The All American” has been impressive in every single bout he’s been a part of.

His complete annihilation of Mark Munoz in July was enough to move him into the top level of the division, but it wasn’t quite enough to earn him a shot at the belt, and Weidman is set to fight Tim Boetsch at UFC 155 in December.

Either Bisping or Weidman is going to get the next shot at Anderson Silva for the middleweight belt, and it may end up being Silva that ultimately decides which fighter is worthy.

If Silva decides he wants to take a bit of a break following his fight this weekend, expect the UFC to match up Bisping with the winner of the Weidman/Boetsch bout as soon as possible.

If Weidman is able to work his way into that fight, he’ll be in a legitimate No. 1 contenders bout, and he’ll have a chance at earning his title opportunity by next summer.

However, if Silva decides to stay active and fight in early 2013, I think it’s time for the UFC to pull the trigger on a Silva-Bisping title fight.

Bisping is one of the most popular fighters on the UFC’s roster, and it seems that it’s finally time to give one of the UFC’s most consistent and loyal fighters a shot at the belt.

If he’s able to somehow find a way to dethrone Silva, Bisping is a big enough attraction that he would keep the division interesting, and the influx of new contenders could make for a very entertaining few years in the middleweight class.

If Silva wins, well then the expected happened.

The UFC can keep on promoting Silva as the “baddest man on the planet,” he’ll have another well known fighter to put on his resume, and he can keep on defending his belt until someone is lucky enough to wrestle it away. Pun intended.

There’s legitimately no downside to a title fight between Michael Bisping and Anderson Silva, and if Silva’s ready to fight again in the early half of 2013 then the fight needs to happen.

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UFC 153: Keys to Victory for Every Main Card Fighter

A host of Brazilian legends and rising prospects will be on display at this weekend’s UFC 153 as they look to put on a show for their fellow countrymen in Rio de Janiero.Taking on these hometown favorites will be a ton of experienced veterans who will …

A host of Brazilian legends and rising prospects will be on display at this weekend’s UFC 153 as they look to put on a show for their fellow countrymen in Rio de Janiero.

Taking on these hometown favorites will be a ton of experienced veterans who will look to spoil the fun for their Brazilian opponents.

Despite the number of changes made to the injury-plagued event, UFC 153 still packs a punch as the exciting card will definitely deliver the action—especially with Anderson Silva leading the charge.

Here are the keys to victory for every fighter set to do battle on the main card.

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UFC 153 Preview: Fantasy Guide to the Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar Card

Fantasy sports are a fun way to learn more about, and get closer than ever to, your favorite athletes and sports. Basketball, baseball, football, even hockey all have robust and thriving fantasy games, and gives fans an opportunity to match wits agains…

Mixed martial arts, for years, was left out in the cold. There were a handful of “picks” contests sure, games that simply called for players to choose the winner of a given fight. But those games sorely lacked the thoughtful game planning and strategy that defined other fantasy sports.

Introducing Kountermove

Enter Kountermove and its founder Aaron Ard:

“Our game is fairly simple on its face; our games are played over a single night during one event. Prior to the event, players get a total of $25,000 fantasy dollars and you get to pick five fighters for your team,” Ard said. “Each fighter is given a specific price by Kountermove. We assign a value for each fighter based on how we believe the fight will go.”

“Points are scored if your fighters scores a finish, wins a round, lands significant strikes, knocks an opponent down, scores takedowns, secures dominant positions or attempts submissions. The more dominant your fighters’ performance, the more points you’re going to score. If you score more points than your opponents, then you win the money.”

Sounds simple enough right? It isn’t. It’s horrifyingly hard to play well. There is a bit of a learning curve, but I’ve got you covered there. Kountermove has graciously provided a trial game for my readers to take advantage of. You can play the game, get your feet wet with the system and even win some cash if you are smart (and lucky) enough. Sign up here.

UFC 153 Preview

As you can see, Kountermove (based on a number of factors including: historical points scored, fighter’s style, weight class, opponent’s style and skill) believes that Anderson Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Diego Brandao are all significant favorites.

Other thoughts:

The MMA Encyclopedia Lock for UFC 153 :

Who else but Anderson Silva. If Bonnar manages a win, it will be the biggest upset in MMA history. I think it’s unlikely enough to justify Silva’s high price point here.

This card has several fights with extremely lopsided odds. In many ways it’s like an old Pride card or a Strikeforce show when that promotion was running on all cylinders. The bouts seem set up to give certain fighters an exciting win.

The Undercard Lock for UFC 153:

There’s no way Phil Davis should lose his fight against Wagner Prado. Short of another weird eye poke incident, he should take this one to an easy decision.

With fantasy, however, there are added considerations—Davis is a wrestler and a grinding decision leads to lower points in Kountermove. Take that under advisement.

Points Leader for UFC 153:

A better pick, at a similar cost, to rack up big points is rising star Glover Teixeira. I expect Glover to finish his opponent, boxer Fabio Maldonado, early and rack up some major Kountermove points.

When you select a prohibitive favorite in Kountermove, you need to counter that pick with an underdog. That’s the only way to keep your team under the price cap established by the game.

Upset Special for UFC 153:

Dave Herman is a good value at $4300. He is the underdog for a reason, but Nogueira is old enough (and his chin just spotty enough) to make Herman a decent play.

I encourage you to take a look at their site and give the game a shot. It’s free, and you can win some cash in my tournament. I’ll even up the ante. If a Bleacher Report user wins the top prize, I will change my avatar to something of their choosing.

There is no financial relationship between Kountermove and Bleacher Report or Kountermove and me. I just believe in their product and think it is a game worth playing.

I’ve read the comments—many Bleacher Report readers believe themselves experts. Just between us, I think I know a thing or two as well. Now’s our chance to go out and prove it. See you there.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 153 Fight Card: Power Ranking the Brazilian Fighters

UFC 153 takes place in Brazil, and the majority of the fighters on the card are Brazilian. These fighters include stars and prospects alike.The card was originally headlined by Jose Aldo in another title defense, first against Erik Koch and later vs. F…

UFC 153 takes place in Brazil, and the majority of the fighters on the card are Brazilian. These fighters include stars and prospects alike.

The card was originally headlined by Jose Aldo in another title defense, first against Erik Koch and later vs. Frankie Edgar. Since both of those fell through, Anderson Silva now headlines the card against Stephan Bonnar.

Here is a power ranking of the Brazilian fighters on the card.

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The Big ‘What If?’: Stephen Bonnar Shocks World, Defeats Anderson Silva

(Does this look like the face of a man who is going to lose?…Probably. / Photo courtesy of Francis Specker)

By Josh Hutchinson

Well Potato Heads, we are staring down the barrel of what would on paper seem like another absurd mismatch for a PPV main event. (Speaking of which, is it just me or does it seem like freak show fights are making a comeback?) Now I could sit here and try to persuade you that this is a legitimate match-up, Stephan Bonnar totally has a chance, Anderson Silva’s heart is not in it, or some equally stupid defense as to why this fight needs to happen, but I like all of you far too much to insult your intelligence like that. For Christ’s sake, even the UFC’s official promo videos for UFC 153 are split between joking that Bonnar has no chance and not showing Bonnar at all, if that tells you anything. So instead I’m going to take a hypothetical look at what could happen if The American Psycho manages to pull off the unbelievable. Because let’s be honest, if it happens, the fallout will be of nuclear proportions. For instance…

Stephen Bonnar, The New Face of Burger King

Should Bonnar prevail, his stock will rise exponentially with sponsors. A miraculous victory over Silva would have Nike, Burger King, and many others reconsidering the amount of support and money that they have thrown at The Spider. At the same time, it would then be easy to spin Bonnar as a legend killer — and therefore a legend himself — and he can be sure to expect a few more 0’s on his future paychecks. To this point, BK has kept their Anderson commercials in Brazil, since American audiences apparently wouldn’t be able to handle a cage-fighting burger pitchman. Bonnar, with his good-guy-everyman image, could break through that wall. New commercial concept: Bonnar and Forrest Griffin get into a furious Stacker-eating contest that leaves both men exhausted, and the other restaurant patrons howling for a rematch.

Anderson Silva pulls a Gina Carano

(Does this look like the face of a man who is going to lose?…Probably. / Photo courtesy of Francis Specker)

By Josh Hutchinson

Stephen Bonnar, The New Face of Burger King

Anderson Silva pulls a Gina Carano

This one’s not too far-fetched when you look at the facts. We’ve already seen “Anderson Silva, Entertainer” with his upcoming movie roles, Michael Jackson impersonations, appearances with washed-up action stars, nude photo shoots, and Brazilian ass-contest-judging so he clearly knows how to play the game. Now if the bong hasn’t ruined your short-term memory completely, then you might remember another superstar champion from a few years ago, Ms. Gina Carano. Since I’ve never excelled at anything, it’s hard to put myself in the place of a great coming to terms with their own mortality, but if Gina’s plight is any indicator I could very well see Anderson choosing to earn a paycheck with his name instead of his fists.

Shamed, the UFC revamps format, breathes life into a dying sport

As evidenced earlier this week, apparently I’m not the only one that has been less than excited with the fights this year. In fact judging by the comments about 90% of you agree. Now just imagine if the unbeatable golden boy were to lose to a 14-7 fighter who is nowhere near title contention at any weight class. A black eye to the promotion for sure. Now just imagine that said black eye actually made the head honchos at Zuffa step back, reevaluate, and make an attempt to recapture what made all of us fall in love with the sport in the first place. How they can do that, I have no idea, but if they even gave it a half-hearted try it would be a step in the right direction.

So for better or worse, we have a main event this weekend that has no title implications, no effect on any weight class standings, and one competitor that’s thought to have as much of a chance at winning as Vanilla Ice does to win a Grammy this year. The only thing that is certain is should Bonnar prevail, the shit will be hitting the fan in one way or another. Sound off with all your hypothetical outcomes should Silva lose in the comments section, and have fun with it, because hey, it could happen.

UFC 153: Glover Teixeira vs. Fabio Maldonado Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 153 goes down on Saturday from the HSBC Arena in fabulous Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.One of the more interesting fights on the main card pits fan and media darling du jour Glover Teixeira against less-heralded but still-promising fellow newcomer Fabio …

UFC 153 goes down on Saturday from the HSBC Arena in fabulous Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

One of the more interesting fights on the main card pits fan and media darling du jour Glover Teixeira against less-heralded but still-promising fellow newcomer Fabio Maldonado.

How does this break down? Why don’t we take a look.

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