UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen II

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Damn this fight is going to be awesome. I just recently watched their first fight again and Sonnen was whopping Silva’s ass right until the end. It’s a shame because I think Silva surprised Sonnen more than anything with that hold. Sonnen let his guard down for a second and Silva survived. I’ve heard people say Silva was unmotivated but I can’t take those kinds of comments seriously at all. It was a title fight and you’re getting your ass handed to you, how can you not be motivated? Classic Skip Bayless talk.

The pre-fight talk for this fight is wrestling-esque, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a MMA fight with this much pre-fight banter. I think it’s great. Purists may say it’s denigrating the integrity of the sport but pre-fight talk is validated when you know the guys doing the talking can back it up. Sonnen has shown his can backup his big mouth and I assume Silva, as great as a fighter he is, can also backup his recent foray into trash talking. Plus, the talk has only ignited interest in the fight beyond it being an intriguing match-up between two great fighters. There’s history and real animosity.

I’m not going to make a prediction but only state I want Sonnen to win.

2

I to want sonnen to win but Anderson sliva is a monster and I would not be suprised if the fight is over in the first round

3

If Silva hadn’t slipped on that arm-triangle/arm-bar in the last minutes of round FIVE … Sonnen would have walked away the champion. It’s really that simple. I remember being on the edge of my seat waiting for the referee to call a TKO for much of the fight.

After the fight, I remember hearing Silva had a broken rib or something but Demian Maia was also his previous opponent. Maybe Silva just underestimated Sonnen big time - I can’t wait to see the rematch.

I find both fighters very entertaining and wouldn’t mind either of them winning. It’d be great to see Silva win by TKO/KO in the first couple of rounds… and it’d be great to see Sonnen do the same.

4

the prefight trash talk from Sonnen I find appalling. “down in Brazil there is this dirt bag named Anderson Silva”. It does denigrate the sport. Wrestling is its own thing, just a work. I grant Silva has tried his best to be a gentleman and I don’t blame him for recently losing his composure. Or is this steeling his mindset to have his composure? I hope the latter.

The last time Silva had a rib injury and the doctors told him not to fight, he chose to anyway. Sonnen failed a post fight test of some sort and was disciplined, am I correct? I can’t see why with those mitigating factors Silva this time won’t smash Chael thoroughly, I certainly hope so.

5

Silva knocks him out within the first 2 rounds.

6

[quote]DeadKong wrote:
the prefight trash talk from Sonnen I find appalling. “down in Brazil there is this dirt bag named Anderson Silva”. It does denigrate the sport. Wrestling is its own thing, just a work. I grant Silva has tried his best to be a gentleman and I don’t blame him for recently losing his composure. Or is this steeling his mindset to have his composure? I hope the latter.

The last time Silva had a rib injury and the doctors told him not to fight, he chose to anyway. Sonnen failed a post fight test of some sort and was disciplined, am I correct? I can’t see why with those mitigating factors Silva this time won’t smash Chael thoroughly, I certainly hope so.[/quote]

Sonnen’s post fight testing was a fuck up on the NSAC’s part IIRC. He was registered as a TRT patient and somehow they missed this with his post fight testing, so they suspended him for testosterone of a synthetic origin which he later challenged and got overruled (again iirc)

Whether or not Sonnen actually abuses his TRT program to get higher blood levels than he normally would, I don’t know, it’s likely but also a moot fucking point IMO. I know if I was on TRT as a fighter i would for fucking sure be getting to at least the top of the normal range.

7

IIRC it was a failure on his part to apply for an exemption in Nevada, but I’m sketchy on this.

He had a pretty high T/E ratio as would be expected from anyone using exogenous T. He’s STILL using TRT treatment btw, so it won’t change much come the rematch, other than him having to do a blood test a few days before the fight (and after?).

What will change:
-Silva is coming off some sick performances over two MW sharks.
-Chael is coming off a narrow victory over Michael frackin Bisping. Good fighter, but… yeah.
-If that documentary about Silva leading up to the Chael fight is to be believed, Anderson had some sort of rib injury going into the fight. He won’t have it this time (but rumor has it, he might have a knee injury, lol).
-Silva got fucked up by Chael on fight night (facial damage aside, one of them made a trip to the hospital). Chael should have the higher ground as far as confidence is concerned.

8

There’s even more talk coming out – some stuff about Silva being a “bully” and analogous to Mike Tyson in the sense he’s overrated and over hyped.

9

I like Chael. He is funny and seems to be a good person outside his public pro-wrestling persona but Anderson Silva will defend his title in brutal fashion. I’m thinking he will beat him up for a couple or maybe three rounds then finish him. Don’t hate! that is just my opinion!

10

Sonnen get’s triangle-choked again…haha

11

A nice one by Jack Slack. Some good points made here.

12

i don’t post in combat often…so many ufc events…hard to stay “as” interested. shit i was familarized w/ bjj by a friend back in 1996-97, he was a brown belt instructor under the gracies…he showed me certain things and my mind was BLOWN.

we watched this lil’ guy beat up this big dude, the lil’ guy was like a human spider, wrapping opponents up and choking them and bending them seemingly on themselves…spooky shit.

fast forward all these years and this shit is mainstream. i sure wish i could say i kept rolling and learning all those years…i did not.

Anderson is the GOAT. I hope the rib was the limiting factor, I hope he puts a laser of a knee, elbow, or fist to chael’s dome and crumbles him w/in the first minute. then all this two yr chael hype can stop.

chael is a monster of a wrestler, no doubt…i just hope he gets knocked the out. cold. done.

13

[quote]rundymc wrote:

A nice one by Jack Slack. Some good points made here.[/quote]

Really good read. Nice to see how their second meeting goes and does it back up Slacks observations.

On the side note. I hope Silva stops Sonnen, preferably in later rounds after punishing him from head to toe. I just want to see if Sonnen has the capability to be humble after that or does he just run his mouth again like a sore loser. Don’t get me wrong. He is funny and entertaining, but to put down a whole nation for one fight is just stupid allthough everyone knows he is just selling his fight.

14

[quote]rundymc wrote:

A nice one by Jack Slack. Some good points made here.[/quote]

LMAO
This guy is retarded, trying to break a fight down into tiny pieces and justify his analysis with video snap shots.
Fact is, fighting is not in snap shots. Fighting is a combination of many factors.
The fact that most fighters are insanely robotic, predictable and rehash the same old techniques just with more speed or power or with more repetitive endurance is what makes most fighters beat others now days.
However, Silva doesn’t fall into this category as he has a creative ability when he fights which compliments his other otherwise same abilities other fighters have.

Every fighter can throw a front kick, a jab, a cross, a basic take down and so on. How you piece them all together, the angles you do them from and when you do them is a different thing altogether.

To assume a fight has to evolve a certain way only is dumb shit and the reason why Anderson keeps winning is he doesn’t sport you even though he is very sportsmanlike. He fights you and beats you.
Most of the guys are just MMA trainees. Anderson is a natural and creative fighter and to analyse him the way that guy did in ‘snapshots’ is plain fucken amateur.

15

Chael is one funny guy but I think Silva is a much better fighter. I don’t really care for Silva for some reason I just don’t think he is as good as everyone thinks he is but hey im sure he is much better than I am.

that being said, Watching Chael’s fights I wonder how the hell did he beat on Silva like that in the first fight. I don’t think Silva will allow that to happen this time. I predict a beatdown in the third round, if not sooner.

16

[quote]humble wrote:

[quote]rundymc wrote:

A nice one by Jack Slack. Some good points made here.[/quote]

LMAO
This guy is retarded, trying to break a fight down into tiny pieces and justify his analysis with video snap shots.
Fact is, fighting is not in snap shots. Fighting is a combination of many factors.
The fact that most fighters are insanely robotic, predictable and rehash the same old techniques just with more speed or power or with more repetitive endurance is what makes most fighters beat others now days.
However, Silva doesn’t fall into this category as he has a creative ability when he fights which compliments his other otherwise same abilities other fighters have.

Every fighter can throw a front kick, a jab, a cross, a basic take down and so on. How you piece them all together, the angles you do them from and when you do them is a different thing altogether.

To assume a fight has to evolve a certain way only is dumb shit and the reason why Anderson keeps winning is he doesn’t sport you even though he is very sportsmanlike. He fights you and beats you.
Most of the guys are just MMA trainees. Anderson is a natural and creative fighter and to analyse him the way that guy did in ‘snapshots’ is plain fucken amateur.
[/quote]

Meh, I feel you on the dynamism thing, but I’m skeptical on the crux of your criticism. Sure, everyone uses the same techniques, but everyone also has certain habits that lead to consistent success (and failure).

To make a parallel to my sport of choice (wrestling in pajamas), everyone knows how to pass the guard and pull off a triangle, but not everyone does it as well, or has a grasp of the details required to do so. My goto submission is the armbar/kimura combo, and it took me a full year of practice and thought to really make it “work”. I remember teaching a class on it and being genuinely surprised at all the little nuances that got subconsciously engraved over time.

Then again, kickboxing/MMA is a very different sport.

All in all, Silva had trouble with Chael, and massive success with everyone else. It warrants investigation. Plus, I don’t think the assertion is made that Silva can’t make the necessary adjustments.

That said, Silva by TKO, third round… it pains me to say it because I like the over the top schtick and aggressive, wrestle-fuck, style Chael brings.

17

[quote]guhkes wrote:

[quote]rundymc wrote:

A nice one by Jack Slack. Some good points made here.[/quote]

Really good read. Nice to see how their second meeting goes and does it back up Slacks observations.

On the side note. I hope Silva stops Sonnen, preferably in later rounds after punishing him from head to toe. I just want to see if Sonnen has the capability to be humble after that or does he just run his mouth again like a sore loser. Don’t get me wrong. He is funny and entertaining, but to put down a whole nation for one fight is just stupid allthough everyone knows he is just selling his fight.[/quote]

If we’re going by Slack’s observations, it comes down to him squaring his hips and not being ready for the rear left straights Sonnen kept landing. I’m just guessing here (because I don’t know shit about boxing), but I think it’s an adjustment he’ll make. Perhaps he’ll switch to orthodox and work his single leg defense?

I’m also guessing Sonnen is going to have a lot of trouble anticipating those adjustments. The majority of his failures lay in his ground work (not passing, allowing wrist control, leaving his arms out in guard). And it was obvious Anderson wasn’t as mobile on his back as he usually is (rib injury?). Tough fight for him once again.

18

Rooting for Sonnen, betting on Silva.

I don’t really know why, stylistically I prefer MuayThai/BJJ guys to Wrestler/Boxers, but I want to see Anderson get beat.

19

[quote]rundymc wrote:

[quote]guhkes wrote:

[quote]rundymc wrote:

A nice one by Jack Slack. Some good points made here.[/quote]

Really good read. Nice to see how their second meeting goes and does it back up Slacks observations.

On the side note. I hope Silva stops Sonnen, preferably in later rounds after punishing him from head to toe. I just want to see if Sonnen has the capability to be humble after that or does he just run his mouth again like a sore loser. Don’t get me wrong. He is funny and entertaining, but to put down a whole nation for one fight is just stupid allthough everyone knows he is just selling his fight.[/quote]

If we’re going by Slack’s observations, it comes down to him squaring his hips and not being ready for the rear left straights Sonnen kept landing. I’m just guessing here (because I don’t know shit about boxing), but I think it’s an adjustment he’ll make. Perhaps he’ll switch to orthodox and work his single leg defense?

I’m also guessing Sonnen is going to have a lot of trouble anticipating those adjustments. The majority of his failures lay in his ground work (not passing, allowing wrist control, leaving his arms out in guard). And it was obvious Anderson wasn’t as mobile on his back as he usually is (rib injury?). Tough fight for him once again.[/quote]

You’re probably right about Silva making changes. I bet a great fighter like Silva can switch to orthodox stance for this fight and get the win. And I think that would exactly back up Slacks observations.

I really hope this doesn’t turn in to another Silva - Maia fight, Silva trying to avoid comitting himself too much.

20

I just can’t wait! I’m so pumped for this fight!

Damn, I like both fighters. But Chael is my man. I just love the guy and all his entertaining trash talking. He knows how to sell a fight.

Can he win it this time? If he’s polished his submission defences and is able to pass Silva’s guard, then probably yes. But Silva is not injured this time and this is going to be a different fight from last time. I expect a lot of violence from both fighters till, let’s say, fourth round when one of them comes out victorious.