On Saturday August 7, UFC 117 Silva v. Sonnen, is “supposed” to be the fight that pushes Silva to his limit. Sonnen has been talking a lot of trash in promotion of this fight. Silva has no choice but to leave the gimmicks at home and put on a show and win all his fans back. (Sidebar: While looking up Sonnen’s UFC record I kept wondering why the name Chael Sonnen sounded and he looked familiar. Man this dude went to Oregon, who knew? I root for all Ducks, but Silva is my favorite MMA fighter. I’ll root for him against anyone else.) If this were a war of words Sonnen would have a first round knockout. He said this will be Silva’s “retirement party” and he will “dominate him”. That’s big talk coming from a guy I’ve barely heard of, against a guy who is undefeated in the UFC and hasn’t lost since 2006.
When you look at Anderson “Spider” Silva and hear him talk you get no indication that he is pound for pound the most dangerous athlete on the planet. A squeaky voice and a slim frame without bulging muscles are a perfect cover for this venomous fighter. If you have watched a Silva fight lately, you have felt like you are watching a Floyd Maywheather fight. A one sided, technical master piece, full of showmanship that Silva walks away from without a scratch and barely a sweat. In UFC 112 Silva fought Demian Maia and dominated him from the opening bell, but after he beat Maia to a pulp he literally danced around the ring and even got into a sprinters stance. Spectators wanted a knockout, Anderson did not deliver. These displays of showmanship and apparent lack of a competitive fight have gotten under the skin of UFC President Dana White. White has threatened to kick Silva out of the UFC if the antics happen again. Who believes White would do this to his best fighter? Not me, not anybody. That’s like the NFL banning Favre because he is stringing us along. Yeah Right!!!
I predict a fight that will, when it’s all said and done, will be one sided. Silva will knock Sonnen out before the end of the 3rd round, or get a submission by the end of the 4th. Either way, Silva should emerge the victor and Sonnen will be left bloodied and defeated. However, Sonnen is getting in the ring so he does have a chance. He can win, if he is fortunate enough to connect with a “Tarver Punch” (referring to the eyes closed head down punch that Antonio Tarver knocked out Roy Jones with).
I know fighters have to talk trash to promote the fight, but I think you need to keep it to a minimum when you are fighting THE BEST and your credentials don’t say the same about you. Unless you win of course. If Sonnen does win, what else would you expect? He’s a Duck!!!
