MMASucka

At UFC 136 Chael Sonnen made his return to the octagon for the first time since his loss to Anderson Silva almost 14 months ago. He took on a very game Brian Stann and handled him with ease, finishing the fight in the second round via arm triangle choke.

Immediately following the fight during the Joe Rogan post fight interview Sonnen immediately called out Silva. “Anderson Silva, you absolutely suck,” Sonnen said. “Super Bowl weekend, the biggest rematch in the history of the business. I’m calling you out Silva, but we’re upping the stakes. I beat you, and you leave the division. You beat me, and I will leave the UFC forever.”

After the post fight press conference MMAWeekly.com caught up with Dana White and he had this to say about Silva vs. Sonnen 2.

Those guys don’t like each other. I don’t know if Chael really hates Anderson as bad, but Anderson, I don’t know if any of you saw his face when he (Sonnen) won. He wasn’t doing the whole joking around thing. He was pissed.” White was then asked if he was going to make the fight happen, “Probably, yeah, more than likely, yes I’m doing it. I don’t like to commit to anything the night of the fights, but yeah, I think it would be pretty (expletive) stupid if I don’t make that fight.

 

Anderson Silva was all smiles Saturday night, having dispatched Yushin Okami in highlight-reel fashion, having retained his UFC middleweight title, and having extended his records for consecutive victories and title defences in the promotion. As MMASucka columnist Trevor Dueck said, he may very well be the sport’s Muhammad Ali. When Kenny Florian asked Silva who his next opponent should be, he answered with a wry smile “my clone”.

While on the surface that sounds like an ideal option, modern technology has yet to catch up with the wishes of MMA fans, so the only place we can see Anderson Silva vs. Anderson Silva will be through our video game systems. But there’s one more option out there for the man known as “The Spider”. One other man who has run roughshod over his weight class. One other man who is a borderline national hero to his people. The affable Canadian with the expensive suits and instantly recognizable francophone accent. Georges “Rush” St-Pierre.

Whenever the discussion of greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the sport comes up, the debate is invariably between the names of Silva and GSP. Fedor Emelianenko is on the down slope of a great career, and light heavyweight phenom Jon Jones has yet to show if he can maintain his current streak of dominance over the long haul. Silva and GSP are two men who have battled the best in their respective divisions and stand head and shoulders above the competition.

MMA fans have been clamouring for the showdown for a couple of years now. But Dana White was always quick to throw cold water on the idea, saying he was only in favour of such a match-up if both men had cleared out their own weight classes. Both champions appear close to doing just that. If GSP is able to do the expected and defeat Nick Diaz in October, there isn’t a front-running challenger that springs to mind. With Silva avenging his DQ loss to Okami, there aren’t too many legitimate contenders waiting at middleweight. A rematch with Chael Sonnen is a possibility, but even if he is able to defeat Brian Stann he won’t have the advantage of fighting an injured Silva and having his testosterone levels artificially inflated.

Some pundits, such as Mauro Ranallo, have suggested that a Silva-GSP fight wouldn’t be as competitive as the average fan seems to think. They cite Silva’s size advantage and previous successful trips to the light heavyweight division and suggest that if Zuffa were to go in the “superfight” direction, that a Silva-Jon Jones fight would be more palatable. While no one would turn their noses up at such an encounter, there are several things a Silva-GSP showdown has going for it that a Silva-Jones match-up does not.

One is the depth of the light heavyweight division and the current glut of top contenders for that title. Beyond the upcoming Jon Jones-Rampage Jackson title fight we have Rashad Evans waiting in the wings for a title shot, and former champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is back in the title picture after his quick TKO victory over Forrest Griffin. The light heavyweight division hasn’t been “cleaned out” the way Silva and GSP have done with theirs. Silva challenging for the 205 title would also potentially pit him against Lyoto Machida, Silva’s teammate  at Black House (which may or may not include Steven Seagal). Silva has said in the past that he has no interest in fighting his teammate, and that he would leave supremacy in the light heavyweight ranks to Machida.

The size factor is a legitimate concern, as standing next to each other the size difference between Silva and GSP is readily apparent. But GSP is on record as saying that if he were to move to middleweight to fight Silva, the move would be a permanent one. He has also stated that he would take the time and put on the weight slowly and “the right way”.  Given that he has one of the most demanding MMA exercise programs in the sport, one would imagine his strength and conditioning coaches would make sure he gained the maximum benefit from moving up a weight class. A move to middleweight also opens up new challenges and new match-ups for GSP, while allowing his training partner and welterweight phenom Rory MacDonald to set his sights on the top of the division.

Silva is 36 years old and has cemented his place among MMA’s all-time greats. He has expressed his desire to retire after his current contract, which contains four more bouts. Presumably, from here on out he wants nothing less than the biggest fights available. At this moment in time, there is no fight out there bigger than a war pitting the two men who have wreaked havoc on their weight classes against each other. Even Dana White is beginning to warm to the idea, saying that given both men’s dominance, “there wouldn’t be a big enough stadium” to hold the fight and the match-up is starting to “make sense”. MMA fans chomping at the bit to see the fight made will now have to wait and see how Dana reacts after GSP-Diaz is in the books.

Anderson Silva on Saturday further established his claim as pound for pound the best fighter in the world today quite arguably the best ever with his win over Yushin Okami at UFC 134. It was Silva’s 15th overall and 14th in the UFC. When a guy is that dominant in his weight class and disposing of all challengers in his path, the next path would be for a guy to move up in weight and fight guys at that weight class to further cement his legacy in the sport.

UFC President Dana White said after the event on Saturday that Silva still has a few more challengers at 185 and that even includes a superfight with reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St.Pierre. It begs the question: What challengers is White referring too? Mark Munoz? Not seasoned enough and doesn’t have the standup to matchup with Silva. Michael Bisping? Always underachieves in big time fights (Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans come to mind). Dan Henderson? (Lost to Silva via 2 round submission a few years back and at age 41 would be a diffcult weight cut back to 185 like his fight with Jake Shields). What about GSP?

If GSP had the frame to be close in weight to Silva, then the fight would make sense. Silva has fought two times at 205 and has even been rumored in the last year to want to have a heavyweight fight and GSP does not have the standup to even hang with Silva. The fight would be a total mismatch but that is another conversation for another time. So, who is the only opponent for Silva?

That guy would be none other than Chael Sonnen. They fought at UFC 117 and Silva pulled off the victory after getting dominated in the first four rounds by Sonnen, Silva pulled off a submission victory with a triangle armbar with 1:50 left in the fight. The rematch was supposed to happen early this year but Sonnen got suspended by the California State Athletic Commission for testing positive for elevated testosterone levels and the fight got scrapped. Silva defeated Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 and Okami this past Saturday. So why Sonnen?

Sonnen is the only option due to the fact that he gave Silva his toughest test during this run and his wrestling is superior to anyone at 185 and his standup is good enough to where he can just strike enough to keep Silva guessing. But the most important thing is that the fight will get a great buyrate on PPV and the UFC is a PPV business. They both are at the top of the weight class and with Sonnen’s trash talking and the legendary status that Silva has, this is the only logical fight that makes sense for Anderson Silva before what will be an eventual move up to 205. If Sonnen gets by Brian Stann at UFC 136 in October then lets make it happen.

Does that make the most sense or should Silva fight the guys mention in the beginning?

Following last nights UFC 134 event as always was the post fight press conference. The nights big winners stuck around for media to get their questions in at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dana White voiced his opinion on Anderson Silva and the fact that him versus Georges St-Pierre is beginning to make sense.

View Silva vs. Okami Highlights 

Not only is it amazing that the UFC has made it’s way back to the city seems like the birthplace of MMA, but it’s super cool that they held their open workouts on Copacabana beach in Rio. The UFC filmed Anderson Silva’s portion of the open workouts and we have it here for your viewing pleasure. Silva will take on Yushin Okami at UFC 134 in a rematch of their 2006 fight at Rumble on the Rock.

In a recent interview with TATAME.com UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta spoke about the UFC’s upcoming debut on Fox Sports.

“We don’t have a main event set yet, we’ll find out probably after this Saturday, these fights in Rio, then we’ll set a main event. But it’ll be something big. It’ll be a big fight. I would love to do (Silva vs. Henderson). Anderson just needs a win.”

This fight would be a rematch of their UFC 82 fight where Henderson dominated Silva in the first round, but would succumb to the essence that is Anderson Silva with just 10 seconds left in the second round. Since his that fight with Silva, Hendo has gone 6-1 with his only loss coming at the hands of Jake Shields. Henderson’s last fight of his Strikeforce contract was against Fedor Emelianenko, in which he won via TKO in devastating fashion.

If Silva defeats Okami at UFC 134 does “The Spider” have anyone else left in the middleweight division, or will he move up to light heavyweight for this potential match-up with Henderson? Leave your comments below.

We are back and at it for UFC 134′s Fatlip Fight Picks. Do you think you have what it takes to take on our so-called experts? Thanks to Dominant Ground a super snazzy t-shirt will be given to the lucky fan that beats one of our staff. Here’s the deal, 1 point for winner, 1 point for how and 1 point for round. If you get all three of those correct give yourself a bonus point.  There is a possible 20points for the night, so make your bet and win money by heading over to this online casino.
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After our first round of play the stats are as follows….

Possible Points – 16pts

Damon Holowchak – 6pts

Jeremy Brand – 5pts

Trevor Dueck – 3pts

JP Lasaleta – 3pts

Steve Muehlhausen – 3pts

Ed Garcia – 2pts

Carlin Bardsley – 2pts

Lea Young – 0pts (Did not participate in last challenge)

So with no further ado here are our UFC 134 Fight Picks….

Silva vs. Okami 

Jeremy Brand – Yushin Okami is Anderson Silva’s only loss in the last 5 years, but this isn’t 5 years ago. Silva has walked all over every single one of his opponents in superhero fashion. Yes, the only man who took it to Silva for all 5 rounds except for the last 1 minute of the 5th (Chael Sonnen) will be in Okami’s corner, but Okami is not Sonnen and Silva does not have injured ribs this time around. I see Silva and Okami feeling eachother out for the 1st round and a bit (i know, that sounds dirty), but by the end of the 2nd Silva will be having his way. My pick… Anderson Silva by round 3 TKO

Trevor Dueck - As much as the UFC is going to use their marketing muscles and hype machine to try and sell us on Okami being a legitimate threat to the Anderson Silva reign, reality will punch through in round two when Silva knocks Okami down with a vicioius right and finishes Okami in brutal fashion. Everyone in Brazil rejoices. Anderson Silva by 2nd round TKO

JP Lasaleta –  I can see Yushin maybe getting a take down, but I do think if you train like Sonnen, you’ll lose like Sonnen, just a little quicker because he’s not Sonnen. Anderson Silva by 1st round Submission

Ed Garcia - Okami’s the last person to get a “W” over Silva but if you’ve ever watched that fight, you know it doesn’t count. It’s like Fedor’s first “loss” or when Matt Hamill “beat” Jon Jones. The Spider’s gonna destroy him while he stares at Chael Sonnen the entire time (who’ll be in Okami’s corner). Anderson Silva by 1st round TKO

Damon Holowchak - OK, have we not established that Silva is a certified ninja? Why do we need to keep having this conversation? He will happily beat you like a circus monkey then take you for dinner and pick up the check. His Okami “loss”? He did it cuz he wanted to, not cuz he was cheating. Silva by public humiliation. Anderson Silva by 3rd round KO/TKO

Carlin Bardsley - Right now Silva is the best in the world and Okami, to put it mildly, isn’t. We’ve seen Silva burn through better wrestlers than Okami and I don’t see any area where Okami has a chance. Anderson Silva by round 1 TKO

Lea Young –  Silva has pretty much destroyed everyone who he’s come up against and I don’t think that this is any different. Although the UFC hyped up Okami, I still don’t think that he has what it takes to dethrone the champion. Anderson Silva by round 1 KO

Steve Muehlhausen - You can take what happened in 2006 at The Rumble on Rock and throw that out the window as Okami and Silva are two different fighters. Okami won via disqualification after an illegal upkick by Silva. Okami is coming off a strong win over Nate Marquardt and will be the toughest striker and threat in Silva’s title reign. Okami has very heavy hands and a solid ground game as he has been training with former title contender Chael Sonnen who gave Silva his toughest test last August at UFC 117 even though he lost via submission in the fifth round. Silva will come in highly motivated by the fact Okami was the last man to defeat him and he will be fighting in his home country of Brazil. This will enforce him to make a definitive statement. It will be a very entertaining fight as Okami will prove to be a worthy opponent and will be a highly competitve fight, but the champion will pull out with his standup and superior BJJ. Anderson Silva by Decision

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs Forrest Griffin 

Jeremy Brand – This should be a fun fight for the fans to watch. Both men are former light heavyweight champions and love to stand and bang. Even though Shogun was a former champ he has had a fairly lackluster career in the UFC with a record of 3-3. This is not PRIDE where he is able to soccer kick his opponents and i can’t see Forrest being on his back much in this match in any case.  Griffin is the hardest working fighter in the sport and can take a punch. This one will be a back and forth battle but i see the same man that came out the first time coming out again on top in this one. Forrest Griffin by Decision

Trevor Dueck - Shogun Rua use to be the UFC light heavyweight champ. So did Forrest. I expect Rua to try and mix up his striking to confuse Griffin, the problem is, Griffin is a robot and eats punches and kicks for breakfast. It’s been a long lay off for the New York Times Best Seller, but I don’t think Griffen loses a step and out points Rua on his way to a unaminous decision. I know that Griffin is the hardest worker in the game, and look for him to make another statement against Rua in their second fight. Forrest Griffin by Decision

JP Lasaleta – It’s gonna be a repeat of last fight. It wasn’t the striking that Rua had a problem with, it was Forrest’s size. Forrest will take Rua to the mat and beat him up for 3 rounds. If Rua’s in shape, he just won’t get subbed. It’s gonna be split because of the Brazilian judge saying that Rua had control in the guard from his back. Forrest Griffin by Split Decision

Ed Garcia - There’s been lots of rumours about Shogun’s knee being not exactly at 100% but he and his camp deny it. For my pick’s sake, I hope so. Shogun at 100% should beat Forrest every time. Shogun not at 100% against Forrest… well we saw that last time. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua by 2nd round TKO

Damon Holowchak - You know what I like better than Shoguns? Sasquatches. Forrest Griffin is a Sasquatch. The only thing I would bet against a Sasquatch in a fight? The Aboninimabal Snowman. Forrest Griffin by Decision

Carlin Bardsley - With Shogun back in shape and having something to prove, this is his fight to lose. Griffin of course is a gamer but has shown himself to be vulnerable to strikers with pinpoint accuracy. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua by 2nd round TKO

Lea Young - I’m gonna go with the home team advantage on this one. Although Griffin can eat punches all day and is one tough dude, at the end of the day, I think there’s a lot more at stake for Rua and he’ll do what he can to win the fight. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua by Decision

Steve Muehlhausen - This is a rematch from UFC 76 which was Rua’s debut in the UFC and a buttload of injuries with his knee. To his credit he still fought on in a very close fight until Griffin submitted Rua with 15 seconds left in the fight. Since then, they have been UFC Light Heavyweight Champions with Rua losing his last fight against Jon Jones at UFC 128 and Griffin defeated Rich Franklin at UFC 126 via unanimous decision. This is a big fight for both guys in terms of title contention, but there are a lot of questions heading into this fight. Is Rua’s knee 100 percent as rumors have been circulating that he was not 100 percent against Jon Jones and it still is not 100 percent. Rua’s camp has denied this. Griffin has made comments recently that he thinks he  is regressing and has hit his peak as a fighter and only views fighting as a job. Shogun wins the fight and I think Griffin starts to question whether he will still be in the fight game. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua by round 2 TKO

Brendan Schaub vs Antonio Minotauro Nogueira 

Jeremy Brand – What are the chances of Minotauro getting his ass handed to him for 2 and a half rounds and then pulling off a sub in this one….. GREAT, but i can’t see that happening this time around. Schaub has been on a tear (4-0) since losing to Roy Nelson in the TUF 10 Finale and 3 of the 4 fights ending by way of (T)KO. Nogueira was once a tough fighter to KO, but we have seen him get stopped in 2 of his last 3 fights. My decision… Brendan Schaub by round 3 TKO

Trevor Dueck - Big Nog is back! Unfortunately it will be short lived. Schaub will out point and throw everything he can at Nogueira. Big Nog will survive it but will lose out on the unanimous decision. Brendan Schaub by Decision

JP Lasaleta - I am incapable of betting against a Pride Heavyweight Champ, unless its a Pride Heavyweight Champ Vs a Pride Heavyweight Champ. Schaub is gonna beat the crap out of Mino. He’ll probably knock him out in the second. But my official pick is still Mino by Sub in the second. Sentimental pick: Minotauro Nogueira by round 2 submission.

Ed Garcia - Schaub’s been a monster since getting knocked out by Roy Nelson in the TUF: Heavyweights Final winning 4 straight with 3 (T)KO’s. Big Nog’s been out for a year and a half needing surgery on both of his knees and his hip. The larger Nogueira’s been finished in 2 of his last three fights and I hate to say it, he’s probably done. Brendan Schaub by Decision

Damon Holowchak - I like Nog. Especially the egg kind. But this Nog hasn’t impressed me too much…at all over the last few years. 2 of his last 3 fights were lights out, and Schaub hits harder than a Christmas cake. Brendan Schaub by round 2 TKO

Carlin Bardsley - I see this playing out similarly to the Sylvia-Nog fight. Schaub will keep the pressure on Big Nog, but eventually will leave himself open to a submission. I think Schaub has a bright future, but I don’t think it’s his time just yet. This will be Big Nog’s last stand in front of his home crowd. Minotauro Nogeuira by round 3 Submission

Lea Young - Although I’m pretty much all about the home team on this card, there is no denying that the potential for Schaub to knock out Big Nog in the first two rounds is pretty good. Unless Schaub makes mistakes. Brendan Schaub round 2 TKO

Steve Muehlhausen - This is a battle of the young lion meeting the old lion with Schaub coming off a victory over Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 128 and Noguiera having not fought since February of 2010 at UFC 110 with a knockout loss to now UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. He was out due to various injuries to his knee and hip, but now says he is 100 percent and ready to go. Which Nogueira do we see since this time off? With 18 months off and letting all his wounds heal due to all the wars he has been, you would think we will see the best of Big Nog. This is the biggest fight of Schaub’s career and he has a lot to prove to people to make them believe he is ready to face the upper echelon of heavyweights and it starts here. It will be a standup war and I am going to go with the veteran as I think Nogueira will be the Big Nog of old and dominate this fight and use his expereience. Minotauro Nogueira by round 2 submission

Ross Pearson vs Edson Barboza

Jeremy Brand – Ross Pearson is the former TUF 9 winner and is a hell of a tough fighter. His only loss in his UFC career is to submission ace Cole Miller. Barboza is no slouch holding an 8-0 MMA record with a 2-0 UFC record. 6 of those 8 wins have come by way of KO…. WOW! This fight could definitely be slated as Fight of the Night or could possibly feature the KO of the night as well. Do i see Pearson handing Barboza his first loss? Nope…. Edson Barboza by round 3 TKO

Trevor Dueck - Barboza will do what he does best and put on the pressure. He is infront of his home crowd and if he can keep his emotions under control, he will use that to get Pearson to the ground where he will finish him with some vicious Ground and Pound. I like Pearson and I think he is one tough dude, but I have an itch and it’s Barboza in this fight. Edson Barboza by round 2 TKO

JP Lasaleta - Barboza is just way sharper than Pearson. It will take 2 rounds because Pearson is one tough guy. Edson Barboza by round 2 KO

Ed Garcia - I think Barboza’s standup will be too much for Pearson and will just overwhelm the Brit in the 3rd. Edson Barboza by round 3 TKO

Damon Holowchak - Why isnt Barboza’s nickname “The Pirate”? Or the “Swashbuckler”? Do they not have Pirates of the Caribbean in Brazil? Well Regardless, I’m willing to forgive him based on the fact that he’s an effing phenom. maybe he’s never fought anybody, but he annihilating nobodies. Edson Barboza by round 2 TKO

Carlin Bardsley - This fight will probably be similar to Barboza’s win over Njoukuani. Barboza will come out blitzing and keep Pearson on the back foot, but Pearson’s a tough SOB and won’t quit. Edson Barboza by Decision

Lea Young - Both are tough dudes and I can see this being a striking fest all the way to the end. Pearson will give Barboza a run for his money, but in the end, Barboza’s striking is sharper and I think he’s got the gas to take it all the way to the end. Edson Barboza by round 3 TKO

Steve Muehlhausen - This is my candidate for Fight of the Night as this will be slugfest and you know this fight will not go to the ground. Pearson defeating Spencer Fisher in a very entertaining bout at UFC 127 and Barboza coming of a Fight of the Night unanimous decision victory over Anthony Njokuani at UFC 128. This will be a standup war with Barboza having the heavier hands which will stop Pearson and keep him undefeated. Edson Barboza by Decision

Luiz Cane vs. Stanislav Nedkov

Jeremy Brand – Cane seems to either win by TKO or lose by TKO and i could see this one ending no different. Nedkov is undefeated in his MMA career with an 11-0 record, but this will be his UFC debut. I see nerves coming into play in this one and Cane taking advantage of that. Nedkov is a fighter that likes to rush his opponents and Cane will exploit this. My pick…. Luiz Cane by round 2 TKO

Trevor Dueck - I don’t know much about Nedkov. Seems to have a pretty good pedigree though. He is undefeated at 11-0. I’m going to go with the undefeated guy. Just have a hunch. Stanislav Nedkov by round 3 TKO

JP Lasaleta - Ed… I watch too much shit. Nedkov bull rushes forward and relies on brawling until he can get a take down. Luiz Cane doesn’t do well against accurate strikers. Thank goodness Nedkov is not one of these. Cane will be able to take advantage of Nedkov’s hyper aggression score another victory. Luiz Cane by round 1 TKO

Ed Garcia - Nedkov by… lets say decision. I’ll be honest, I’ve never seen Nedkov fight and if you have you watch too much of this shit. Like go out side every now and then. I have seen Luiz Cain fight many times and I just think the dude’s overrated. Always has been. Stanislav Nedkov by Decision

Damon Holowchak - I dont know who Stanislav Nedkov is. I know he’s Bulgarian. And you have to be tough to date Bulgarian women. And I bet his training consisted of lifting them over his head. I DO know who Luiz Cane is. And I’m willing to go with experience over obscurity here. Luiz Cane by Decision.

Carlin Bardsley - These two will come out slugging and Nedkov will drop first. Luiz Cane by round 1 TKO

Lea Young - This will be another slugfest. Nedkov will get past the first round, but not without getting a little rocked first… and will end up getting dropped in the second round. Luiz Cane by round 2 KO

Steve Muehlhausen - Usually you go with the guy with the experience but Cane has been in a funk lately losing 2 of 3, but did look impressive with his win over Eliot Marshall at UFC 128. Nedkov hasn’t fought since May of 2010 and I am a big believer in cage rust and have Cane wearing out Nedkov and winning a decision. Luiz Cane by Decision

 

Chael Sonnen has said some crazy things, I mean there is an online quote generator with a bunch of his quotes. This time around he states that if he beats his upcoming opponent Brian Stann at UFC 136, he would like to give up a title shot in order to take on Anderson Silva. This is obviously Sonnen’s tongue in cheek way of saying that Yushin Okami will defeat Anderson Silva and take his title at UFC 134 this upcoming Saturday.

“Dana [White] and I are at a crossroads. Dana wants this to be a number one contender’s match and wants me to fight for the championship. I don’t have anything against fighting my friend Yushin Okami, who will be the champion by then, but I have unfinished business with Anderson Silva. For me, what I am lobbying for, is win or lose, I will fight Anderson Silva next. Anderson will be working his way back up, or I should say working his way down. I’m going to grab him and beat him up anyway, just for laughs, just on principle. Just for my sheer entertainment, I’m going to go slap that guy around. I don’t need his little tin belt. I’m already the champion. -Chael Sonnen stopped by Bruce Buffer’s “It’s Time” radio show on The Sherdog Radio network. To read more from this interview head over to Sherdog.com

Should Chael Sonnen get a shot at Anderson Silva, title or not? Comment below.