On Saturday night, UFC 148 emanates from Las Vegas, Nevada. The eyes of the sporting world are on the MGM Grand Garden Arena for one of the most highly anticipated fights of the century when Anderson Silva defends the UFC Middleweight Championship against his fiercest rival Chael Sonnen. I know that people use the term “Fight of the Century” carelessly. However, in the case of this fight, I believe the term accurately fits Silva-Sonnen II.
This is the most anticipated rematch in sports since the New York Giants played the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. For UFC fans, this is the biggest fight of the year. Fans have yearned for this fight since the first bout between Silva and Sonnen in August 2010. In that fight, Sonnen dominated the first four rounds of the fight before succumbing to a triangle armbar from Silva in the final round. Despite submitting in the fight, Sonnen declared himself the winner of the fight because of his domination of Silva in the previous four rounds. In the aftermath of that fight, Silva has defended the title successfully in two fights over two years. Meanwhile, Sonnen’s time has been more colorful. Sonnen tested positive for PEDs with an elevated testosterone to epitestosterone ratio. Despite the California State Athletic Commissions stating that Sonnen’s levels were normal, the CSAC suspended Sonnen for a year, later overturned to six months when later evidence showed the elevated levels occurred as result of medical treatment. Sonnen also pled guilty to a charge of money laundering in connection with mortgage fraud during this time. Eventually returning to the octagon, Sonnen won two fights and resumed his quest to goad Silva into a rematch. Sonnen has carried a replica UFC Middleweight Championship belt and referred to himself as the real champion in a move straight out of professional wrestling. Sonnen has trashed Silva in interviews for almost two years while requesting a rematch. Finally, the rematch of the century is here.
I admit that I am a newcomer to following UFC regularly. I have loved watching fights all my life and enjoyed UFC from the very beginning of the promotion in 1993. That said, I never really followed the fight game seriously until the last six months. The main thing that made me become a UFC fan was the microphone work and charisma of Chael Sonnen. The charismatic enigma from Oregon helped my interest in the sport rise more than anyone else in the 19-year history of UFC did. With quotes like these regarding Anderson Silva, Silva’s wife, Silva’s friends and training partners, and Silva’s home nation of Brazil, how could I not love watching Sonnen?
“It’s a funeral of a career, man. This is coming to an end. On 7/7 at 7PM, 10PM in the East and only on pay-per-view. Chael Sonnen Promotions in conjunction with Zuffa, LLC. will bring to you Sonnen vs. Silva 2: The End. He will step aside and The Man will walk through.” - Sonnen on the upcoming fight.
“Chael P. Sonnen, true champion vs. Anderson Silva, the guy that wears 12 pounds of tin!” - Sonnen on the upcoming fight.
“Greetings from Sao Paulo! I’m learning the language: breakdancing in the Special Olympics is called Capoiera and cocaine is called brunch.” - Sonnen on Brazil’s native martial art.
“I picked my medium very carefully when I talked about Brazil. I went to the Internet. And if I had the foggiest idea that they had computers in Brazil, I wouldn’t have done that.” - Sonnen on Silva’s home country of Brazil.
“Anderson Silva, their big national hero, just put two million dollars down on a mansion in LOS ANGELES. Los Angeles is in America, for those of you that aren’t good at geography, it’s not in Brazil.” - Sonnen on Anderson Silva’s Brazilian pride and American residence.
“People ask me if I wanted to go to Brazil for the fight. Sure. It’d be neutral territory! Anderson lives in a mansion in Beverly Hills. Las Vegas, Nevada is closer to him than it is to West Linn, Oregon. He’s got home-court advantage.” - Sonnen on Anderson Silva’s Brazilian heritage and American residence.
“On the streets of West Linn, Oregon, if you lay on your back with your legs wrapped around a man’s head for eight seconds, that does not make you a winner. That makes… not a winner.” - Sonnen on the first fight between he and Silva.
“I’d beat up Machida on the way to the ring to beat up Anderson, and I’ll kick Nogueria’s ass in the parking lot on the way to my after party.” - Sonnen on Silva and his training partners/friends Lyoto Machida and Antonio Nogueria.
“You tell Anderson Silva I’m coming over and I’m kicking down his back door and patting his little lady on the ass, and I’m telling her to make me a steak, medium-rare, just how I like it.” - Sonnen on Anderson Silva’s wife.
I am among many fights fans salivating at the thought of this fight. The rest of the UFC 148 card does not matter. UFC Legend Tito Ortiz fights Forrest Griffin in a light heavyweight bout. Ortiz-Griffin III is the final fight in the 15-year UFC career of Ortiz. On any other card, this would be a highly anticipated main event. On this card, it is just one of ten obstacles we must endure before witnessing the fight of the century: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen.
I am rooting for Sonnen in the fight. After watching their first encounter, I believe wholeheartedly that Chael Sonnen was the better man on that night. Anderson Silva survived the beating and scored a fluke victory with his triangle armbar. Silva won the fight in the record books but Sonnen won the fight in the eyes of everyone watching. The fact that almost two years have passed in-between battles is a complete injustice to fight fans everywhere. I have never wanted to see a fight more in my time as a UFC fan and can honestly say my anticipation for this fight is right there with my anticipation for WrestleMania when WrestleMania actually mattered. On Saturday, July 7th, Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen will fight for the Middleweight Championship of the world. Unlike last time, I believe the better man will leave the octagon with the title. I am pulling for Sonnen… but my money will be on Anderson Silva to stop the trash talking from the best hype man in sports today. Sonnen’s mouth may have written a check that the American Gangster’s fists cannot cash.
soooooo.....hindsight being 20/20 and all.
ReplyDeleteYup... that's why a certain someone is now the Jerk of the Week. :-)
ReplyDelete