Anderson Silva Not Happy with Chael Sonnen’s Comments; Rematch Looming

The look on UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s face on Saturday night was worth a million words.
As Chael Sonnen spoke in the cage following his win over Brian Stann at UFC 136, it was more than obvious that Silva’s ire was raised and his normally infectious smile had faded away.
UFC President Dana White knows better than anybody that Anderson Silva is not a fan of Chael Sonnen, and at this point there’s not much of a chance that a rematch doesn’t happen.
Check out what UFC President Dana White had to say about the epic rivalry between Silva and Sonnen:

Thomas Gerbasi: Anderson Silva - The Long Road from Curitiba

“It’s always very emotional to win. After months of training and dedication this is when I show my work." - Anderson Silva

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The transition from star to icon is a sudden one. Sure, there are signs along the way that the tipping point is coming, but when it does arrive, it almost sneaks up on you.

For UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, his move into that rarefied sporting air that only a few occupy came in sneaky, then explosive form, all in one, when a single front kick to the face of countryman Vitor Belfort in the first round of their UFC 126 bout knocked out “The Phenom,” and set a sport on fire once again.

It was a far cry from 2010 for “The Spider,” as he survived a year in which he was vilified for a bizarre decision win over Demian Maia and then given a steady four-plus round thrashing from Chael Sonnen before a miracle fifth round comeback.

Now, the Curitiba, Brazil native is coming off the stirring knockout of Belfort, a successful showing of the documentary about his fight with Sonnen, “Like Water,” at the Tribeca Film Festival, and perhaps most notably, recent endorsement deals with Burger King and Nike.

“First of all it’s an honor to have such companies put faith in my work, and help bring MMA to mainstream sponsors,” said Silva through translator Derek Kronig Lee. “It’s a great opportunity for myself and all the fighters.”

This Saturday night, Silva will fight in his home country for the first time since 2003, and while he doesn’t remember the specifics of his last bout on home soil – a first round TKO of Waldir dos Anjos – he does welcome the opportunity to return.

“It’s great to be fighting in Brazil again after such a long time defending the country overseas,” said Silva, and that’s been the responsibility for so many of the sport’s greatest competitors over the years. After fighting their way through the Brazilian fight circuit and proving themselves, it was off to the United States, Japan, and sometimes Europe if they wanted to make a career in the sport.

From Silva to “Minotauro” Nogueira, “Shogun” Rua, Wanderlei Silva, Belfort, Lyoto Machida, Jose Aldo, and so many more, to become stars in the sport Royce Gracie and his family introduced to the world in 1993, it was necessary to leave their home land. That was tough, but living with the knowledge that you could create a better life for yourself and your family if you left but not doing so was even worse.

So Silva and the aforementioned fighters made their reputations elsewhere. Many would still train at home and live in Brazil between fights, but they were unable to showcase their wares for their people.

But things have changed, as evidenced by the rapid sellout of the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro for Saturday’s UFC RIO card, and of the amazing reception the fighters and the UFC have received in the country.

“The sport has grown and matured a lot,” said Silva. “A lot of things that needed to change have changed and it created a true sport that has a huge fanbase all over the world and has grown immensely in Brazil in the past few years. I am grateful to make a living from what I love to do.”

Did he ever see this day coming back when he was just another promising up and comer on the local fight scene?

“It’s hard to say because I don’t know if anyone back then was really thinking about how big it could potentially get.”

It’s an honest answer because back then, a hungry young fighter was just that – a hungry young fighter. The priority was winning fights so your paychecks would increase and you could put food on the table. This way of life made fighters. And no matter how Silva’s life has changed for the better in the last few years, he remains a fighter.

For proof, look no further than the Sonnen and Belfort bouts. Against Sonnen, he could have curled up in a defensive shell in the fifth round, content just not to take any more punishment in a fight he was on his way to losing on the scorecards. He didn’t. He kept fighting and pulled off a miracle comeback win. With Belfort, there was some heat between the two former training partners, with Silva definitely intent on teaching his challenger a painful lesson. He did.

It was an emotional two fight stretch for Silva, which makes you wonder whether he can dig down deep and reignite the fire he had for Sonnen and Belfort for a new challenger in number one contender Yushin Okami.

“It’s always very emotional to win,” he admits. “After months of training and dedication this is when I show my work. It’s my job, this is what I love to do and thankfully I am healthy and able to continue doing what I love.”

And you would think that if he needs any sort of push, Okami is the last man to beat him, at least technically. But that was via disqualification in 2006, Okami doesn’t even consider it a win, and Silva, well, he just says “A fight is a fight, and win or lose, it’s in the past.”

So that’s that. But just because there isn’t the heated rivalry between Silva and Belfort or the trash talking Sonnen to ignite Saturday’s main event, that doesn’t mean it isn’t an intriguing bout. On the contrary. Okami is a powerhouse groundfighter who can control and win a fight if he gets his hands on you and takes you down. Sound familiar? Well, the same man who almost pulled that strategy off to perfection – Sonnen – has been Okami’s lead training partner in Oregon. Mention this to Silva and wonder if he expects Okami to try and implement a similar gameplan, the answer is a terse one.

“I don’t know.”

What Silva does know is that despite his record-setting stint in the UFC thus far, Okami won’t care about all that when the bell rings. So the 36-year old champion has prepared accordingly, and he’s ready to do whatever is necessary to send the Rio fans home happy.

“It’s a tough fight,” said Silva. “He (Okami) is a complete fighter and I think the fight could be decided on our feet and on the ground as well. I think he will be prepared to go where the fight takes us and so will I.”

It’s about the only thing that remains constant for Anderson Silva – the desire to fight, win, and perform to the best of his ability. The rest? Well, he’s an icon of mixed martial arts now – abroad, and at home. He’s come full circle in his life and his career, but strangely enough, he’s not satisfied yet.

“I want to keep defending my belt and writing my history in MMA,” he said.

You want to tell him he can’t?

The Blueprint: Silva vs. Okami

Michael DiSanto breaks down Saturday's UFC RIO main event between Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami...

 

 

Georges St-Pierre is the face of mixed martial arts. We all know that, thanks to his Under Armour and Gatorade endorsements. He is also one of the most gifted fighters in the world. He would be the unquestioned king of the sport, pound for pound, but for one man.

Anderson Silva.

Nicknamed “The Spider,” Silva is the UFC Middleweight Champion. But his accomplishments go far beyond that.

Nobody in the history of the promotion has started his career with more consecutive wins (13) than Silva. He is the longest reigning champion in UFC history across all weight classes—1,778 days by the time he steps into the Octagon on Saturday night. During that time, he has amassed more successful consecutive title defenses (8) than any champion in UFC history.

In fact, when Silva steps into the cage on Saturday night to defend his title for the ninth time, it will mark the 2,045th day since he last tasted defeat. The night will be a historic one because it marks the first time in the Zuffa era that the UFC will hold an event in the motherland of the sport, Silva’s native Brazil. The champion will be extra motivated because this will be his first opportunity to perform live in front of his countrymen in nearly eight years.

Of course, there is another motivating factor for Silva that far outweighs the location of the event. The last man to defeat him….wait for it….is his UFC 134 opponent, Yushin Okami. Silva may not admit it, but that loss has to burn white hot in his core. Not only because Okami has a win on his record over the champion. Also because it was, in Silva’s mind at least, a very questionable loss.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane for a minute.

January 20, 2006. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. B.J. Penn’s older brother, J.D., arranged a 175-pound tournament outside of the UFC for some of the very best fighters in the world. Silva and Okami met in the opening round. It was a fight that most expected Silva to win, though he certainly had not yet developed into the seemingly unbeatable monster that he is today.

Silva obviously did not win. At 2:33 of the opening round, Silva delivered an upkick from his guard to Okami’s face. It would have been a legal kick, except for the fact that Okami had both knees on the ground. That made it an illegal kick to the head of a downed opponent.

Okami was visibly shaken by the blow. He was given time to recover from the foul and continue with the fight. Yet, when he informed the referee that he was unable to continue due to the blow, the Japanese fighter was awarded the win via disqualification.

It was a bout decided by a technicality. In Silva’s mind, Okami quit. He took the easy way out. In Okami’s mind, Silva cheated, and his cheating ways impaired his ability to continue at peak levels.

Whatever really happened, all will be made well on Saturday night, because these two gifted fighters will do battle once again. This time, Silva’s 185-pound championship will be on the line, as will his standing as the king of the sport.

No, Okami won’t be viewed as the single best fighter in the world, if he wins. He will be the new ruler of the 185-pound division. GSP will instead take Silva’s place at the peak of MMA supremacy.

In other words, there is a lot riding on the outcome of UFC 134.

What makes this fight even more interesting from the fans’ perspective, is the fact that Silva’s biggest weakness just so happens to be Okami’s biggest strength—wrestling. And that could be enough to decide the fight. It almost decided the outcome of Silva’s toughest UFC fight today.

Back on August 7, 2010, Silva defended his championship against decorated former amateur wrestler Chael Sonnen. The fight lasted 23 minutes and 10 seconds. The champion was getting his rear end handed to him for nearly 23 full minutes. He was hopelessly behind on all the judge’s cards with two minutes remaining in the fight, after being taken down and pounded on for basically every minute of the fight leading up to that point.

Sonnen then made a mistake. He got sloppy with his ground-and-pound attack, over extending his punches while allowing the champion to move his hips high on his chest. That opened the door for a triangle choke, and in the blink of an eye, Silva turned what seemed to be certain defeat into the most exciting win of his UFC career.

Silva was unable to defend any of Okami’s takedowns on that fateful night. Afterward, the world learned that Silva suffered injured ribs heading into the fight, which arguably contributed to his inability to keep the fight standing. Sonnen scoffs at that notion, pointing instead to the champion’s lack of elite takedown defense as the culprit.

Okami certainly hopes that Sonnen’s assessment of that night is accurate, especially since he has been training with the world-class contender in Oregon for this bout. If so, he stands a very good chance of scoring a massive upset victory.

Okami is the definition of a grinder. He is a wrestling-based fighter with limited submissions, but excellent top control and effective ground and pound. He also happens to be a very big, strong middleweight, overpowering most opponents whenever the fight moves to the clinch.

What Okami does not do effectively is shoot for takedowns from the outside. He instead prefers to execute judo-style throws from the clinch. That could pose a problem—more on that in a bit—but Okami needs to do whatever he can to get this fight to the ground. He needs risk everything to put the champion on his back early in each round and then do whatever it takes to keep him there. Why? Because that is the only way he can win the fight, outside of landing a proverbial lottery-winning strike.

Silva is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under the Nogueira brothers, so he is far from out of his comfort zone if the action hits the ground—not by a long shot. Nonetheless, he does not want to find himself in that position. Sonnen’s Achilles’ heel throughout his career has been his submission defense, which is a direct result of his over aggressiveness on the ground. That Achilles’ heel led to his defeat.

Okami, by contrast, has never been submitted. Not once in 32 professional fights. Thus, Silva should view winning from his back as a distant Plan C.

The keys to victory, therefore, are very straightforward for each man. Silva must aggressively counter on the feet and use good lateral movement to try and keep Okami from cutting off the cage and tying him up. If he finds himself nearing a clinch, go ahead and attack in traditional Muay Thai fashion by doing what he does better than any man in the UFC—grabbing the back of Okami’s neck and bombing knees to the body and chin. Okami may not have a demonstrable weakness for submissions, but he has no answer for Silva’s Thai attack in the clinch. I’m certain of that one.

If the champion finds himself on the ground, he should utilize his tremendously long legs to lock up a body triangle. That position will largely stalemate Okami’s ground and pound attack, while allowing the champion to squeeze some of the conditioning out of his foe.

Note, however, that a body triangle is only a temporary answer. Silva cannot win the fight from that position because submissions are almost impossible from that position. Once he Okami under control, he needs to open his guard and stand up.

Despite Okami’s penchant for ground and pound, he has never shown the ability to submit a high-level opponent with his jiu-jitsu skills. It is highly unlikely that Silva will be the first to fall prey to an armbar, triangle choke, or God forbid, a gogoplata. So, there is no real risk for Silva opening his guard and working feverishly to get back to his feet in order to avoid losing round after round on the cards by fighting from his back.

As mentioned, Okami has but a single key to victory: takedowns. He knows that he cannot out strike Silva. Sure, any man can score an improbable knockout. It is equally true that Silva knocks out Okami 99 out of 100 times, if the two engage in a standup-only fight. Actually, it might be 999 out of 1,000.

In order to maximize the odds of scoring a takedown, Okami should slowly try to walk Silva to the cage. Remember that Silva greatly prefers to counter. If Okami cautiously approaches with his hands held high, Silva will bide his time while retreating or circling. Once Silva is anywhere near the cage, Okami should throw caution to the wind and close the distance with unabashed aggression.

Granted, he may get his lights turned out during that charge, but do you have a better idea for getting Silva to the ground? Approaching behind strikes is a bad idea. Silva will destroy him in that scenario. The better approach is to feint while rushing in. Silva’s traditional reaction to every aggressive lunge forward is to take a step backward and then fire. If he steps backward into the cage, it will cause him to hesitate, even if only briefly, as his mind processes the change in the environment and recalculates how to counter. Okami must take advantage of that hesitation by finishing executing a takedown or throw by any means necessary.

Just like in the Sonnen matchup, this is Silva’s fight to lose. He is the rightful betting favorite. Okami is a serviceable boxer, but he will be severely risking his personal safety each time he presses forward for a takedown. That is a terrifying thought for a guy whose best chance of winning is by scoring multiple takedowns.


QUICK FACTS

Anderson Silva
• 36 years old
• 6’2, 185 lbs
• 77-inch reach
• 30-4 overall (13-0 UFC)
• 13 consecutive UFC wins is most in history
• 11 UFC wins inside the distance (8 by KO/TKO and 3 by submission)
• 6 of those 11 wins were in the first round
• Hasn’t lost since January 20, 2006 (DQ loss to Yushin Okami outside of UFC)
• 9-0 in championship fights
• 9 championship wins ties for the most all-time
• 8 successful consecutive defenses is the most in UFC history
• Current layoff is 203 days
• Longest layoff of UFC career is 245 days
• Submission of the Night twice
• Knockout of the Night three times
• Fight of the Night three times

Yushin Okami
• 30 years old
• 6’2, 185 lbs
• 72-inch reach
• 27-5 professional record (10-2 UFC)
• 4-1 in his last 5 bouts
• 8-2 in his last 10 bouts
• Riding a 3-fight winning streak
• 1-1 in official title eliminators
• 1-1 against current or former champions
• First UFC title fight
• Current layoff is 287 days
• Longest career layoff is 301 days
• No UFC post-fight award bonuses

Thomas Gerbasi: Simply The Best - Defining Anderson Silva

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, a man considered by most to the best fighter in the world, pound for pound, returns to the Octagon on August 27th to defend his crown against the last man to beat him, Yushin Okami, in the main event of UFC RIO. A win would add to his record-setting reign and further distance him from his peers.

So how did he get here? Let’s find out…

Carlos Newton – March 16, 2003 – PRIDE 25
Result – Silva KO1
Newton, a former UFC welterweight champion just eight months removed from a rematch loss to Matt Hughes, was returning to PRIDE for the first time in over a year, and with a four fight Japanese winning streak under his belt, his bout with the virtually unknown (at least to casual fans) Silva was a big deal. Well, if fans didn’t know who Silva was before the bell rang, they certainly knew who he was by the time his flying knee crashed into Newton’s head and sent him crashing to the canvas. Frighteningly, with the respectful and quiet nature of the Japanese crowd, Silva’s knee slamming into Newton was audible to all in attendance and those watching on TV. Bottom line, the man doing the Michael Jackson impression after the fight was one scary fighter.

Tony Fryklund – April 22, 2006 – Cage Rage 16
Result – Silva KO1
After the win over Newton, Silva would go 5-3 over his next eight fights, losing by submission to Daiju Takase and Ryo Chonan and by disqualification to Yushin Okami, while putting together wins over UFC vets Jeremy Horn, Lee Murray, Jorge Rivera, and Curtis Stout. The next UFC vet on his plate was Miletich Fighting Systems’ Tony Fryklund, and though the result shows up as a KO1 for Silva, it was the way he did it that was simply amazing. Throwing a back elbow out of nowhere, Fryklund collapsed to the canvas and was so concussed that his immediate attempts to get back up were for naught. It was a spectacular show of Silva’s striking prowess, versatility and creativity.

“That’s what makes a difference,” said Silva when asked what makes him try moves most fighters wouldn’t dare to. “I don’t think I’m better than anyone, I just like to prove to myself that things I imagine can be done. Expect the unexpected.”

Chris Leben – June 28, 2006 – UFC Fight Night
Result – Silva KO1
The UFC signed Silva in the time after the Fryklund fight, and while the diehards knew who “The Spider” was, to the casual fan, The Ultimate Fighter season one’s Chris Leben – then on a five fight winning streak – was truly the one moving in on a shot at middleweight boss Rich Franklin. But as soon as the bell rang, it was clear that this was a new kind of striker, one who easily avoided Leben’s crude attacks and fired back with blistering combos that left ‘The Crippler’ defenseless. The end came at the 49 second mark of the first round, and Franklin had himself a new prospective contender.

Rich Franklin I – October 14, 2006 – UFC 64
Result – Silva KO1
With only one UFC win under his belt, Silva was granted a shot at Franklin, who had over a year at the top and title defenses over Nate Quarry and David Loiseau under his belt. And though Silva had walked through Leben to earn his title fight, many saw the bout as a pick ‘em. Again, that was until the bell rang, and Silva caught Franklin in a plumb clinch that the champion was unable to break loose from. While in the clinch, Franklin ate knee after knee, with the telling blow shattering his nose. At 2:59 of the first round, there was a new sheriff in town, and his name was Anderson Silva.

“That fight was a huge turning point in my career,” said Silva. “It fulfilled a lifetime dream of mine and has changed my life in many ways.”

Rich Franklin II – October 20, 2007 – UFC 77
Result – Silva TKO2
Silva didn’t sit on the title after beating Franklin, submitting Travis Lutter and stopping Nate Marquardt. But it was the rematch with the man he beat for the crown that got the fight world buzzing. To add to the intrigue, the return bout was held in Franklin’s hometown of Cincinnati, but despite the home Octagon advantage, the result was the same. Sure, Franklin made it to round two, but Silva was just ferocious, ripping off combination after combination that left “Ace” bewildered by the assault. Now mind you, Rich Franklin is one of the best middleweights of this era. To do to him what Silva did is nothing short of incredible.

Dan Henderson – March 1, 2008 – UFC 82
Result – Silva Wsub2
After running through all his previous UFC opponents, the whispers started – was anyone going to even challenge Anderson Silva, let alone beat him? Dan Henderson, the only man to hold PRIDE titles in two weight classes simultaneously, felt that he was the man to do it, and after the first five minutes of their UFC 82 bout, he was certainly on his way, as he tagged Silva with his right hand and kept the champion from mounting any significant offense. But Silva, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, kept his characteristic cool, and after jarring Henderson with strikes in the second round, the bout went to the mat and he finished ‘Hendo’ off with a rear naked choke. Pound for pound the best in the world? Absolutely.

Forrest Griffin – August 8, 2009 – UFC 101
Result – Silva KO1
Following less than memorable wins over Patrick Cote and Thales Leites, fight fans were getting restless and practically demanding a return to form from Silva when he tested the 205-pound waters a second time against former light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin. Well, whether Silva wanted to silence the critics or just deliver a defining performance for himself, the end result was a brilliant display of flashy defense and pinpoint striking accuracy as he blasted Griffin out in the first round and left a packed house at the Wachovia Center with their mouths open in awe.

Chael Sonnen – August 7, 2010 – UFC 117
Result – Silva Wsub5
The “renewed” Silva was nowhere to be found in his dismal UFC 112 decision win over Demian Maia, but when matched with Chael Sonnen in 2010, the number one contender from Oregon made sure that there was no shortage of motivation for the champion, as he trash talked Silva at every turn in the lead-up to the bout. Surprisingly though, the deceivingly quick Sonnen was able to close the gap on Silva with ease once the bell rang, allowing him to take his foe down with relative ease. What followed was a beatdown by Sonnen for four plus rounds, with Silva only having periodic moments of daylight. But in that fifth and final round, Silva showed the heart of a champion, roaring back from a certain points defeat to catch Sonnen with a triangle choke / armbar that forced the challenger to tap out with 1:50 left in the fight. It was the defining win of his reign.

Vitor Belfort – February 5, 2011 – UFC 126
Result – Silva KO1
After more than four years at the top, the tendency is for any champion to lose motivation. The war with Sonnen would have also been a perfect reason for Silva to have a letdown in his next bout, but with countryman and former training partner Vitor Belfort standing across the Octagon from him at UFC 126, Silva was more fired up than ever before, and this was evident at the heated pre-fight weigh-in. On fight night, Silva made sure he wasn’t going to keep Belfort around for five rounds like he did other fellow Brazilians Leites and Maia, and when the opening came, he delivered a front kick to the head that dropped Belfort like he was shot. At 3:25 of the first, Silva had ended a rivalry in a split second. Now he’ll look to do the same thing against Okami on August 27th.

 

LIVE Updates from UFC 134 Media Call with Dana White, Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami (12:00 EST)

Less than two weeks before their long-anticiated encounter in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva and the title challenger Yushin Okami will discuss their bout during a media call dedicated to August 27th fight card. The call will be hosted by the UFC President Dana White, who will share his thoughts about UFC's return to Brazil, and the recent developments in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
Media call will start at 12:00 EST / 1PM Rio time. Make sure to tune in for LIVE updates and quotes from Anderson Silva, Yushin Okami, Dana White, and maybe Chael Sonnen, who might act as Okami's translator (not really).