UFC 148 Preview: 5 Things You Need to Know About Silva vs. Sonnen II

Image via Complex Original

At UFC 117 Silva and Sonnen met for the first time and Silva successfully defended his UFC Middleweight championship for the seventh time by way of submission in the fifth round. Silva did not dominate, though. Sonnen was the first fighter in recent history to give the Spider a run for his belt. The judges had him winning all four rounds before the submission.

Sonnen used his lethal ground game to take down Silva and deliver punches from the top position throughout the fight but ultimately fell to a triangle choke; what most feel is Sonnen's Achilles heel.

This fight was significant because it was the first time since Silva's dominant UFC run began where he was tested, and ultimately led to the intense rivalry and hunger for a rematch. Adding to the drama, it was revealed after the fight that Sonnen tested positive for PEDs and had an elevated testosterone level. Also, Silva's manager claimed the Spider injured his ribs prior to the bout and was advised not to fight.

Sonnen is one of the cockiest athletes of all time, and the back and forth between the two fighters has only made this match up that much more intense. It's been mostly Sonnen sounding off, but it's clear that he has gotten in Silva's head. This was evident when in a recent interview, the Spider promised "he'd break all of Sonnen's teeth, arms, legs," and would “change people’s perception of the sport.”

This is no joke for these dudes, they dislike each other and it's clear emotions will play a role in the bout. Some analysts believe Sonnen's antics could make the Spider sloppy in the octagon, which would limit his greatest attributes: his fighting IQ and his patience. Others argue that Sonnen may have awoken an angry beast and Silva will bring his best to the fight and destroy him with a knock out. Either way we're in for a show.

All fighting enthusiasts know one thing: styles make fights. This is a classic match up of a technical striker (Silva) with a specialty in Muay Thai and a powerful Greco Roman Wrestler (Sonnen). Conventional wisdom favors the wrestler but Anderson Silva is no ordinary striker.

Silva's at his best when he's kicking and punching but he does have the ability to get off submissions. After all, he's also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu which was on full display in the first match up. Sonnen claims that he's worked on his submission defense which, had he done before the first fight, he would have been the victor.

It's hard to bet against the Spider when he's on a 15-match win streak (that includes Sonnen) but this will be an even bigger test than the original fight. Despite the odds, an upset wouldn't be surprising.

The importance of the bout to both fighters has been evident from everything they've said and done, leading up to the fight. For Silva, a win solidifies his greatness and an amazing run of dominance the UFC has never seen. If Silva doesn't win convincingly, the Spider will hear the same murmurs about his victory being a fluke. 

For Sonnen, it gives him the opportunity to become a champ by beating the best in the game. He'll also prove that the first four rounds of their first fight weren't just him catching Silva on an off night.

Sonnen's glaring weakness is his submission defense. He's lost eight fights by way of triangle choke or arm bar and lost to Silva by triangle choke. If he wins the match after escaping a submission hold, the chatter about that weakness will be no more.

Pride may be the biggest factor. These guys hate each other and having the chance to pummel the other dude's face and end the beef in the octagon is an opportunity both have been salivating over.

This fight has the potential to reshape the idea of how fighting styles match up and could solidify the octagon's supremacy over the boxing ring, once and for all.

As of now, Sonnen is at a style disadvantage because Silva's Jiu Jitsu cancels out his Greco-Roman wrestling and Silva is a much better striker. If Silva wins, we've witnessed one of the greatest athletes of all time at the top of his game. If Sonnen wins, conventional wisdom about fighting styles may go out of the window. 

This bout is a clash of the titans. Neither fighter is running or making excuses not to fight. They're knuckling up and giving fans the fight everyone wants, unlike boxing where the fans may never get to see Pacquiao v. Mayweather, which has been prevented by a litany of silly excuses. Boxing's relevance is at an all-time low and this is MMA's opportunity to establish itself as the undisputed champion of combat sports.