KIDWCKED
08-07-2010, 11:15 PM
c/p from tsn by the sports network
Toronto, Canada (Sports Network) - After being the target of Chael Sonnen's insults and trash-talking for weeks, Anderson Silva will try to silence his opponent when he puts the middleweight belt on the line Saturday at UFC 117 in Oakland, California.
The reigning UFC Middleweight Champion did not engage in a verbal confrontation with Sonnen during the promotion of the fight and instead decided to remain silent, keeping the media and fans intrigued.
The "Spider" (26-4) is considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and has been the Middleweight king for over three years, with no one coming close to dethrone him.
However, that dominance within the division appears to have bored Silva, and caused him to lose interest in the sport. The 35-year-old Brazilian is still winning but the performances haven't been great, and it appears to some that he's lost his passion for the sport.
UFC President Dana White openly criticized the "Spider" after his fight with Demian Maia at UFC 112 in April, where it was argued that Silva never showed interest in fighting his fellow countryman and disrespected a sellout crowd in Abu Dhabi.
With Sonnen, White seems to have found the perfect matchup that will force Silva to leave it all inside the octagon at Oracle Arena if he wants to keep his belt.
The former wrestling champion and Olympic alternate from Oregon earned his title shot after defeating Nate "The Great" Marquardt via unanimous decision at UFC 109, in a bout that ended up winning "fight of the night" honors.
The 33-year-old has impressed the MMA world with his exciting performances and surprised everyone with his ability to promote an event, taking the "smack" talking to a whole new level.
In fact, if Sonnen performs in the octagon as well as he has talked outside of it, he might have a legitimate chance against Silva.
The six-foot-one challenger will have to rely on his wrestling skills and be careful of Silva's speed and striking accuracy; it would only take one mistake, one second, and the Spider would make him pay for it.
It's time to see if Sonnen is able to back up the trash-talk when he enters the cage to face the most dominant UFC fighter of all time.
UFC 117 will be broadcast live on pay-per-view from Oracle Arena in Oakland on Saturday at 10 pm ET.
Toronto, Canada (Sports Network) - After being the target of Chael Sonnen's insults and trash-talking for weeks, Anderson Silva will try to silence his opponent when he puts the middleweight belt on the line Saturday at UFC 117 in Oakland, California.
The reigning UFC Middleweight Champion did not engage in a verbal confrontation with Sonnen during the promotion of the fight and instead decided to remain silent, keeping the media and fans intrigued.
The "Spider" (26-4) is considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and has been the Middleweight king for over three years, with no one coming close to dethrone him.
However, that dominance within the division appears to have bored Silva, and caused him to lose interest in the sport. The 35-year-old Brazilian is still winning but the performances haven't been great, and it appears to some that he's lost his passion for the sport.
UFC President Dana White openly criticized the "Spider" after his fight with Demian Maia at UFC 112 in April, where it was argued that Silva never showed interest in fighting his fellow countryman and disrespected a sellout crowd in Abu Dhabi.
With Sonnen, White seems to have found the perfect matchup that will force Silva to leave it all inside the octagon at Oracle Arena if he wants to keep his belt.
The former wrestling champion and Olympic alternate from Oregon earned his title shot after defeating Nate "The Great" Marquardt via unanimous decision at UFC 109, in a bout that ended up winning "fight of the night" honors.
The 33-year-old has impressed the MMA world with his exciting performances and surprised everyone with his ability to promote an event, taking the "smack" talking to a whole new level.
In fact, if Sonnen performs in the octagon as well as he has talked outside of it, he might have a legitimate chance against Silva.
The six-foot-one challenger will have to rely on his wrestling skills and be careful of Silva's speed and striking accuracy; it would only take one mistake, one second, and the Spider would make him pay for it.
It's time to see if Sonnen is able to back up the trash-talk when he enters the cage to face the most dominant UFC fighter of all time.
UFC 117 will be broadcast live on pay-per-view from Oracle Arena in Oakland on Saturday at 10 pm ET.