The Doggy Bag: The Silva-Sonnen Edition

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Knowing where Anderson Silva was at healthwise in their first fight and what both guys have done since, I'm surprised so many people are so confident that Chael Sonnen will be able to have the same success he had the first time. Sonnen is a tough wrestler, no doubt, but on his best day, he couldn't beat Silva on one of his worst. Sonnen has a great chin, but I don't think there's any MMA fighter on the planet that Silva couldn't knock out. I'm not saying Sonnen isn't going to be competitive, but if there's confidence to be placed, it should be with the champion. -- Yan from Toronto

Tristen Critchfield, associate editor: I would tend to agree, and anyone who has had any type of rib injury -- which is what Silva claimed to have at UFC 117 -- knows how debilitating it can be. I would encourage those who question the legitimacy of the injury to examine Silva’s performances after the first Sonnen bout -- he was dominant in earning one-sided stoppages of Top-10 middleweights Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami in his next two outings. It was not shocking that Sonnen was able to put Silva on his back, but the Team Quest member also got the better of “The Spider” in standup exchanges, which suggests something was amiss.

Silva might not be completely in the clear this time around, either. Injury rumors continue to swirl around the middleweight champion leading up to UFC 148, which unfortunately is part of the cruel reality of being 37 years old. A few weeks ago, a number of Brazilian media outlets reported that Silva had suffered a knee injury in training, which the champion and UFC President Dana White both denied. However, the rumor came from somewhere, and while Silva isn’t pulling out of the bout, it would be a shame if he were limited in any way. Any type of knee ailment could adversely affect Silva’s lateral movement and takedown defense, which would allow Sonnen to follow a similar blueprint to what he so successfully executed nearly two years ago.

Assuming he is fully healthy, a 100 percent Silva should be able to make Sonnen pay as he attempts to close the gap and bring the fight to the canvas. The Oregon native has never been stopped by strikes -- his only two TKO losses came in 2004 and ended in between rounds -- but Silva is arguably the sport’s greatest standup artist. He just failed to show it in their initial meeting.

Sonnen gained a valuable asset from that fight: confidence. He won’t be in awe of “The Spider” mystique, nor will he be afraid to push the pace in an attempt to make his opponent fight on his terms. That confidence could work in Silva’s favor, however, if Sonnen expects things to go exactly as they did at UFC 117. Relentlessly moving forward can be a recipe for disaster against a vintage Silva. Now he knows that Sonnen’s standup at least deserves his respect, but he also knows that his rival is a grinder, not a finisher. Most of Sonnen’s signature victories in the UFC -- Michael Bisping, Nate Marquardt, Okami -- have come via decision. If there is going to be a spectacular knockout, Silva will be the author of such a finish. And on the mat, Sonnen’s subpar submission defense remains a point of interest.

You’re surprised that so many people are confident that Sonnen can replicate his previous performance, but I think they’re more cautiously optimistic. Prior to UFC 117, Silva’s greatest adversary was boredom, so it was compelling to see him face such a stern test. In mixed martial arts, rematches rarely resemble the first bout, however. I didn’t need to hear Silva spew venom during a recent conference call to gain confidence that the champion will deliver a signature effort on July 7. Silva knows a major part of his legacy is at stake at UFC 148. That’s all the motivation he needs.

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