Fighter of the Month: July 2012 – Anderson Silva
By Christopher Jester
Fighter of the Month: Anderson Silva
Event: UFC 148 (July 7, 2012)
Opponent: Chael Sonnen
Result: TKO, Second Round
Why He Deserves It?
Anderson Silva closed the book to one of the biggest rivalries in UFC history at UFC 148. The buildup to this fight was like something from a Rocky movie. It was iconic and will be remembered for quite some time. The trash talk and the banter from Chael Sonnen seemed similar to something from pro-wrestling. But it was this kind of charisma that sold the fight.
Since Sonnen had lost the first match with the Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva; he found a way to put himself back into title contention with something akin to guerrilla marketing, as well as two victories over top contenders. It was inevitable for this fight to be made again. Some critics believed that Sonnen who came so close in their first fight to pull off the victory would do so again at UFC 148.
And for a while there it looked like Sonnen was doing exactly what he needed to do to capture the victory. When the first round began, Silva came out attacking and Sonnen quickly took the champion to the mat. Throughout the first round Sonnen retained top control, with Silva throwing up triangles from the bottom. When Sonnen was able to get mount, it was inevitable for people to think that this could go just like the first fight if Silva couldn’t stop Sonnen’s takedowns.
The second round began with some clinch work against the cage, where Silva was warned about holding onto Sonnen’s trunks. Moments later, Silva got off the cage and Sonnen threw a risky spinning-backfist that spelled doom for the challenger. A knee and some follow up punches a few seconds later, and the Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva retained his title for a record 10 times.
Anderson Silva responded to Sonnen’s trash talk and threats with a TKO victory that would prove that Silva is the best middleweight of all-time and will cement his claim at the top of anyone’s pound-for-pound list. Very few rivalries have been able to garner this much attention in the media, and although Silva’s belt was on the line, it was more his pride that was hanging in the balance.
It took only two rounds this time to defeat Chael Sonnen, and in those two rounds he proved that he was worthy of PunchDrunkGamer’s Fighter of the Month for July. Congratulations, Anderson Silva!
Runner-Up(s):
1. Chris Weidman (UFC on Fuel TV, July 11) – Who expected Chris Weidman to go into a bout with one of the toughest ground and pound specialists in the middle weight division in Mark Munoz and walk away with a devastating and sound victory? Very few, but Weidman definitely proved that he is going to be in the upper-echelon of top fighters in the UFC Middleweight division for atleast the near future. He defeated one of the best middleweights impressively with a second round KO by elbows and punches. It was so dominant that he is now the talk of the Middleweight division and it is well deserved.
2. Nate Marquadt (Strikeforce 41, July 14) – It took Marquadt a while to come back to a ZUFFA owned company but he did so in impressive fashion. His opponent Tyron Woodley was undefeated and the vacant Welterweight title was on the line. Normally a Middleweight, Marquadt surged as a Welterweight in this fight and proved that he still has what it takes to be at the top of the game. TRT or not, Marquadt captured the Welterweight title with a combo that lead to a vicious KO victory.
3. Renan Barao (UFC 149, July 21) – Cruising into this fight with an 18-fight win streak, Barao had already made a name for himself based off his unbelievable winning streak. Whether or not people believe that his record was padded with cans, Barao proved that he was worthy of being at the top of the Bantamweight division. Going against tough veteran Urijah Faber, Barao showed that his technical prowess was enough to become the UFC’s Interim Bantamweight Champion as he won by unanimous decision.
4. Luke Rockhold (Strikeforce 41, July 14) – Luke Rockhold continues to keep getting counted out; no matter what he does. Even after capturing the title from fan favorite Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, Luke Rockhold continued to impress while dispatching Keith Jardine. In his fight against Tim Kennedy, he did what he did best which is continuing to impress. Despite being against the odds, Rockhold is steadily proving that he is a worthy Middleweight champion.
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
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