Their first fight, an over-the-top brawl in the air and on the ground, was a war of attrition. The winner outlasted the loser only after the latter was forced to give in.
Anderson Silva, perhaps the world’s current best pound-for-pound mixed martial arts fighter, used a triangle chokehold to push Chael Sonnen into submission in 2010 and retain his middleweight championship. But it was only the start of their feud. Over two years, the fighters traded drug accusations, criminal charges and word-slinging nastiness.
Finally, on Saturday, Silva and Sonnen will meet again in Las Vegas at UFC 148 in what likely will be the MMA event of the year. It’s on pay-per-view at 7 p.m.
“Well, first of all, Chael is a criminal,” Silva said last week. “He’s been convicted of crimes. He doesn’t deserve to be inside the octagon.”
Sonnen was convicted of money laundering last year in Oregon and also was suspended for suspicious testosterone levels after their first fight.
“And when the time comes, and the time is right,” Silva added, “I’m going to break his face and break every one of the teeth in his mouth.”
Sonnen retorted.
“At the end of the day, his skills are amateur,” Sonnen said. “If you walk into a fistfight with your hands down, that’s amateur. And I treated him like an amateur the first time, and he’s going to look like an amateur this time.”
Sonnen’s rivalry with Silva very nearly belonged to Denver’s Nate Marquardt. In a 2010 title eliminator — with the winner set for a shot at Silva — Sonnen, an underdog by many accounts, beat Marquardt in a three-round unanimous decision.
That led to the classic Silva-Sonnen brawl in 2010 at Oakland.
Sonnen (28-11-1) stood tall into the fifth round against Silva, using a wrestling background to tire the Brazilian on the mat. Sonnen seemed to be just minutes from a shocking upset on the scorecards.
But Silva maneuvered a chokehold to force Sonnen into submission late in the final round. It was a bloody, tiring clash.
Now, two years and two fights apiece later, they meet again. Only this time, Silva is an even bigger favorite. He’s now the near-consensus best pound-for-pound fighter in UFC, with a 29-4 record and a five-year winning streak.
“Playtime is over,” Silva said. “I’m going to beat Chael like Chael has never been beat before. No more talking.
“He’s never going to want to fight again after I’m done with him.”
UFC 148
Saturday at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, airing on pay-per-view.
• Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen, for Silva’s middleweight title
• Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz, light heavyweights
• Cung Le vs. Patrick Côté, middleweights
• Dong Hyun Kim vs. Demian Maia, welterweights
• Chad Mendes vs. Cody McKenzie, featherweights
• Ivan Menjivar vs. Mike Easton, bantamweights
