UFC 117 Silva vs Sonnen Was A Mixed Martial Arts Event Held By The Ultimate Fighting Championship

Sonnen had very few fans and many enemies, as he used his pre/post-fight hype for UFC 117 not only to insult Anderson Silva, but to also target people such as Brock Lesnar, GSP and more all the way to the now infamous “Lance Armstrong” comments. Most of those I am in contact with feel that Chael has gotten what he deserves. Meaning, after all - and I do mean ALL - of the smack he talked in regards to so many different sports figures and personalities, it's almost poetic justice that the finger is now pointed at Chael.Though I will admit I grew very tired of hearing Chael Sonnen rant about this and rant about that during his “time in the spotlight," I will be the first to say that this is NOT good news, for Chael or the sport of MMA. While other sports have had their bouts with athletes using PEDs, and as detrimental as it is to those respective sports, I feel it could be much worse for the growing sport of MMA to suffer from these kinds of setbacks.

Sonnen clearly won the first four rounds and started with a bang, as he rattled Silva with a straight left hand mere minutes into the match. From there, he controlled the embattled champion with stifling top control and wide-ranging strikes on the ground: punches, hammerfists, elbows and slaps to the ears.An All-American wrestler at the University of Oregon, Sonnen secured takedowns in three of the five rounds and wound up in top position in all five. He absorbed his share of damage, as Silva picked his spots with elbows from the bottom, one of which cut Sonnen badly above the left eye. As the two middleweights entered Round 5, the heavily favored champion found himself in an unfamiliar state of desperation, needing a stoppage to retain his title.

Guida fell behind early, as dos Anjos peppered him with punches and inside leg kicks. However, Guida did connect to dos Anjos' jaw during an exchange, which likely led to his eventual submission.Guida turned the tide in Round 2, as he secured his first takedown, controlled the last half of the round from top position and neutralized dos Anjos with ground-and-pound. In between rounds, concern over the injury became evident in dos Anjos' corner.Backed by the Jackson's Mixed Martial Arts team in Albuquerque, N.M., Guida again took down dos Anjos in the third round. He moved to half guard and applied pressure to the Brazilian's neck and head, forcing the tapout."It took me a while to realize I'm my biggest distraction," said Guida, who has won back-to-back fights. "Coach [Greg Jackson] is going to make me a champion. Champions aren't born; they're made. They're trained."

As much as I would like to see ”right leg hospital, left leg cemetery,” I feel that Mir will simply bide his time and stay away from any real trouble. Once Cro Cop has shown the slightest hint of being tired I feel Mir will take him down and, once on the ground, make quick work of him. For Frank Mir, it will not be a huge win with Cro Cop being well on his way out; and for Cro Cop it will show just what kind of a man he is. A man who took a fight he could not win, with an inadequate amount of time to train and did it all to show respect to the company who has taken care of him, and for the fans who have followed him through much of his career.

Nelson needed every ounce of his fortitude to survive the first five minutes. "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 10 winner went down twice to uppercuts from dos Santos and appeared close to being finished more than once. He did not go away, however, and pressed the Brazilian deeper into the fight. Dos Santos turned his attention to Nelson's body late in the match and gradually wore down the portly heavyweight with strikes. Even so, Nelson won the admiration of dos Santos in defeat, his first inside the Octagon.