UFC 148 Preview: Silva Intends to Break Sonnen's Face

Some guys say (they) like a hard fight, said Sonnen.  I like easy fights, so I'm hoping they'll rematch me against Silva. 

Sonnen last fought Silva almost two years ago at UFC 117.  Silva successfully defended his title by submitting Sonnen in fifth round with a triangle armbar.  Silva may have come out as the winner, but Sonnen was dominating the fight up until that point.  The official scorecard marked Sonnen landing 89 strikes and three takedowns, while Silva only had 29 strikes and one takedown. 

Since losing to Silva, Sonnen has certainly proven that he deserves a rematch.  At UFC 136 he easily beat Brian Stann with a triangle choke, while also outlasting Michael Bisping for a unanimous round three decision at UFC on Fox 2. 

Finally at UFC 148 on July 7, Silva and Sonnen will square off in the octagon for a highly anticipated rematch.  So much animosity and hype has built up over the fight, with many deeming it the best match of the year.    

Pre-fight smack talk from Sonnen is nothing new to UFC fans and Silva, recently calling the undefeated champion an amateur.

I think Anderson's a really good set up guy.  He uses a lot of movements and motions to set guys up, but at the end of the day, his skills are amateur, said Sonnen.  I treated him like an amateur the first time, and he's going to look like an amateur this time. 

Silva, who always keeps a calm demeanor and less condescending attitude than Sonnen, finally could not hold his anger in any longer.  He spoke through his interpreter over a recent conference call, which included Sonnen and UFC President Dana White, vividly discussing his plans for the upcoming fight.   

I'm going to break his face, and break every one of his teeth in his mouth, said Silva. 

The Brazilian voiced how he was tired of Sonnen's pre-fight child play and ready to permanently remove his opponent from the UFC. 

The joke is over, there's no more talking, I know he's on the other line listening and the game's over, said Silva.  I'm going to beat his (expletive) out of the UFC.  He's never going to want to fight again after I'm done with him. 

Whether or not Sonnen intended to awaken an angrier and even more determined Anderson Silva is a mystery, but it only adds to growing hype surround UFC 148. 

Prediciton: Chael Sonnen is such a high energy fighter, constantly peppering opponents with flurries of punches.  He bases much of his success in the UFC off of his phenomenal wrestling background, which allows him to achieve flawless takedowns throughout his fights.  In the first fight against Silva, Sonnen was on the offensive the majority of the time, landing numerous punches and takedowns on the champion and stunning him the first four rounds. 

This time around, look for Silva to respond quickly to Sonnen.  As he voiced over the phone, Silva intends to take the offensive this time.  Silva is an outstanding striker with mastery in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muy Thai, and Judo.  He's such a well-rounded fighter that thrives off of opponent's mistakes. 

I expect Silva to come and bully Sonnen into making a mistake.  By switching roles and being the one pressuring his opponent into a defensive type of fight, Silva should eventually get Sonnen on the ground.  When Silva gets opponents on the ground, the fight's almost always over. 

The fight should be evenly matched for the first two rounds, but Silva's strikes are two much for Sonnen, resulting in a round three knockout.