UFC 148 Co-Main & Main Events

CO-MAIN EVENT
Light Heavyweight - 205lbs
FORREST GRIFFIN -VS- TITO ORTIZ 3

 GRIFFIN (18-7-0)

ORTIZ (17-10-0)

 Let’s start with UFC 59 where Ortiz took a Split Decision win over Griffin after three rounds of a grueling back and forth war between the two fighters back in 2006. Over the next two years, Griffin then took on 5 fights winning 4 to include the UFC Light Heavyweight title in a five round Unanimous decision victory over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Griffin only defended his title once and lost it to “Sugar” Rashad Evan’s after being knocked out in the 3^rd round.  Another KO followed as Griffin fought Anderson Silva at UFC 101 losing in the first round. Griffin’s next fight was against Tito Ortiz for the second time at UFC 106 which brought Griffin a much needed Split Decision victory in November of 2009 at UFC 106. Since then, Griffin has earned another Decision victory over Rich Franklin and his most recent loss due to a first round knockout to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC RIO Live August 27, 2011.

Tito Ortiz has had a hard road since the Split Decision win over Forrest  Griffin at UFC 59, losing 7 of his nine fights to date with his only wins being 2 knockouts over Ken Shamrock in 2006, followed by a KO loss to Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell in his attempts to regain his Light Heavyweight title. From the Liddell fight on, Ortiz went to lose 4 more consecutive fights to include all decisions against Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, Matt Hamill and his 2009 loss to Forest Griffin. In July of 2011, Ortiz managed to pull off a KO win over Ryan “Darth” Bader; then to lose two more fights, both knockouts, against Rashad Evans (their 2^nd fight) and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira being his last fight to date in December of 2011.

 Both Tito and Forrest’s careers have not been the best over the past few years. With Ortiz being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame(July 2012), this will most likely be his last fight in the Octagon.

(Unless Chuck Liddell throws in a Hail Mary for a third fight with Ortiz)
Griffin on the other hand is less predictable and less emotional. If Forrest loses his fight with Ortiz he will most likely retire and be done with the sport entirely. I also see Forrest leaving if he wins, being that he’d be leaving on a win; and a good win at that.

 If Forrest Griffin can keep the fight standing, utilize his leg kicks, and avoid Ortiz’s takedowns than he’s got this win in the bag. I’d love to see Forrest end his career on a highlight reel knockout over Tito Ortiz, but I just don’t think that’s in the cards for this event this late in his career.

*Prediction: [W] Griffin Round 3 Unanimous Decision (30/29)
Photos From top to Bottom: UFC 59, UFC 106 "Otiz VS Griffin II, UFC 106 Weigh-ins 

MAIN EVENT

Middleweight – 185lbs

TITLE MATCH
5 Rounds

ANDERSON “THE SPIDER” SILVA -VS- CHAEL SONNEN 2

 ANDERSON SILVA (29-4-0)

CHAEL SONNEN (28-11-1)

 Anyone that pays any attention to the UFC knows the rivalry between these two fighters.

Sonnen is the number one trash talker in the business today, often pushing his insults too far. He claims to have never lost to Anderson Silva and to be the best fighter in the UFC today. Not just in the Middleweight division, but the entire sport; a lot of talk and not a lot or realization that he has lost (on the books) to 2 fighters that Anderson Silva has previously beaten.  

In 2003 fighting for IFC division, Chael Sonnen lost to Forrest Griffin in a first round submission. Following that, in 2009 during Sonnen’s UFC debut for UFC 95 he also lost to a first round submission against Demian Maia.
After his debut loss, Sonnen took on three more opponents and won each fight by Decision against Dan Miller, Yushin Okami, and Nate Marquardt.
In August of 2010, Sonnen fought Anderson Silva for the first time in a dominating title fight making him the closest of all Silva’s contenders to take his title. Sonnen used his wrestling to stay on top of Silva and beat him down for 23 of the 25 minutes. At 23 and 9 seconds into the fifth and final round, Silva caught Sonnen in an Arm in Triangle choke forcing Sonnen to tap.

 Since their first fight, there has been nothing but words from Sonnen; going as far as insulting Silva’s home country of Brazil and its people, and saying:

 “I’m going to walk in his house, slap his wife on the ass and tell her to make me a steak.”

The infuriated Silva held his tongue… for the time being.

Anderson “The Spider” Silva is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He is undefeated in his 14 UFC fights including 10 title defenses. Due to sheer boredom in the middleweight division, Silva moved up in weight to Fight at Light Heavyweight (205lbs) to defeat James Irvin with a first round knockout and Forrest Griffin the same.
None fighter, other than Chael Sonnen, has come close to defeating “The Spider.”

 Up until a few days more than a week before the UFC 148 fight, Anderson Silva held his tongue. In an online media phone call interview, Silva went to say that:

 “The shit talk is over. I will break all of his teeth, his legs, his arms, and his face. Chael Sonnen will not be able to walk. He will not leave the Octagon alone, I guarantee that!”

 The first thing that Anderson Silva needs to do is prepare to be taken down and defend it wisely. Silva’s best bet would be to come out swinging with accurate strikes, kicks, knees, and elbows to defend against an upset repeat of his first title defense against Chael Sonnen.

At 10pm (EST) July 7^th, 2012 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada the rivalry will come to the Octagon and only one fighter will walk out with either a new Middleweight title belt around their waste, or simply just another win for “The Spider.”
*Prediction: [W] Silva Round 1 KO

Photos from top to bottom: UFC 148 Promo picture, Chael Sonnen VS Brain Stann at UFC at UFC 136,
Silva's front kick to the face of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126.