Eleven Warriors

When is this fight?

I agree with Brewster. Silva will be on top of his game for this fight. Sonnen at his best didn't beat Silva when he was off his game, so how will he this time?

This fight will live up to the hype. Both guys are tough. Silva took a nice beating for 4.5 rounds and still came away with the win while Sonnen took some good shots from Silva and was still coming at him (something that basically no other fighter had done against him).  Sonnen has the blueprint for beating Silva and that is stay in his face,be unrelentless with the takedowns/attempts, when you get him down, put the hand over the mouth make it harder for him to breathe and tire him out. All he has to do really is stay away from the submission openings that he left Anderson in the first fight.

Since Sonnen is a wreslter that is what opened him up for planting Anderson on his butt with punches because Silva has to worry about the takedown. I expect to see that again. Another thing is that Sonnen is in Silvas head big time. If Silva goes out there just looking to take Sonnens head off then it works in Sonnens favor becasue Anderson will leave himself open for the take down.

This fight will be dictated by Sonnen just like it was in the first fight. Chael will be in his face going for the takedown and landing some punches on the feet that will knock anderson back. Anderson is great but nothing is making me think any different of what I saw Chael do in the first fight to think he wont be able to do it again. Yes Anderson had an "injury" but if it was as bad as they were trying to make it do you really think any doctor in their right mind would have still medically cleared Anderson to continue to take the fight? Not gonna happen.

Get ready for saturday though this fight will be another war and honestly I think if Sonnen can do exactly what he did in the first fight all the while staying away from the submission then he will dethrone Anderson.

Agree with most of your assessment except Chael is a better wrestler than the Dan Henderson Spider fought. Jake Shields threw Hendo around about the same time.
Spider by rd 2 tko. Hope it's good because the rest of the card is meh.

@Brewster Sonnen is a way better MMA wrestler than Henderson. Hendo rarely ever uses wrestling. Also yes Chael is still using his TRT but it has to be within the right levels.

@aboynamedtracy its hard to use the jake shields fight for hendo because that was by far the worst weight cut for hendo in his career. He was drained by that cut.

If Le wins, I'm willing to bet it's a 1st rd ko/tko. And that would likely be spectacular. My guess though is The Predator will be cautious early until Le inevitability gasses and then he'll win by tko in the 3rd. Basically, the longer the fight goes the more it favors Cote.

Lets not forget Silva came into the last fight with a broken rib as well. I actually think this is the first fight that Silva has been truley motivated. I expect him to win in devastating fashion. I am excited to see what a motivated Silva is like inthe octagon! Will be tuning in for sure! Also, love the MMA talk on here!

So, how many on here actually roll?

Good deal. I always have a hard time reading through peoples comments. I would rather focus on guys that partake in this life style, not those that play it on XBox.

@ Irricor, I find that comment curious. Maybe I misunderstand you. I'd like to think people who don't partake in a sport can know something just as well, if not better, than some who do. I don't really know if that is what you are saying so if you aren't I hope you don't think this is a troll-it isn't.

Do you feel that the 'XBox analysts' are less informed than people who actually partake in a given sport?

The comment was not intended to sound like an elitist. In fact, I spoke nothing of myself in it. Seeing as how everyone looks for an angle in this day and age, let me break down what I wrote.

 In areas I may not be familiar with or styles that I may be unfamiliar with, I would rather attempt to learn from an educated source one that has been practiced and perfected through trial and error. Analyst may see something that takes place and explain why it has a tendency to happen but the technician can often more times than not demonstrate or explain how it occurred better than the person that sits back and keeps stats. It does not mean because you like to play the XBox or are a gamer that you would not know how to execute a Triangle or ArmBar but for me personally, I would rather here the advice from or thoughts from an experienced fighter. Wrong or right, it is my preference.

Folks really need to stop being so sensitive. Again, nowhere did I mention anything about myself or my abilities or talk about how much of an internet tough guy I am. Sir, your analysis of those that practice see things or can explain the intangibles better is spot on and that was my intent. People need to stop looking for a "fight" on here, I swear.

Brewster, your cool buddy. Never had a problem with you. It is more a response to several different topics on here. It seems there are many contrarians these days. Your question was respectful and I appreciate it.

lol

Not sure if any of y'all have read it, but a coworker lent me Sam Sheridan's 'Inside The Fighter's Mind', and it's a pretty interesting book ostensibly about MMA and competition. If you like the MMAs I'd imagine that you'd dig the book. 

If anyone hasnt seen the press conference today I suggest watching it some good stuff on there and the stare down at the end was intense. They had to be seperated at the end and in no way do I think any of this was hyped up.

Without actually seeing the xray of anderson's rib I will take any talk even from the camp of it being broke with a grain of salt. Like I said no doctor in their right mind would have let Anderson take the fight with a broken rib. No fighter walks into the cage 100% everyone is injured to some degree.

Maybe Anderson didnt take Sonnen seriously but honestly I think it had more to do with the fact that Sonnen beat him to the middle and didnt stand right in front of Silva waiting for him to make a move and in turn letting Anderson get his range down like every other opponent of Anderson's does. You watch every fight Anderson has had since he has held the belt and the same mistake that everyone has made not named Chael Sonnen is they stand right in front of Anderson and let him get comfortable. Your not going to beat Anderson like that and for some odd reason Vitor nor Okami picked that up when they fought Silva.

Sonnen used his wrestling to set up his striking and really Sonnen was a pretty green striker in their first fight. The only thing that Sonnen really knew how to do was wreslte and ground and pound. Now his striking has evolved a little bit and he even has some submissions now (not going to work on Anderson at all but its something that helps him open up more opportunities on Silva).

Anderson will not beat Sonnen in a decision when this fight is over. If this lasts all five rounds Sonnen wins. Anderson is going to need to sub Sonnen again (which I think he obviously can do but will be a little more difficult this time around) or Knock him out but even then Chael took some decent hits  in the first fight and was still standing. There is a reason that Sonnen has never truly been KO'd ( his record has TKO victories due to corner stoppage and cuts).
 

BTW I thought Condit had won that fight. Just had to throw that out there!

Gotta believe Silva is going to use whatever he can to go after Sonnen, he's very motivated from everything that's been noted.

I'm excited to see him come out and be aggressive instead of being reactive. I don't think sonnen can survive on his feet at all against Anderson. Say what you want about the first fight, but he wasn't the same striker that night at all. I believe his Muay Thai advantage will be the techinque Anderson uses against Sonnen's take downs. I also don't believe this makes it out of the 2nd round. Just my opinion...

Can't say that I've been more excited to see afight, thought GSP vs. kos was close.

well said, JD...

FWIW, seeing your picture. I'll change so I don't copycat..

Took your advice BHardy & watched the presser... CP Sonnen did not disappoint. His self aggrandizing rants are priceless. My favorite of his is still the one aimed @ GSP but he was wildly entertaining again this time.