10 Reasons Anderson Silva Will Easily Dispatch Chael Sonnen

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UFC 148 is set to be the biggest card of the year and possibly the biggest card since UFC 100.

Dana White announced yesterday at a special press conference that the long-awaited rematch between UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen was moving from UFC 147 to headline the Vegas card on July 4th weekend.

At UFC 117, Sonnen nearly accomplished what no other man has been close to doing inside the Octagon, defeat Silva. When they meet at the MGM Grand Garden Arena do not expect the same performance.

Anderson Silva will dominate this fight, and here are 10 reasons why...

The Venue Change

Now that the UFC has moved the fight to UFC 148, Anderson Silva will not have the additional pressures of fighting in his home country.

Sure, Silva has fought there previously and did fine but with the magnitude of this fight it serves him best to have those pressures alleviated.

UFC 147 was not scheduled for a typical arena. The UFC was attempting to hold its first soccer stadium show with Silva vs. Sonnen headlining. Add that with the typical family and friend obligations and fighting for his home nation as he attempts to thwart his rival the move to the MGM Grand Garden Arena helps Anderson focus on the task at hand.

Black House

The Black House team is one of the most decorated in all of MMA.

Training with the top fighters in the world will always be an advantage. That is not to discredit Team Quest, but Team Quest is not the elite team they once were, albeit a very good team.

A major difference is that Silva and his camp have brought in top notch wrestlers in the past and that should not change in preparation for this fight. Meanwhile, Sonnen will be hard pressed to find anyone that can come close to mimicking "The Spider" for the rematch.

Takedown Defense

Photo Credit: Esther Lin

At UFC 117, Chael Sonnen took the champion to the ground numerous times and delivered over 300 total strikes before succumbing to the triangle choke.

At UFC 148, do not expect the same.

Silva has shown better take-down defense in the past and will be more prepared for what Sonnen brings to the table in Las Vegas. He will employ different tactics to retain his middleweight championship in July. The long-time champion continues to work on this aspect of his game and it will be one of the biggest ways to avoid a repeat performance.

Expect more stand-up in the rematch.

Striking

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The most obvious of advantages the champion has over Sonnen is striking.

Silva is one of the most creative and effective strikers in the world. His accuracy is mind-boggling and that accuracy accentuates his power.

As shown in the previous slide I believe that his take-down defense will be on point at UFC 148. The more Silva is able to keep the fight standing the more he is able to dole out punishment on the fight against his nemesis. Something the champion is sure to be eagerly anticipating.

Jiu-Jitsu

Photo Credit: Esther Lin

It is one of Sonnen's biggest deficiencies.

Each of his last five defeats, four inside the UFC, has come by way of submission.

If the fight does resemble that of their previous meeting then Silva still has five rounds to exploit the holes in Sonnen's game with his superior submission grappling. Sonnen was able to avoid the submission for over four rounds in Oakland, but when the fight is on the mat against a grappler as skilled as Silva, a submission is always a threat.

Silva Is Not out to Prove a Point

After being offended by Sonnen's "McDojo" comments, Silva wanted to prove his Nogueira jiu-jitsu black belt was the real deal at UFC 117.

And he did.

Now with that out of the way, the champion can return to what he does best. While his grappling may once against come in to play at UFC 148, Silva is not looking to send an emphatic message, other than pain, to the challenger.

One can expect a more dynamic performance from Silva.

Motivation

Chael Sonnen's mouth is writing an even bigger check than it did at UFC 117.

We have all heard the outlandish stories and insults he has slung the champion's way. And needless to say, Silva is not amused.

At the press conference yesterday the champion stared a hole through Sonnen. While the challenger tried to make jokes, it was obvious that Silva was not in the mood for the theatrics. He was laser-like in his focus and has pent-up aggression.

While some rematches offer complacency for fighters, there is no shortage of motivation for the champion to enter the cage and put on a spectacular performance against Sonnen.

He Is Healthy

One of the most significant reasons Silva will dispatch of his opponent at UFC 148 is the fact that he will be healthy for the rematch.

At UFC 117, he was hampered by a rib injury that was evident during the bout.

In between rounds, Anderson would grab at his midsection and appear to be in pain. The post-fight medicals confirmed his injury.

While the injury is not an excuse for his performance at UFC 117, one cannot argue an injury does effect an athlete during competition. If all goes as planned, Silva will be perfectly healthy for the rematch and put together another championship performance to settle the score once and for all against Sonnen.

Experience Versus Chael

Rematches are more difficult.

This time around Silva will have a better understanding of Chael's capabilities coming into the Octagon. The champion will be able to tailor his training not just on tape of Sonnen's past fights, but be able to go off of his personal experience inside the cage against him.

Silva knows what to expect. Sonnen's game plan will remain the same it has in all of his fights. He now knows Sonnen's striking ability and will be better acclimated to his wrestling prowess.

Knowledge is power.

The battle at the Oracle Arena in 2010 passed along an encyclopedia to the champion.

Steven Seagal

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Obviously, the biggest reason why Anderson Silva will defeat Chael Sonnen at UFC 148 is his training with Steven Seagal.

Clearly.

Did you think the Aikido master was fading into the background? Not according to a recent tweet by UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer:

 

In Buenos Aires now in training session w Seagal, Anderson n Lyoto. 1 word, "Fascinating" n no more info so don't ask! twitter.com/brucebuffer/st…

— Bruce Buffer (@brucebuffer) April 23, 2012

 

Oh yes, he is back and Anderson Silva will be "Out for Justice".

Chael Sonnen will be "Under Siege".

Silva will be seeking "True Justice". OK, we could keep going but let's stop there.

Seagal walked out with Silva for UFC 117 and now I'm sure the master is developing a specific and deadly game plan for UFC 148. If Chael only knew what was in store for him come July 7.