Why Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen Is the Biggest Rematch in UFC History

"Anderson Silva, you absolutely suck. Super Bowl weekend, the biggest rematch in the history of the business. I'm calling you out Silva, but we're upping the stakes. I beat you, you leave the division. You beat me, I will leave the UFC forever." These were the words of Chael Sonnen in a post-fight interview after his UFC 136 victory over Brian Stann.

He didn't have the date right, he has since backed off the "loser leaves town" premise and obviously Anderson Silva by no means "sucks." But Sonnen did get one thing right—Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen will be the biggest rematch in the history of the UFC.

Rather than meeting on Super Bowl weekend, it appears the rematch will be a summer blockbuster. According to UFC.com the date and venue have now been set, and we will finally see the rematch we've been waiting for on June 23 at Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The massive soccer stadium seats approximately 47,000, but the live attendance record set by UFC 129 of over 55,000 is expected to be eclipsed by the landmark bout. According to Dana White we can expect this to be the event of the year:

"

“This will be the biggest sporting event of the year. Bigger than the NFL, the NBA, you name it—UFC 147 will be the biggest. The whole world wants to see this fight between Silva and Sonnen. We are broadcast in over 150 countries in 22 languages in half a billion homes. Wherever those fans are, they are going to be watching this fight.”

"

Let's take a look at this matchup that is now almost two years in the making and why it will be the biggest rematch in the history of the business.

No Fight Has Ever Had More Hype

On August 7, 2010 the MMA world was treated to one of the most memorable fights of all time. For years, Chael Sonnen, a largely unknown commodity in the middleweight division dared to call out Anderson Silva.

In a division where most contenders treated Silva with the utmost respect to the point of fear, Sonnen told anyone that would listen he could best the champ.

When Sonnen told the media he was going to take Silva down and "beat a hole in his face," you could almost hear the snickering.

Then it happened. For four rounds, the brash contender did just what he said he would do, continually taking the champion down and applying constant pressure.

In the first fight, Sonnen's talk didn't hold water with fans because the idea of a man of his ilk truly challenging the dominant Silva was almost inconceivable.

This time, we know it's possible.

For almost two years now, Sonnen has done all he can to ensure a second crack at Silva. Sonnen has made it clear there are no boundaries when it comes to the extent he will go in badgering Silva. Even bringing a fake UFC championship belt that he stole and making remarks about ordering Silva's wife to cook him a steak.

Sonnen may have talked himself into his first title shot, but this time, there is substance to go with the hype, and that only makes this rematch bigger.

The Controversy Will Be Laid to Rest

As great as the first fight was, the large shadow of Sonnen's abnormally high testosterone levels has left the fight under a dubious cloud.

Silva supporters will be quick to point out that Sonnen was able to hold Silva down while being aided by having a testosterone level four times higher than the average human being in his system. Sonnen has now paid his price for that infraction and will enter this bout (presumably) "clean."

The rematch will answer the questions about Sonnen's first performance and finally put the controversy to rest.

Will Sonnen be able to take down Silva and keep him on the mat without TRT? Was Sonnen's performance simply a fluke?

These are questions everyone has, and we will finally get our answers June 23.

Atmosphere

Chael Sonnen may be the most hated man in all of Brazil. In the lead-up to the first fight, Sonnen made a habit of disparaging not only Silva but also Silva's home country.

This time the fight takes place in Brazil.

When Sonnen's music hits the speakers and somewhere around 55,000 Brazilians get to vocalize their hatred, it may be the most hostile crowd in UFC history.

As fight fans, we live for the electric feel of fight night. The anticipation of the unknown is what truly makes this sport great.

The crowd will certainly help, as the massive audience will add to the well-documented animosity that already exists between the two combatants.

It Could Break the Internet

Never has any fight caused so much furious debate over MMA message boards and forums than the first bout between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen.

As an absolute legend of the sport and perhaps the greatest fighter of all time, Silva has quite the fanbase. Because of his showboating and lackluster effort against inferior fighters, he also has a slew of detractors who would love to see him fall.

In his first bout with Sonnen, he was exposed stylistically. A strong wrestler was able to stand with Silva and pose enough threat with his hands to put Silva on his back and apply the constant pressure to put Silva in trouble.

A divisive, seemingly invincible fighter being exposed is enough to start a message board war within itself. Throw in the last-minute submission victory, Silva's rib injury and the "Silva was setting up the submission the whole time" theory and you have a massive message board war with plenty of casualties.

This time, one of these camps will be satisfied and one will be bitterly disappointed. Either way, this fight is sure to trend on Twitter and possibly break the Internet, as people will come flooding into message boards to weigh in on how this grudge match goes down.

It Will Alter Anderson Silva's Legacy

Anderson Silva has entrenched himself as a legend of the sport and has made a case for "greatest of all time" status. However, there is no denying that this fight will add to or subtract from his legacy.

Take the case of Fedor Emelianenko.

There is no denying that Emelianenko is one of the greatest fighters of all time (although a trip to the UFC at some point would have enhanced that legacy). He will always be known for a near-decade of dominance in the heavyweight division and for compiling one of the most impressive records in MMA history.

However, Emelianenko's recent losses to the likes of Antonio Silva, Fabricio Werdum and Dan Henderson will always be brought up when discussing his place in history.

It doesn't take away from his accomplishments, but it is a part of his career that will always be brought up.

Same goes for Silva. If Silva loses his rematch to Sonnen, detractors will always be able to say that he was exposed, whether it's true or not.

If Silva is victorious, his dominance is proven all over again, and his legend grows even more.

In a lot of ways, this is Silva's biggest fight ever.

It Will Define Chael Sonnen's Career

Sonnen is not one of the greatest fighters of all time. In fact, if you take Silva out of the equation, Sonnen's career has been quite pedestrian in terms of record and accomplishments.

This fight will determine how Sonnen's career will be viewed.

Without a belt, Sonnen will just become one of the many middleweights of this era that Silva disposed of on his path to dominating the division.

Sonnen has made an entire career of talking down Silva and trying to get under the champion's skin à la Clubber Lang chasing down Rocky Balboa in Rocky III. Failure to follow through on all of his promises means he will be remembered for his mouth rather than his skills.

A victory for Sonnen makes him one of the few men in the organization to hold the middleweight belt and a relevant name in the history of the sport forever.

Sonnen finds himself in a win-or-become-irrelevant position, and it all comes down to one fight to define his entire career.

Pay-Per-View Record?

The highest-selling pay-per-view in UFC history also featured a rematch with serious bad blood brewing between the two headliners in Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir II.

The buildup to that rematch seems like child's play compared to the hype surrounding this rematch.

Factor in a co-main event of Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva being promoted by The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil and their wild popularity in Brazil, and this is a card that could give UFC 100 a run for its money, literally.

With three of the most popular fighters in Brazil and everyone in the United States wanting to see this fight, who isn't buying this card in those two countries?

With plenty of time for the card to fill out, and Dana White calling it the biggest event of the year, one has to believe he will do his best to make it a great card from top to bottom.

The biggest feud in company history, a living legend facing his biggest challenge, a record-setting crowd, a career on the line and controversy? Sounds like the greatest rematch in UFC history to me.