Silva vs. Sonnen II: Key Takeaways for Chael Sonnen from the 1st Fight

The biggest mixed martial arts fight of 2012 goes down this Saturday at UFC 148 when blood rivals and pretty good fighters Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen replay their epic first engagement for Silva's middleweight title.

As you may recall, Sonnen used takedowns and top control to dominate every bit of the fight, except for that semi-important handful of seconds when Silva connected on a Hail Mary triangle choke to garner the submission.

Sonnen presumes the outcome will be different this time. But what can fans and observers presume Sonnen learned from that first fight that could actualize such a presumption?

Here are five key takeaways.

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5. Shape Up the Triangle

Let's do the obvious one first.

It's pretty cut and dried. Eight of Sonnen's 11 career losses came by submission. Half of those eight came through the triangle choke. This glaring weakness doesn't just indicate that he has a skills deficiency when it comes to jiu-jitsu play. It also indicates that Sonnen has a tough time controlling a fighter who can work from his back. And that makes sense, as that's typically not too instinctive for a wrestler like Sonnen.

As the kid on the roller coaster, Sonnen needs to keep his head, legs and arms outside the danger zone. This holds especially true if the base of his game plan from the first fight—taking the champ down and keeping him there—remains the same.

4. You Gotta Keep Busy

You can't just casually take Silva down; you have to launch at him with every fiber of your being. To do it right takes some bronze-dipped intestines, as you leave yourself pretty vulnerable in the effort.

Yushin Okami wasn't up for that, and you probably know what happened there. Sonnen was, though, and for much of the fight, he reaped the rewards, as Silva has shown a bit of a soft underbelly against elite wrestlers.

But just that in and of itself still wasn't enough. Sonnen showed that aggression—a constant, unrelenting, mult-variant attack—prevents Silva from easing into his comfort zone. Sonnen's aggression manifested itself not only in the takedowns, but also in the strikes he used to keep Silva uncomfortable once they were horizontal. Sonnen's prolific fists were evidenced in the data, which shows Uncle Chael landed 289 strikes to Silva's 29.

It was undoubtedly a part of Sonnen's game plan in the first fight, and he learned that it worked.

3. Take a Page from Tim "The Toolman" Taylor

More power, Uncle Chael.

Despite the gargantuan advantage in striking quantity and a few impressive shots during the standup phase, Sonnen couldn't break Anderson's skin or will.

Staying busy is important, but putting something behind those stay-busy blows is going to help slow down the champ, and maybe even stop him. Speaking of which...

2. Close the Deal

Anderson Silva is far too dangerous, in any phase, to simply ride to the finish line. The first fight showed that, and it's probably why Chael P. teamed up with world grappling champ Vinny Magalhaes to improve his submission game. 

Sonnen showed a new dimension in tapping Brian Stann to earn his first submission win in the UFC and only third such win overall (not counting a tap from strikes).

He may not be able to compete move for move with a black belt like Silva, but if he can find enough and capitalize on an opportunity in the context of a cage fight, that may just be enough.

1. Silva Doesn't Like to Fight from Behind

Silva is the Peyton Manning of MMA. He sits back, bides his time and studies what the opponent shows him. Then, when the computer in his brain has compiled and tabulated enough data, he strikes and strikes hard.

The strategy is understandable, especially in fighting. Silva doesn't want to force the issue (and, by extension, increase his risk of exposure) unless he has to. He waits for his opponent to make a mistake, and then he destroys them.

But Sonnen didn't make any mistakes (you know, at least not at first). Uncle Chael took the bullying to the bully with the aforementioned aggression, and it won him the first round. The snowball got a lot bigger in the second, when Silva was forced to do something he isn't used to doing—fighting without a lead. He came out throwing big leg kicks—all the easier to get you to the mat with. 

So there you go. If Sonnen can get the early advantage on Silva and avoid any mental lapses down the stretch, it could be a long night for "The Spider."

Follow Scott on Twitter @ScottHarrisMMA.