Tomorrow is UFC 153 live from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! It should be a pretty good card since Brazilians are in every fight and they are the best mixed martial artists. The main event of UFC Middleweight Champion and king of MMA Anderson Silva fighting at light heavyweight for the first time in three years against Stephan Bonnar in what UFC President Dana White has said is a “fun fight” should be pretty exciting, and frankly any time Silva is in action the card is worth getting. Also, Minotauro Nogueira is back in action for the first time in 10 months against Dave Herman. This is a show that was in danger thanks to injuries, but it now promises to have a fun top three fights, and a good card overall if Jon Fitch doesn’t win. Let’s check out what’s on tap.
Demian Maia (16-4) vs. Rick Story (14-5): I won’t lie to you, this fight holds no interest to me. I know I’ve seen Rick Story fight a few times but I can’t remember anything other than his stupid nickname, “The Horror.” Well hopefully the American Horror Story (see what I did there?) loses to the Brazilian Maia. This is Maia’s second fight at welterweight, a weight he hopes to have some success in since he had nothing to offer at middleweight anymore. Maia had a strange TKO victory over Dong Hyun Kim at 148 in which he took Kim down and punched him twice and Kim was done because he had a muscle spasm. Maia has eight submission wins, and unless he gets one on Story this fight is going to decision. Maia wins a decision.
Phil Davis (9-1, 1NC) vs. Wagner Prado (8-0, 1NC): This is essentially a continuation of their fight that went a minute and a half at the UFC on Fox card in August. Davis accidently poked the Brazilian Prado in the eye and it was declared a no contest when Prado couldn’t continue. Davis has some good wrestling and the UFC is high on him, hoping he’ll become a contender one day. Prado has one decision win and seven knockout victories on his record. He could be pumped up in front of the Brazilian crowd and add an eighth to that, but I don’t think so. Davis wins a decision.
Jon Fitch (26-4-1, 1NC) vs. Erick Silva (14-2, 1NC): Nap time! Jon Fitch is the most boring fighter in history. I have fallen asleep during his fights before, and I plan on doing it again. Unless of course this goes like Fitch’s last fight, in which Johny Hendricks knocked him out in 12 seconds. Silva has shown a penchant for going for the finish these last two years and is currently 2-1 in the UFC with his loss being a DQ for strikes to the back of the head. His two wins were by KO and by submission. Fitch is the king of decision wins in the UFC and a win by decision tomorrow gives him the UFC record with 10. Silva is an exciting prospect though, and Fitch got whooped by BJ Penn in the first round of their fight and then was knocked out in 12 seconds. Silva by TKO in round 2.
Glover Teixeira (18-2) vs. Fabio Maldonado (18-5): Teixeira is one of the big light heavyweight prospects right now. He will likely be an opponent for Jon Jones within the next year or so if he keeps up his winning ways. He has good boxing and jiu jitsu. Maldonado is replacing Rampage Jackson, who pulled out of this fight with an injury. Maldonado is riding a two fight losing streak, but has the fact he has never lost by knockout going for him. Sadly, Teixeira is one of those guys like Alexander Gustafsson and Phil Davis who are expected to be the next batch of contenders for that belt Jon Jones has. Teixeira by first round knockout.
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira (33-7-1, 1NC) vs. Dave Herman (21-4): Last year it seemed like Big Nog was going to reclaim his title as the greatest heavyweight fighter in the universe. He took a year off to get healthy after getting laid out by Cain Velasquez in 2010, and last year knocked out Brendan Schaub in Rio. Next up was Frank Mir, and Nog was about to knock him out until he decided that the best way to get revenge for Mir knocking him out would be to make him submit. Nogueira went for a choke and Mir managed to reverse it into a kimura and broke Nog’s arm, putting him on the shelf for these last 10 months. Nog is fighting in his home country for just the second time ever, and Herman has been knocked out twice this year. Herman’s striking could give Nog some problems if he’s got a lot of ring rust, but if not, Minotauro will rise again. Here is a guy who has beautiful boxing and the greatest jiu jitsu in the history of the sport. Nogueira by second round submission.
Anderson Silva (30-4) vs. Stephan Bonnar (17-7): This fight will only be three rounds rather than the usual five for a main event. After injuries forced the featherweight title fight from the card, Silva offered to fight at light heavyweight to give the card a main event. The last time Anderson Silva fought at light heavyweight, he humiliated Ultimate Fighter season one winner Forrest Griffin. Tomorrow he faces Griffin’s opponent from the TUF Finale, Stephan Bonnar. The UFC says Griffin-Bonnar is the greatest fight in UFC history, and I can say I was one of those people lucky enough to turn on Spike that night and catch the insane war they had seven years ago. That night Bonnar lost a close decision, and that could very well be the case when he steps in the octagon against the GOAT on Saturday. Bonnar has two TKO losses in his career, both of them because of cuts and not because of strikes.
He has never been actually finished in his career, be it by knockout or submission. Of course, Yushin Okami hadn’t been finished for eight years until he fought Silva last year, and Vitor Belfort had never been knocked clean out in his career until he fought Silva either. Bonnar is a very tough fighter and always a game opponent, but Anderson Silva has the greatest striking in MMA history. Bonnar’s best bet is to get in on Silva, but the clinch against Anderson is so dangerous. Watch Silva’s fights with Rich Franklin for a textbook case as to why you don’t want to get in the clinch. Bonnar will also want to get Silva to the ground, but Travis Lutter, Dan Henderson, and Chael Sonnen all got finished doing that. Silva’s strength may not be what it is at middleweight since Bonnar is a big guy, but he remains the most talented fighter in the history of the sport. Bonnar can give Silva a very good fight and maybe force a decision, but ultimately it is still Anderson Silva. Stephan Bonnar is on a three fight win streak and always gives his best, but it is still Anderson Silva in Brazil. Silva wins by third round TKO.
That's everything. Watch this show since Anderson Silva's career is winding down and we need to cherish each performance since you don't know when that will be it.
