• UFC 148

Sonnen: I broke Silva, but then he destroyed me

ESPN staff
July 10, 2012
ESPN UFC Podcast

Chael Sonnen has made the claim that he "broke" Anderson Silva, before watching the UFC middleweight champion respond in a way no other man has.

Sonnen dominated round one of Saturday's title fight, taking Silva down at the first effort before controlling his man for nearly five minutes. During this time, he insists he felt the Brazilian break mentally.

Usually such a moment acts as the watershed for the closure of the fight but, according to Dana White, Sonnen was then stunned as Silva adjusted - changed tactics - and responded brilliantly for the stoppage in round two.

"Chael Sonnen, motivated, in great shape, injury-free, couldn't have been better, and wanted that title so bad," White told the Jim Rome Show.

"Goes in that first round, look at the way that happened, and this is what Chael Sonnen said to me after the fight, he didn't say it at the press conference, but he said it to me.

"He said, 'I have so much respect for this guy, Dana. I've been competing in combat sports since I was seven years old and in that first round when I was on top of him and I was hitting him with those big elbows, I felt him break.

"I broke him in that first round. [But] he came back in the second round, and destroyed me. I've never seen anybody do that, ever.'"

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