• UFC 117

UFC 117: Time for Silva to shut Sonnen's mouth

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Anderson Silva v Chael Sonnen
Can Chael Sonnen finally put his fists where his mouth is? Or will he prove to be a better politician than a fighter?

Having labelled Anderson Silva a 'dummy' with 'no fans' who 'picks his opponents' and has a jiu-jitsu black belt 'picked up in a happy meal', Sonnen is likely to have awoken the beast when he meets the UFC middleweight champion on Saturday. Sonnen believes he is different to any of the previous 11 UFC opponents that Silva has beaten. For one, he shows the Brazilian no respect. He also labels himself the toughest man in the UFC, and he points to victories over the likes of Paulo Filho (once labelled the only man capable of beating Silva) as evidence of that fact.

Ironically, he might have been better off keeping his mouth shut. Silva has shown clear signs that he is getting bored in the middleweight ranks, toying with Demian Maia after previously standing off Patrick Cote and Thales Leites. The last thing Sonnen needed to do was give The Spider a reason to fight. Maia wound Silva up in a pre-fight interview and got battered for two rounds before the champion opted to mock his compatriot.

In fight terms, Silva undoubtedly has more tools. He is the most dangerous Muay Thai exponent in the UFC, rendering the stand-up and clinch phases of the fight a minefield for Sonnen. The Brazilian is also slick off his back, combining sharp elbows from the bottom with a wide submission armoury. If the fight remains upright, it belongs to Silva. If the contest hits the deck, it still might be Silva's.

Sonnen is a Greco-Roman wrestler of relentless calibre, yet he can hardly be considered more dangerous than Dan Henderson, who lost to Silva at UFC 82. Sonnen will look to be more active, and his best bet is to tire the champion out over four or five rounds. However, aggression leads to mistakes with Sonnen, his last four defeats have come via submission, and Silva is built perfectly to catch the American in a triangle choke.

Silva has all the motives to bring his A game against Sonnen. Dana White has told him he will be cut if he does not perform to his best, and Sonnen's trash talk has disrespected the Brazilian in just about every way possible. We should see the true Anderson Silva in Oakland, which would spell very bad news for Chael Sonnen.

Thiago Alves boasts the more dangerous stand-up © Getty Images

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Jon Fitch v Thiago Alves
In many ways, Saturday's main event is more about Thiago Alves than Jon Fitch. Alves is the man returning from a knee problem, and Alves is the man who has not fought since requiring corrective surgery on a malformation in the brain.

More importantly, the Muay Thai wrecking machine can prove something to the UFC match selectors by defeating Fitch this weekend. Alves has lost only twice in four years, to Georges St-Pierre and Fitch himself. His loss to GSP was so emphatic that it will take a lot for the UFC to consider putting together a title rematch anytime soon. Alves' takedown defence was rendered non-existent by St-Pierre, so now he must show that he has improved that area of his game against a man who seeks a takedown like a dog pursuing a bone.

Fitch is an exceptional fighter, capable of grinding the life out of everybody other than St-Pierre. A 12-1 record in the UFC would probably spell 'champion' in any other division, and the AKA man will no doubt come looking to put Alves on his back for a second time, pounding the will out of the Brazilian. The likelihood is he will succeed, but it is Alves who has the greater capacity to make the UFC bosses sit up and take notice. Dominant victories over Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck show he knows how to handle wrestlers, although Hughes was far from at his best while Koscheck chose to strike rather than wrestle. Fitch won't make such a mistake, so the spotlight falls firmly on Alves' ability to keep the fight standing.

Matt Hughes still has the ability to control opponents © UFC

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Matt Hughes v Ricardo Almeida
Not for the first time in Octagon history, it is the Matt Hughes legacy going head-to-head with the Gracie legacy on Saturday. Ricardo Almeida does not belong to the Gracie family, in blood at least, but he is a black belt under Renzo - who Hughes beat in his last fight - so Almeida can claim revenge this weekend.

In terms of the fight itself, this is an important clash for both men. Hughes, the legendary former two-time welterweight champion, is battling against the ticking clock, every fight could be his last. He has won his last two but those victories came against men also in the twilight years of their careers. Almeida, by contrast, looked powerful in his welterweight debut against Matt Brown, having dropped down from the middleweight division. Riding a three-fight win streak, he becomes a serious threat in the 170lb division if he can take out Hughes, and his black belt jiu-jitsu skills give him a genuine argument when it comes to justifying a title shot with Georges St-Pierre.

Gracie and Hughes traded strikes for 15 minutes at UFC 112, such was there mutual respect for each other's ground games, but Almeida is promising to prove a point for Gracie jiu-jitsu in California. A real pick 'em fight for grappling enthusiasts awaits.

Roy Nelson v Junior Dos Santos
Although unofficial, the winner of Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson is more than likely to get the next crack at the UFC heavyweight championship, after Cain Velasquez's shot at Brock Lesnar in October. UFC UK president Marshall Zelaznik revealed the loser of Nelson v Dos Santos is lined up to face Shane Carwin, meaning the winner is open for a title crack.

For Nelson, that would be an outstanding leap up the food chain after he won season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter, defeating Brendan Schaub before adding the name of Stefan Struve to his list of victims. UFC president Dana White has tipped Nelson for the very top, and the pot-bellied 34-year-old certainly carries a powerful army of fans.

Dos Santos must surely enter as favourite though, courtesy of his lethal striking power. Fierce stoppages of Fabricio Werdum, Mirko Cro Cop and Gabriel Gonzaga have helped the Brazilian string together five straight UFC victories. The only question he is yet to answer is how he performs off his back. Nelson has the booming overhand right, Dos Santos has the rapid-fire hands, but Nelson has the added option of taking the fight to the mat. That will be his best option against Dos Santos; if he fails, expect the Black House fighter to add to his reputation.

Clay Guida has lost two of his last three © UFC

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Clay Guida v Rafael Dos Anjos
The age-old battle between wrestling and jiu-jitsu will play out again in the night's other main card fight, as Clay Guida attempts to make it five wins in seven against Rafael Dos Anjos.

Dos Anjos ended Terry Etim's win streak in his last fight, methodically picking the Brit apart on the ground to win via second round submission. That was his third straight win, and a victory over Guida would propel the Brazilian into the upper echelons of the lightweight division.

Guida will have to be wary of Dos Anjos' threat on the ground, so a repeat of the Nate Diaz fight - when Guida controlled his man from top position for all three rounds - could be on the cards. However, Dos Anjos' last fight against a top drawer wrestler came against Tyson Griffin, when he almost locked Griffin's leg in an ugly contortion in what became Fight of the Night. As with all Caly Guida fights, this one really could go anywhere.

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