Written by @mulattobawse
Finally we get to the two fights
that we as MMA fans been anxiously awaiting. We finally get to see an ending to
what is the most anticipated rematch in MMA history, and the final fight of an
MMA legend (Ortiz) and a long time rivalry. Forrest Griffin will try to ruin
Tito Ortiz's retirement party as he will attempt to close the final chapter in
the rubber match of their rivalry dating back to March 2006. And, to finish off
the card, is the fight we've been looking forward to for about 2 summers…
Anderson Silva will attempt to shut up the biggest rival of his career and make
sure he never has to deal with Chael Sonnen's big mouth again. So with all that
let’s get started.
Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz III
This fight has big time
significance in that it will mark the end of the "Punishment Era".
Whether you liked or hated Tito Ortiz, no one can deny the impact he’s had on
the sport. Tito is one of the main reasons that MMA is a mainstream sport in
the world right now. For a long time he was the most marketable star in not
just the UFC, but MMA as whole. He is responsible for turning me into a fan of
the sport. What initially got me into MMA was the Tito Ortiz/Ken Shamrock
rivalry which resulted in me buying their UFC 40 match. On top of his star
power, no UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has defended the title more than Tito,
accomplishments that are very celebrated among the MMA community. It's
remarkable how Tito Ortiz went from the most hated fighter in MMA to a beloved
figure over the past few years. The fans have really rallied behind Ortiz over
the last few years knowing that these will be the last few times they see him
in the cage.
Forrest Griffin is another fighter who
has been influential in the rise of UFC into the mainstream. It was his fight
with Stephan Bonnar on the Ultimate Fighter Finale that gave the UFC much
credibility in the eyes of many curious fans. They were able to witness the
brutality of the sport mixed in with the heart and determination of two
fighters trying to get a UFC contract. This bloodfest was able to catch the
attention of the causal fans turning the UFC into one of the most watched
combat sports in the world.
Tito and Forrest have fought twice
before splitting wins between each other. In the first fight, Tito was able to
use his vintage ground and pound game to control Griffin. As the fight went on,
Forrest put up a fight, but what ultimately won Tito the bout was a takedown in
the final minute. In the second fight, Tito was able to takedown Forrest in the
first round and ground and pound him but after that, Forrest stuffed Tito's
takedown attempts and picked him apart in the stand up to secure the win.
For Tito to win, he needs to
counter Forrest in the stand up, because we know Forrest will push the pace.
Use that to set up his takedowns and use his vintage Tito Ortiz elbows to
bloody Forrest. For Forrest to win, he needs to use his range and keep Tito at
bay. In the last few fights Tito has lost because of knees to his gut from
Rashad and Lil Nog. I'm sure that Forrest's Muay Thai coach, Shawn Yarborough,
is working on the clinch and knees with him so don't be surprised if he utilizes
that.
My prediction is that Forrest will
win another decision. He has been the much more improved fighter while Tito has
declined over the years. I don't expect Forrest to stop Tito but I see him
busting Tito up in the stand up and winning a wide decision. Regardless of a loss,
Tito will be remembered as one of the greatest and most memorable fighters of
all time.
My Prediction - Forrest Griffin by
Decision
Anderson Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen
Now on to the fight we’ve all been
waiting for since the summer of 2010. This is the most anticipated rematch of
all time and quite possibly the biggest fight in UFC history. Since their
memorable first fight a lot of controversial things have occurred. Originally
they were slated to fight in Feburary of 2011 on Superbowl weekend, but Sonnen
tested positive for TRT. Anderson went on to destroy Vitor Belfort and Yushin
Okami while Sonnen waited over a year to make his return to the Octagon.
In the first fight, Chael Sonnen
surprised the world and was able to beat on Anderson Silva like a drum for
nearly 4.5 rounds. But Anderson Silva like a true champion came back from adversity
and exposed Chael Sonnen's weak submission defense and locked in a triangle
choke for the win. Although Chael lost, he gained respect among the MMA fans
and community for almost dethroning the most dominant UFC champion in history.
Even if you don't agree with Chael's trash talking and antics you have to
respect his toughness and ability as a fighter. He did what was thought unthinkable
and beat Anderson to a pulp although he lost the fight in the end.
Anderson's poor performance in that
fight was explained later as the result of a rib injury he suffered before the
fight. You could tell the difference when he faced Yushin Okami, who is a similar
fighter to Chael Sonnen and also his training partner. Anderson was able to
avoid all of Okami's takedowns and batter him in the stand up, as opposed to in
the Sonnen fight where he looked sluggish and even allowed Sonnen to beat him
in the stand up, which shocked everyone. Now Anderson looks to be 100% and so
there will be no excuses after this fight.
For Chael Sonnen to win he needs to
do the same as the first fight and that’s to put the pressure on Anderson. He
shouldn’t allow Anderson to set up any of his strikes and if he does he needs
to counter him with overhand rights like he did in the first fight. For
Anderson to win, he needs to combat Sonnen coming in for a takedown with knees
or kicks. He needs to cut off the octagon on Sonnen like Bisping did and put
the heat on Sonnen. Although Anderson can knock out any fighter at any point,
Sonnen has shown he has a very strong chin. He took a lot of hard shots from
Bisping yet still kept pressing forward. Anderson can't look for a highlight
reel KO and needs to play it smart and just tactically out strike Sonnen.
I believe Anderson will defeat
Chael in a tough fight. I see Chael pushing hard for the takedown but Anderson
stuffing him a few times and beating up Chael with knees and his superior
boxing. With Anderson being 100% in this fight he will be able to deal with
Chael's pressure a lot better. Anderson TKO's Chael in the middle rounds
My Prediction - Anderson Silva by
TKO
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