The long waited return of UFC to Brazil is finally here. What better way to do it than showcasing not only the nation’s own hero but also the planet’s greatest mixed martial artist in the history seeking to avenge his last official loss. In what many would perceive as a home coming night for the great Anderson Silva, I personally beg to differ. Given the inconclusive outcome of their first fight and the stylistic problems that Yushin Okami poses, the man known as ‘the Spider’ could be in for another tug of war similar to one he had with Chael Sonnen on the night of UFC 117.
It’s been done many times before, where a hometown guy gets to shine in front of the crowd getting his way with an overmatched opponent en route to a one-sided victory. However, even on paper, this UFC 134 event just doesn’t seem fit that description. Look at this card from top to bottom, there’s not a single easy W that could be predicted in favor of a Brazilian fighter.
In fact, it wouldn’t be out of the realm if all of the non-Brazilian counterparts were able to escape Rio de Janeiro as winners which probably would not bode well for the native fans in Brazil. Don’t expect blow outs in favor of any.
THE ONLY AND LAST HOME COMING
Starting with the main event, one can’t doubt Anderson Silva’s motivation to erase that controversial loss to Yushin Okami that took place in Hawaii more than five years ago. Truth be told, there’s not a whole lot to analyze from their first encounter that lasted less than three full minutes.
The outspoken Chael Sonnen (who’s fought both Silva and Okami) speaks otherwise. Sonnen claimed in his recent interview that the illegal upkick that led to Silva’s disqualification was intentional, indicating that he was looking for a way out after being taken down.
Take it for what it’s worth, but I don’t fully agree nor disagree with Sonnen’s input. While Silva may or may have not been aware of the rules, I don’t for a second believe that he threw that kick to get himself disqualified. Until that takedown, which was almost given by Silva to pull Okami into his guard, he was easily winning in standup where it appeared to be a horrible mismatch. However, given how much Okami has grown experience-wse and displayed improvement on his dominant ground game, I think we’re looking at a completely different fight come this Saturday.
Silva re-exemplified his old self in his last outing when he landed that front-kick to render Vitor Belfort unconscious in one of the most creative and picture perfect knockouts we’ve seen in the sport. But that didn’t make most of us forget the four and a half rounds of beating he took from Sonnen, who for the first time made Silva look seemingly beatable with relentless takedowns and effective ground and pound from the top position.
If they were any indications of Spider’s decline in terms of speed and reflexes, Okami just might have the perfect style to exploit those vulnerabilities and dethrone the aging champ. In addition, despite his lack of submission strength and decision loss to Sonnen, the judo and wrestling based Okami hasn’t shown any susceptibility to triangle holds or other submission attempts in his five career losses. That’s not likely to change against Silva, whose submissions skills are underrated, but not overwhelmingly threatening in this case.
As much as I laugh listening to Chael Sonnen and his verbose tactics to antagonize his rivals in a WWE persona type manner, I can’t be dissuaded by his words to pick the best Japanese fighter UFC has produced. Some must believe that Silva, even at this stage of his career is several notches above in terms of striking and will do whatever he can to thwart the fight from going to the ground. I’m among those who are tabbing the legend to further extend his legacy for a few more fights.
Believe it or not, this is a huge defense for Silva, who has a chance to repudiate any claims that their first fight was a result of an intentional escape from a legitimate loss.
SHOGUN’S REVENGE
Just by looking at the main event and its co-feature, this card reminds me a lot of Don King’s Revenge: The Rematches PPV that took place back in ’94. Although it wasn’t the biggest PPV success in terms of revenues, it still remains as one of the best PPV cards ever distributed in history of boxing. And if Silva vs. Okami II serves as UFC’s version of Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Frankie Randall II, the rematch between former light heavyweight champions Mauricio Rua and Forrest Griffin is more like the much anticipated return bout of Terry Norris against Simon Brown.
Looking back on their first meeting, Norris, an established champion at 154 pounds was the heavy favorite going in against the older Brown, a former great in his own right during his campaign at welterweight. This was supposed to be the eleventh defense of Norris’ WBC title and many experts had expected a rather easy win for the younger, faster, and bigger man known as ‘Terrible’. Brown didn’t follow the script, landing a right hand that visibly staggered Norris near the end of round two. Norris fought back valiantly in the third, but Brown unleashed attack seconds before the bell, again putting the champ on wobbly legs. Brown finished the job in the following round with a devastating right cross that rendered the champion unconscious. It was a huge upset considering Norris’ status as one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound. The rematch wasn’t as compelling, but Norris fought a smarter fight, dictating the pace over the course of twelve rounds with constant movement, tighter defense, and fluid combinations.
Prior to crossing paths at UFC 76, Forrest Griffin was then considered the gate keeper of the light heavyweight division. Having won the Ultimate Fighter contest in his memorable battle against Stephan Bonnar, he felt short of becoming a top threat in the weight class, losing to veteran Tito Ortiz in a spirited effort and shockingly getting cold-cocked by Keith Jardine in the first round. By then, he was thought merely as a sacrificial lamb against the former Pride badass Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua who crossed waters from the Japanese circuit after the demise of the now defunct Pride FC.
Rua, who’s displayed variety of mixed martial arts prowess in his previous outings as the Pride middleweight grand prix winner, was known for his vicious Muay Thai strikes and strong BJJ skills. At the time, Shogun was easily found in many of experts’ so called pound for pound lists and was one of the biggest acquisitions made by the UFC after its purchase of Pride. Meanwhile, Griffin at the given stage was simply a segway for Rua to rise above ranks in the UFC.
The fight, however told a different story. From the first round, it was fought at a rapid pace and the tempo definitely favored Griffin. Rua seemingly had the advantage in takedowns, but was unable sustain control on the ground. The Brazilian began to tire and Griffin poured on. In the last minute of the third round, Shogun hardly resembled the man he was thought to be as he wilted under constant smothering attacks of Griffin, who sealed the deal with win via a rear-naked choke.
Four years have gone by and the two now find themselves in a crossroad with a lot more at stake. Since their last battle, both have gone on to achieve great success, each winning the light heavyweight title in separate reigns. Griffin went on to shock the MMA world once more when he dethroned Rampage Jackson to lift the UFC light heavyweight belt. He also suffered humiliating defeats to Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva, but bounced back in his last two bouts against Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin.
As for Rua, the Chutebox Academy product gradually climbed back to title contention with sluggish yet decisive stoppage wins over Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell before returning to full form to decapitate unbeaten Lyoto Machida to capture the light heavyweight crown. To his dismay, Shogun was sidelined by recurring injuries and was forced to sit out for almost a year before succumbing to hot sensation Jon Jones in an unmerciful, one-sided beating.
Rua will not only seek to avenge his loss, but also fight for resurgence if he wants to keep his name relevant as a key player in the division. Fighting in front of his home country shall provide plenty of motivation for the former champ. A win this Saturday could mean another title shot. Fans should expect both to deliver something special.
LOOKING AHEAD, WAY AHEAD
Okay, I think it’s safe to say that should Yushin Okami upset Anderson Silva in Brazil, it’s definitely not the worst thing for the powerhouse organization. Actually, it would be far from it. Understanding that UFC’s global impact will soon emerge in Japan, imagine the drawing power that could be generated by Okami should he headline a card in a championship fight? Also, consider the fact that Yoshihiro Akiyama has lost three in a row and White’s intentions are to keep him on the roster for use of his star power for promotional purposes in Japan. And despite lack of success from the likes of Kid Yamamato and Takanori Gomi since their UFC debuts, they are already established names in the world of MMA and they certainly wouldn’t hurt to help initiate things as things transpire over to the eastern hemisphere.
