Surprised at how easily Sonnen folded?

Sonnen looked weight drained. He looked dry at the weigh in and, though causing zero damage, dominated the 1st round close to 10/8 territory. Came out in the second and his legs had gone. Didn't have the strength to go for Takedowns although he took Silva down with ease for the past 6 rounds they fought. He then panicked and threw a desperate lottery ticket of a spinning backfist. When he landed on his arse he looked like he couldn't get up. He wanted a way out and he got it. I don't like Chael but the 2nd round up until the stoppage was him doing things badly more than Silva doing things well, he was shot.

 

El and Rek are spot on. I thought it would take at least another round similar to the first for Sonnen to blow his wad. He was in control, but in the first fight the tide was slowly turning when Chael couldnt keep up the pace from about mid way through the third round.

Fact is he bottled it, again

 

I was suprised initially but I take body shots very seriously, ESPECIALLY a knee. Vera folded Couture with a knee, Rashad folded Tito with a knee etc A punch folds people to the body, a knee generates frightening power.

I can only assume that when he went fetal it was as a result of the knee because if it was just the strikes coming his way then I expected him to change position.

Nevertheless, my major fear for Sonnen (despite thinking he was a bad style for Silva) is that he isn't very good at finishing fighters and 25 minutes will always be too long for Silva to get him via a sub or strike.

 

Why should anyone be surprised? Silva is the best striker in the game and pretty much knocks out anyone when he's given the chance. Leben was supposed to carry a solid chin and look what Anderson did to him. If Silva was telling the truth about his rib injury, which he likely was, Sonnen doesn't stand a chance if he allows Silva to get off on strikes. Silva's takedown defense in rd 2 was superb. I think it caused Sonnen's confidence to deflate which made him ball into a corner and cover up. If he can't get his opponent to the ground, what else can he do against a healthy, motivated Silva? Absolutely nothing.

 

This showed that the first fight wasn't a fluke and why Sonnen lost to begin with. Sonnen had Silva on the matt the entire round and had fully mounted him yet couldn't do any significant damage. Silva made an adjustment in the 2nd (something he should have done from rd1 based on their first fight) and concentrated on defending the take down first and when he had the opportunity, finished Sonnen as he often finishes opponents. Am I surprised how easily Sonnen folded? Not really, he's human just like any other fighter, because he can take guys down and talks **** doesn't mean he can take any more punishment than others. It doesn't give him ultra durability or ruggedness when hit with a knee flush to the chest.

 

I think these 2 fights with Sonnen actually dent his credibility. His TD defence and inability to improve his position on the ground are MASSIVE holes in his game. He showed great heart and composure in the first fight and showed how clinical and ruthless he is in the second. But the first round in the second fight showed how poor he is at stuffing TD's. He knew Sonnen would shoot right at the start of the fight and the fight was on the ground in 6 seconds as a result of not that great a shot tbh. Silva is the best MMA striker ever, has the best record and is the p4p best active fighter. But when talking about the GOAT, I don't think you can put a guy in with such a deficiency in one of the most fundamental disciplines. Fedor didn't have any holes in his game like this, he's still the man.

 

Did you not pay any attention to round 2? Not once was Silva taken down. Besides, I was slightly tempted to score round 1 a draw since Chael was limited to basically lying on top of his opponent without being able to do anything significant. Anderson's defense is painfully underrated. Nobody ever talks about his head movement which is excellent. Nobody talks about his ground defense which is good (submitted Lutter and Sonnen from the ground). What good is your takedown if you can't do any real damage? You may win a few rounds like Chael and Henderson did, but it's a 5 rd fight and to win you'd have to hold him down every second which is nearly impossible. Silva has never been in danger of getting stopped via ground 'n pound. He also has grade A chin.

Why should I take Sonnen's performance in his first fight with Silva seriously? Chael was on PEDs not to mention Silva was injured going into that fight.

Are you telling me Fedor had no weaknesses? The same guy who was put on ***** street by Fujita, nearly manhandled by Choi, and got knocked out by a LHW? There's no doubt in my mind Silva is THE GOAT. He's 3 or 4 yrs older than Fedor and is still fighting like a character from The Matrix. Silva is more intelligent and a better all-around fighter than Fedor and that's why I have him higher. I don't disrespect the Russian. I just don't think he's #1. Top 3 in my book.

 

complete opposite. I think Silva baited Sonnen into taking him down in round one. Now before you point accusingly at the monitor screaming ******. this is my theory. Silva didn't look lost at all on the ground this time, he allowed Sonnen to tire himself out while doing hardly any damage. Then in round 2, Sonnen tried the same takedowns and got stuffed then had to work Anderson against the cage, where he once again was burning energy doing much of nothing. Eventually he got worn down and made more mistakes which Anderson brutally took advantage of.

 

It was a massive knee delivered with all the time and momentum a truly devaastating knee specialist could muster

Im surprised Chael was still able to go a little after it

 

Does anyone know what officially was the cause of the Korean Stun Gun giving up in one round? I heard it was a cracked rib?

 

I think in the replay he spiked his head into the cage during the TD and he somehow cracked a rib

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lmao weight drained, thats the reason he lost, sure. His confidence was soaring high after the first round and may have thought he could hang with Silva on his feet and paid for it. At the same time give Silva some credit, its not like Sonnen ran into Silva's knee or told Silva to duck, etc.

 

Weird finishes last night. Kim went down but somehow Mia knew he was done before he tapped or anything. It looked like his head went into the cage weird but then he was holding his side afterward.

Also, has anyone watched that last right hand that Silva threw on the feet before Sonnen dropped? I'll be damned if I can tell that it hit anything but arm.

 

He may have felt when the rib broke. Maia had his arm under his ribcage when they went town, probably broke the rib on his arm.