Anderson Silva stayed undefeated in the octagon, winning his 15th straight and notching a victory that had to feel more satisfying than any of the other ones to defend his middleweight championship belt. Silva defeated rival Chael Sonnen 1 minute, 55 seconds into the second round with a TKO in the UFC 148 main event.
"He's a true champion, man," Sonnen said while still in the octagon.
If only for a split second, the sold-out crowd stood silent at that suggestion. It was Sonnen who had insulted Silva in every way possible over the past two years, making this bout into the biggest in UFC history and instilling the champion with a hatred no one had ever heard before.
Silva didn't break any of Sonnen's limbs as advertised, but he did manage to destroy the brash 185-pound wrestler with a barrage of strikes that included two right hands and a devastating knee to the body.
"Chael disrespects my country, but it's fine," Silva said. "This is a sport. This is the UFC."
With that, Silva wrapped his left arm around Sonnen's shoulder and attempted to end a feud that has captivated the sports world. He even invited Sonnen to a barbecue at his house, though that was likely a back-handed crack at the challenger who had turned his trash talk personal when he said he wanted to pat Silva's wife "on the (butt)" and tell her "to make me a steak, medium rare just how I like it,” on a radio show months ago.
The fight went Sonnen's way early. Just like their first fight, Sonnen managed to take Silva to the ground immediately. He threw ground-and-pound and smothered the Brazilian for the opening five minutes of the fight.
But Sonnen couldn't convert on a takedown to start the second round and Silva got the space he needed to operate. A right-hand dropped Sonnen and Silva then showed his killer instinct, rushing in to strike until it was impossible for the referee to let the bout go any longer.
"They gave me the opportunity," Sonnen said. "No one owes me anything. I'm very grateful to be here and have the chance."
The co-main event also delivered a conclusion to a long-running rivalry. Local fighter Forrest Griffin won a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over Tito Ortiz for the second time in four years.
Ortiz knocked Griffin down in both the second and third rounds, but it wasn't enough as he faded late in each of the frames with Griffin coming on strong.
"I'm going to be linked to Tito forever," Griffin said. "We have had three really close fights. He was throwing the kitchen sink at me and I was too tired to get out of the way. It always comes down to fatigue. I don't know who won that fight to be honest. I'm going to need to watch that back."
Cung Le, Demian Maia, Chad Mendes and Mike Easton also thrilled with victories on the main card.source: lasvegassun.com
