Author: David King

Apparently, Anderson Silva's fifth round submission and testing positive in a post fight drug test isn't enough to shut Chael Sonnen's mouth up. Chael Sonnen; the only man to ever dominate Anderson Silva in a fight, had more jabs to throw when answering questions from Paul Lazenby, about Anderson's recent victory over Vitor Belfort.

Sonnen refused to give Anderson any credit, claiming he would end Anderson's legacy the next time they meet in the octagon. He also hinted that the fight should have been stopped several times during their previous encounter at UFC 117.

Such comments do not come as a surprise coming from Chael Sonnen. He verbally taunted Anderson leading up to their UFC 117 fight, and shocked MMA fans as soon as the fight started. He repeatedly took Silva to the ground, and kept him there for 22 minutes. Unfortunately, his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu wasn't up to par and Sonnen found himself trapped in a triangle choke.

Sonnen gained a lot of respect after his fight at UFC 117, because he was the first fighter to bully Anderson inside the Octagon. Unfortunately for him, he tested positive in a post-fight drug test. The failed drug test raised questions around what was considered a valiant effort by Sonnen against the MMA pound-for-pound king. His scheduled rematch was handed to Vitor Belfort, and Sonnen seems bitter about the whole situation.

Bottom line, Sonnen is the only fighter to make Anderson Silva look even remotely human. His game plan was solid and he executed to perfection (besides the getting choked out part). While the performance enhancing drug he had in his system probably gave him a little boost, he should be able to produce similar results when completely clean.

Unfortunately for Sonnen, the UFC has bigger plans for Silva, and will probably save Silva for the much anticipated Superfight with Georges St. Pierre. After that, the best matchup for Silva will be a rematch with Sonnen. Maybe Sonnen will swallow his pride and train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu; otherwise he might just suffer the same fate he did last time. While Sonnen might not be the most likable guy in the world, he does have the skills to wear the middleweight belt in the future.

Sources:

MMA News, " Chael Sonnen continues his verbal assault... "

Anton Tabuena, " Chael Sonnen fails his UFC 117 drug test... " Bloody elbow

Paullazenby.com

The UFC would love to build on the success of UFC 126, which turned out to be a solid night of world class MMA fights. UFC 127 is set to take place on Feb 27 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. The main event features BJ Penn versus Jon Fitch, in what should be a truly entertaining fight. Here are my UFC 127 fight predictions.

BJ Penn versus Jon Fitch

A tough fight to predict between two solid MMA fighters, this should be a highly competitive fight that goes the distance. BJ is regarded by some to be the best boxer in MMA, and should be able to dominate Fitch in the striking department. Fitch will probably end up taking BJ to the ground and will have problems controlling the former champion on the ground. BJ wins by decision.

Michael Bisping versus Jorge Rivera

Jorge has shown fighters in the past that underestimating him can be a serious mistake. Bisping is a more complete fighter and should be able to outpoint Rivera. Bisping wins by TKO.

George Sotiropoulos versus Dennis Siver

George is undefeated in his UFC career, and seems determined to fight his way to a title shot. He has a significant reach advantage over Siver, and is a more technical striker. Siver's only option will be to try to take George down and pound him out, a dangerous proposition given George's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills. Sotiropoulos wins by submission.

Carlos Condit versus Chris Lytle

With three wins in his four UFC fights, Condit will have another opportunity to establish himself as a welterweight contender. Chris Lytle is one of the toughest strikers in the welterweight division, and will bring the fight to Condit. However, Condit seems to show up for tough fights, and this fight will not be an exception. Condit wins by decision.

Chris Cammozzi versus Kyle Noke

Tough fight between two fighters, undefeated in their UFC careers. Noke is a more rounded fighter, and should be able to hand Cammozzi his first loss in the octagon. Noke wins by submission.

Undercard

Spencer Fisher def Ross Pearson

Chris Tuchscherer def Mark Hunt

Alexander Gustafsson def James Te-Huna

Nick Ring def Riki Fukuda

Maciej Jewtuszco def Curt Warburton

Anthony Perosh def Tom Blackledge

Jason Reinhardt def Tie Quan Zhang

After Jon Jones' impressive submission victory over Ryan Bader during the UFC 126 fight event, Joe Rogan informed Jones that he would be facing the current light-heavyweight champion Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua; a good decision by the UFC, given the fact that Jones has been impressive throughout his MMA career.

Jon Jones has suffered only one loss in his career, to the former ultimate fighter competitor Matt Hamil. Jones thoroughly dominated Hamil during their fight, easily taking Hamil to the ground and landing brutal elbows on his face. Unfortunately for Jones, a few of his elbows where at a twelve-to-six angle, and Jones was disqualified from the contest.

Before the Hamil fight, Jones had already inspired MMA fans with his unorthodox striking and solid grappling. After the disqualification to Hamil, Jones impressed many with the maturity he handled the unfortunate turn of events with.

Ever since then, Jones has gone on to defeat the likes of Brandon Vera, Vladimir Matyushenko, and now Ryan Bader. Now Jones will get an opportunity to become the UFC light-heavy weight champion and complete the transition from top MMA prospect to UFC champion.

Shogun will definitely be the biggest test of Jones's career when they meet at UFC 128. The fact that Shogun dominated former champion Lyoto Machida, is a testament that Shogun has returned to the level he fought in at Pride. Given the fact that he was able to out strike one of the most technical strikers in Lyoto Machida, Shogun will probably be able to do the same against Jon Jones.

While Jones will probably lose a striking battle with Shogun, his reach and his wrestling abilities should cause problems for Shogun, and Jones should be able to take the fight to the ground. While Shogun is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu jitsu, Jones should be able to control him on the ground as he had no problems controlling Matt Hamil and Ryan Bader, two high level wrestlers. UFC 128 should end with Jon Jones securing a win over Shogun, and claiming his right full place among MMA's elite fighters.

UFC 126 lived up to its hype and delivered a night filled with exciting fights. UFC 126 set a high standard for other upcoming MMA events to follow, and Anderson Silva reminded everyone why he's considered the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. Here are the results of the Feb 5 fights.

Anderson Silva def Vitor Belfort

Victor Belfort was considered by many, the toughest man to challenge Anderson Silva for his middle-weight title belt. Both men seemed hesitant at first, and some fans even started booing. The booing did not last for long, as Belfort caught Silva with a combination that dropped Silva. Unfortunately for Belfort, Silva sprang back up quickly and caught Belfort with a front kick to the face that wobbled Vitor and sent him to the ground. Before Vitor could regain his senses, Anderson swarmed him and landed a few more punches before referee Mario Yamasaki stepped in and stopped the fight.

Forrest Griffin def Rich Franklin

The ultimate fighter season one winner; Forrest Griffin added another upset to his resume with his unanimous decision over Rich Franklin. Forrest dominated all three rounds with his striking and grappling skills. Franklin tried to steal the fight in the final round, but Forrest withstood his attack and walked away with the victory.

Jon Jones def Ryan Bader

Jon Jones lived up to the hype surrounding him and handed Ryan Bader the first loss of his career with a guillotine choke. Earlier in the fight, Jones tried his luck with a north-south choke that seemed tight for a moment. Bader refused to tap, and Jones eventually released the choke. With Jones getting the better of the striking, Bader tried to take Jones down and shot right into the choke that stopped the fight in the second round. After the fight, Joe Rogan announced Jones will be fighting Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua next for the light-heavyweight title.

Jake Ellenberger def Carlos Rocha

After getting dominated by Rocha's superior grappling in the first round, Ellenberger regained his composure and stole the next two rounds. The second and third rounds were somewhat close, but Ellenberger was able to secure the rounds with his well timed takedowns. One judge gave the fight to Rocha, while the other two scored in favor of Ellenberger, giving him the split decision.

Miguel Torres def Antonio Banuelos

In what turned out to be a kickboxing contest, Torres was able to out point Banuelos and cruise all the way to his first UFC victory. Torres established his jab early in the fight, and Banuelos was unable to close the distance.

Undercard

Donald Cerrone def Paul Kelly (submission round 2)

Chad Mendes def Michihiro Omigawa (unanimous decision)

Demetrious Johnson def Norifumi Yamamoto (unanimous decision)

Paul Taylor def Gabe Ruediger (TKO round 2)

Kyle Kingsbury def Ricardo Romero (TKO round 1)

Mike Pierce def Kenny Robertson (TKO round 2)

When the fight between Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre finally happens, it will be the biggest fight in the history of MMA. The UFC has had big fights in the past, but none of those fights ever pitched the two best pound-for-pound fighters against each other. Both men have completely dominated their respective divisions, and are ready for bigger challenges. Luckily for MMA fans, it seems UFC executives are committed to giving fight fans exactly what they want. Recently, UFC president Dana White expressed his desire to setup the super-fight MMA fans around the world have been waiting for.

What makes the matchup between Silva and GSP so exciting for MMA fans is the fact that no one can predict the outcome of the fight. It is one of those special fights that you truly don't know what will happen until the bell rings. For the sport of MMA, this will be the equivalent of what the Floyd Mayweather versus Oscar De la hoya fight was for boxing. Before the Chael Sonnen fight, many including myself would have given the fight to Silva. However, after watching Sonnen repeatedly take Silva down and grind him out for 4 ½ rounds, one has to wonder if GSP (arguably the best wrestler in the UFC), will be able to do the same to Silva.

Both men still have to defeat their upcoming opponents before the super fight is announced. Silva has a tough task ahead of him in fellow Brazilian Vitor Belfort, while GSP has to fight Jake Shields, a man who is currently on a 15 fight win streak. Although both fighters are the favorites for their respective fights, neither man is guaranteed victory as they are facing solid opponents, capable of pulling off the upset.

As long as the both fighters keep their part of the bargain, 2011 will probably host the biggest fight in the history of the UFC and MMA in general. Not only is the fight good for the fans, it will also attract new fans to the UFC, fans drawn in by the intense hype a fight between Silva and GSP will surely bring.