Just an hour ago, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva (left) and title challenger Vitor Belfort (right) took part in one of the most intense staredowns in MMA history. Tomorrow night, the friends-turned-enemies will square off for the 185lbs. championship. (Photo courtesy of Esther Lin and Fanhouse)
Tomorrow night the UFC brings its live audience at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and the millions watching worldwide on Pay-Per-View one of the most stacked cards in UFC history with UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort. The event showcases a wealth of electrifying match-ups including former WEC warriors “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (12-4) and Miguel Torres (37-3) gracing the UFC Octagon for the very first time and taking on British slugger Paul Kelly (11-3) and Antonio Banuelos (18-6), rising stars “Bones” Jon Jones (11-1) and “Darth” Ryan Bader (12-0) in a light heavyweight clash, NCAA wrestling coach “The Juggernaut” Jake Ellenberger facing dangerous submission expert Carlos Eduardo Rocha (9-0), and two former champions battling it out for light heavyweight supremacy following an inactive 2010 with Forrest Griffin (17-6) and “Ace” Rich Franklin (27-5). The highly anticipated main event pits UFC Middleweight Champion and arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world “The Spider” Anderson Silva (27-4) against deadly striker “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort. Anderson has been not only invincible in the UFC, but damn near untouchable. The lone hiccup in his UFC career came when he was controlled for nearly five rounds by Chael Sonnen (24-11) at UFC 117 but turned the tables and finished his opponent in the closing minutes with a Triangle Choke. Anderson Silva is riding a thirteen fight win streak including a flawless 12-0 record inside the UFC, and tomorrow night will make his record breaking eighth title defense. Vitor Belfort on the other hand more or less earned his title shot with one recent win inside the UFC over Rich Franklin at a catch-weight. He has however won five in a row, but is very middling (7-5) in his past twelve fights, compared to a perfect dozen victories that Anderson Silva has put up. Come the conclusion of UFC 126 tomorrow night, either Anderson Silva walks out of the cage with the middleweight title belt rightfully cinched around his waist for the ninth consecutive time, leaving any questions about his skill and dedication answered, or the world’s most recognizable UFC champion will have fallen and given way to a new era in the 185lbs. division with the vicious striker Vitor Belfort as its reigning king. Continue reading »
