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All of these great qualities were on display in the main event of UFC 117. Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen both put on the performances of their lives, and I've gained nothing but respect for each of them following the fight.
Sonnen had talked himself into a corner coming into this fight. He personally would have made himself the laughingstock of the middleweight division had he gone out and lost embarrassingly. He put all the pressure on himself coming into this fight, and he answered the bell. He showed off impressive takedowns, even more impressive top control, and even some solid striking skills. He was putting an absolute beating on Anderson through 4+ rounds, and I was sure that he had the fight won. I thought to myself, "Anderson could not submit him through 22 min, what makes me think he can do it in the last 3?"
However, I was abruptly reminded why Anderson Silva is one of the top two pound for pound fighters in the sport (I feel GSP is number one, but that's a topic for another day). In the blink of an eye, he slapped on a tight, tight triangle, and won the fight. I was one of Silva's harshest critics coming into this fight, but I still have to respect the heart and determination he showed in this fight. Chael remains one of my favorite fighters, and I was devastated that he was so close but could not pull it out.
All of that frustration did not last though, as I realized fights like this are the reason I watch mixed martial arts to begin with.
I thought about Chael coming out, with no fear and bringing the fight to Silva.
I thought about the look in Silva's eyes as went into his corner before the 5th round, and how he was probably questioning everything he knew.
I thought about the intensity the fans brought to the arena as soon as they realized this was, indeed, a fight.
I thought about the massive amount of heart it must have taken Silva to win that fight.
I thought about how MY heart raced for 20+ minutes, while I was only sitting in front of a TV.
Then I realized one more thing.
I love MMA.
RELATED STORY: THE MMA BLOWTORCH: Amazing UFC 117 event showcased just why we love MMA: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]
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