In his fight at 205 with UFC champion Anderson "the Spider" Silva at UFC 153 in Rio, UFC fighter Stephan Bonnar took a knee strike to the chest that dropped him to the mat and then into turtle position, covering his face and his mid-section protectively with both hands and both elbows. The fight ended in the first round at 4:40 minutes. video
Chael Sonnen: on taking a knee to the chest
UFC fighter and FUEL TV Analyst, Chael Sonnen, knows exactly what it feels like to get a knee in the chest from Anderson Silva. "It's completely devastating. I can't think of anything more painful. Your legs don't work. It's absolutely debilitating, especially for someone like Stephan Bonnar who never ever gives up...Stephan Bonnar fought outstanding. He didn't look like he went and fought someone on short notice and wasn't ready. He fought great and Anderson Silva fought even better."
In his pre-fight prediction, Sonnen picked Bonnar to win. After making two valiant efforts to defeat Anderson, Sonnen will probably always pick against Anderson Silva.
"Bonnar came straight forward. It was part of his plan. He came out to fight. He had some great moments. This was the story of the fight. This was part one. He had him against the fence and he peppered him against the fence. As soon as Silva created some space, he gets him with the knee to the solar plexus. Stephan fought a perfect fight and he couldn't have done better. This one knee changed it. I wish we could have seen what would have happened. What was Stephan going to do next? Was Anderson going to get going if they kept fighting a little longer? [Silva] He's got good eyes. He sees things coming and moves out of the way better than others. Very few things hit him crisp and on the button."
Kenny Florian: on going straight forward towards Anderson Silva
In his pre-UFC 153 fight predictions, FUEL TV Analyst and retired UFC fighter Kenny Florian said, "[Bonnar] He cannot go forward like he typically does because it will be devastating for him. He'll get knocked out like his friend Forrest Griffin. Bonnar has to be able to counter. He has to wait for Anderson to go first and he has to counter immediately with combinations. As soon as Silva is done with his combinations, he has to return fire." source
Well, that didn't happen. Bonnar rushed forward and the Spider chose to wait patiently, by leaning on the cage (his web), until he felt the right time to strike.
Anderson Silva: "I'm the Spiderman...I'm Jedi."
Anderson Silva admitted that Bonnar's punches hurt him. But he shrugged them off saying, " Yeah, but I have fast reflexes. I'm the Spiderman." video
With so much fight experience, Anderson chose to ignore his corner's advice and trust his own instincts, "Yeah, because my coach is sometimes my coach, my dad, my mom. I train hard. I train for the fans. I train for the take down. He talked to me and told me to change positions. I didn't change positions because I was relaxed. I told my coach to relax, take it easy and trust me. I'm Jedi."
"UFC 153 Postfight Show on FUEL TV" Analyst Urijah Faber on Silva's victory: "I was surprised to see Anderson was such a risk taker. He was dropping his hands, doing a little rope-a-dope...and taking punches. It's crazy seeing him be so careless in there against a big guy...I had a knee that just barely missed my solar plexus from [UFC champion] Jose Aldo and it knocked me to the floor--It hurt me for two years. It really takes the wind out of you. It's hard to recover from."
Who will unravel the Spider's web?
FUEL TV's Ariel Helwani spoke to UFC president Dana White about Anderson Silva's performance. "He was amazing. With that spinning back kick, he just steps to the side. His corner is yelling at him and he says he's got this. I want him to be 27 and get 12 more years of this from him. He's the most amazing fighter ever. And Stephan Bonnar has never been finished ever in the UFC. Anderson Silva always makes it look so easy. The guy is so amazing to watch."
Watching the Spider in action against a shorter man, UFC welterweight champion GSP or against a taller man, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones are two fights fans are really looking forward to.
But will Anderson accept a fight with Jon Jones?
Dana White said, "How many guys in the UFC have said a fight won't happen? And then it does. Anderson has broken every record in the UFC. He's [37] and Bonnar is 35. He's younger. Bonnar is bigger than him. He came to win this fight. Anderson loves the challenge. I think he will take the fight with Jon. Not to mention the fact that the money would be hard for either of them to turn it down." video
Source: Sherdog, show notes and quotes from "UFC 153 Post Fight" show on Fuel TV
More from this contributor:
Chael Sonnen Says Anderson Silva Has 'Amateur' Skills and 'He Sucks': Fan's Look
Anderson Silva's Shoulder Bump Sets Stage to 'Dominate and Exterminate' at UFC 148: Fan Reaction
Cheryl Ragsdale started out boxing and has added kicks and BJJ so she can practice MMA. Currently, she trains with Keith Florian and has trained with UFC Fighter Kenny Florian at Florian Martial Arts - follow @thatgirlisfunny
