The Doggy Bag: The Silva-Sonnen Edition
As Foes and Fighting Foils
Where do you think Silva-Sonnen stands as an MMA rivalry? Sonnen is such an extreme figure and Silva has never really had a rival like this before. Knowing how big their first fight was, this rematch will be -- imagine if Sonnen wins, and we get three? -- it seems like possibly the biggest rivalry in MMA history to me, or at least the one where the fights meant the most. At this point in history, where does the Silva-Sonnen rivalry stand compared to other great ones, all-time? -- Jack from Sussex
Mike Whitman, news editor: The all-time rivalry potential of Silva-Sonnen is clearly dependent upon how this rematch goes. If Silva batters the self-proclaimed “American gangster,” then I imagine quite a bit of of the shine will be taken off what has amounted to nearly two years of trash talk. If Sonnen wins or the bout follows a similar path to their first encounter, however, I think there should be serious consideration given to their feud as an all-time great. Sonnen is the man to thank for this. You want to talk about a salesman? This is beyond “lemonade out of lemons.” Let's look at what the Oregonian has overcome to get here: He suffers an absolutely crushing, mind-blowing, defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory style loss at the hands (or legs, rather) of Silva, pleads guilty to a felony money laundering charge in his home state related to mortgage fraud, gets suspended by the California State Athletic Commission after producing a sky-high testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio in a post-fight urinalysis, and he still somehow manages to convince people that the only thing that matters is that he beat the hell out of Silva for 23 minutes before the champion wimped out by wrapping those arachnid thighs around his neck. The legitimacy of the argument surrounding Sonnen's appeal and the method by which athletic commissions determine elevated testosterone levels is a debate for another time. Within the context of this discussion, it is irrelevant if Sonnen was innocent or guilty, lied or told the truth. What is important is that, at the time, things looked quite grim for the former Oregon Duck.
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I half expect Bobby “The Brain” Heenan to show up out of the blue and start rubbing his shoulders while screaming at the humanoids to shut up.
Nevertheless, Sonnen has used these hyperbolic methods of self-promotion to create some very real heat ahead of this rematch. Even if you're not a fan of Sonnen's approach, you can't argue with the results. Whether you like it or not, the only things that matters in this business -- this world, for that matter -- are hits, clicks, ad space, pay-per-view buys and dollar signs. Sonnen gets it, and based on what Silva just said about cracking Sonnen's teeth, it looks like “The Spider” has figured it out as well.
Rivalries like Fedor Emelianenko-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Randy Couture-Chuck Liddell were mostly anticipated for the clash of styles in the ring or cage. Meanwhile, many of MMA's most famous verbal sparring sessions have come off feeling phony or have failed to deliver in the cage, despite both participants purportedly pumping bad blood through their veins (see the Shamrock-Ortiz trilogy). It is a rare case indeed when we are presented with a rematch possessing both engaging pre-fight banter and the possibility of becoming an in-cage classic.
Sonnen has done his due diligence by bringing in ADCC submission grappling world champion Vinny Magalhaes to help him prepare for Silva's ground game. Likewise, I think Silva made an excellent decision to finally fire back at Sonnen verbally after taking the high road for nearly two years. These things will only help to make the final product more memorable, and if the fight can live up to the hype, I think that Silva and Sonnen could certainly find their way onto the list of all-time great rivalries.
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