“The Spider” was recently shown working out with several of us usual training partners at a gym in Brazil. Also, Silva’s physiotherapist reported that the UFC middleweight champ was 100% and would be back inside the Octagon very soon.

Silva, however, has changed the tune on all that in a recent interview with SporTV, saying, “I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I got an injury in my shoulder and another injury that just happened in my lumbar, so I’m treating myself.”

This could be grave news for the UFC, currently without UFC welterweight ace Georges St. Pierre to a knee injury and just lost former UFC heavyweight title-holder Brock Lesnar to retirement. Both GSP and Lesnar were constant draws in terms of pay-per-view buys and crowds for events. Silva is another fighter who routinely sold out shows wherever he was fighting.

Silva has been out of action since last August when he defeated Yushin Okami to avenge the last defeat of his career. It has been rumored that “The Spider” would face Chael Sonnen or Mark Munoz later this year at a huge stadium show in Brazil. This injury news could put a damper on those plans.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Of course that doesn’t mean White’s reverence for the match-up’s marketability has changed any as he made clear on a recent episode of UFC Tonight.

“If we can get Chael Sonnen versus Anderson Silva that will probably be held in Brazil in a stadium,” said White. “Everyone in the world will want to watch that.”

A transcription of the UFC executive’s quotes was provided by MMAFighting.

While the venues may have changed it appears the organization’s intentions of filling a stadium with Sonnen-Silva as bait to surpass the 55,000+ in attendance at UFC 129. White has made mention of wanting to put upwards of 100,000 fans in the seats in Brazil, mentioning the overwhelming popularity of the UFC in Brazil relating to their return to Rio this past August.

Heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos has also mentioned his interest in defending his title against Alistair Overeem in Brazil as well, a perfect compliment to Silva-Sonnen II when it comes to potentially selling out a soccer stadium in the South American hub.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

At the present time those plans call for “The Spider” to rest up from a shoulder injury and face the winner of Chael Sonnen-Mark Munoz in 2012. After that, however, it may all be up to Silva.

White, though, wouldn’t mind seeing the 36-year-old Brazilian finish up his career after a few more fights, including a finale bout with either UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre or light heavyweight title-holder Jon Jones.

“He’s probably the greatest fighter in history. He hasn’t lost and has been champion since 2006. I think he has two more title defenses and I do not know what he’ll do next or if he will retire,” said White, in an interview with Brazilian website Alpha. “He could end his career with a super fight against Jon Jones or Georges St. Pierre. He could end his career like that – fight in a different weight class. I would be happy with that. Then he could take a boat and sail into the sunset.”

For Silva, the thrill of fighting seems to continue to drive him. While his body winds down, though, his skill set has not; Silva earned impressive victories over Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami with relative ease this year.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Sonnen, who lost via submission to Silva last year, called out the pound-for-pound king following his most recent win over Brian Stann. However, Silva shrugged off Sonnen’s request, stating he didn’t feel the outspoken 185er deserved another shot after only picking up a single win since his defeat but might be willing to reconsider if the bout took place in Brazil.

As chance would have it, stories have surfaced saying the UFC is planning a card in Sao Paulo, Brazil at mid-year in 2012 by which time Silva should be fully recovered from a shoulder injury.

“I accept Anderson. Brazil it is. Now then, about that meal,” wrote Sonnen through the social networking site.

Sonnen’s meal reference was to comments he made concerning Silva’s wife in a past interview where he mentioned going into the Silva house and having her cook him a steak. The comments upset Silva quite a bit, obviously Sonnen’s plan all along.

For now, Silva is on the shelf due to bursitis in his shoulder.

Meanwhile, reports have surfaced stating Sonnen could face Mark Munoz at the next UFC on FOX in January with the match-up serving to determine the top contender to Silva’s belt.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

While appearing on TSN’s Off The Record Wednesday, Michael Landsberg asked Sonnen why he backed off his terms of a “Loser Leaves Town” match with UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva. By his reaction, it was clear Sonnen did not enjoy the tone that Landsberg used and went on the offensive with the host.

“You might want to take the bass out of your tone,” Sonnen replied when accused of reneging on his terms. “I’m not sure you know who you’re talking to here, but I’ve never backed down from anything, so check your facts.”

Sonnen and Landsberg went back-and-forth before the former #1 contender eventually stormed off the stage. Sonnen is attempting to work his way back into a rematch with Silva, having called out the Brazilian title-holder following his win over Brian Stann earlier this year at UFC 136.

Though the UFC is pushing for the rematch no official word has surfaced as to when/if Silva vs. Sonnen II will take place.

Check out the full interview in the video below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Appearing on the Jim Rome Show, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Sonnen would get his rematch, saying, “It’s the fight that everybody wants to see. People want to see Chael vs. Anderson. Anderson is in this position where he feels like the guy is so disrespectful he doesn’t want to give him a shot. But Anderson will end up fighting Chael. The answer is yes.”

After a submission victory at UFC 136, the man with the gift of gab cut a pro-wrestling style promo on the champ, essentially challenging him to a “Loser Leaves Town” fight on Super Bowl weekend. While Sonnen has backed off the stipulations and the fight may not take place the day before the biggest football game of the year, the bout will happen, which is all Sonnen really wanted in the first place.

Following his post-fight victory speech, Silva and his manager Ed Soares were unhappy with Sonnen’s promo and comments about Silva in general. Silva felt disrespected and Soares felt that Chael already had his chance at the title, and should wait back in line.

Sonnen was two minutes away from capturing the UFC middleweight title from Silva at UFC 117, but was caught in a triangle choke in the final round of a fight that he dominated for 23 minutes. Sonnen failed a drug test following the bout and sat on the sidelines for over a year before returning this past October to defeat Brian Stann. Silva has posted two more (T)KO victories since submitting Sonnen to run his winning streak inside the Octagon to fourteen fights.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Silva, who is rehabbing a shoulder injury, has made it known that he doesn’t believe Sonnen deserves a rematch. However, with his most recent comments, Sonnen may just get the match he so desperately wants.

UFC President Dana White has said he wants to make Silva-Sonnen II, possibly on Super Bowl Weekend, but nothing has been confirmed by either White or the UFC.

Sonnen, while being interviewed by FightHype recently, talked about Silva’s lack of acceptance to his loser-leaves-town stipulation he tossed in. Sonnen said if he defeated Silva, Silva would have to leave the 185-pound division. If Silva were victorious, Sonnen said he would leave the UFC.

“Shocked. He comes from a fighting culture,” Sonnen said of Silva’s refusal to take the bout. “I was blown away that he would insult his entire heritage like that. Behind the scenes, I knew he was a coward, but in a million years, I never thought he would show it publicly.”

Carrying on as only he can, Sonnen also called himself the biggest draw in MMA, saying, “I sell more tickets, more pay-per-views, and more merchandise than any fighter in history. Comparing (Georges St. Pierre) to me is like comparing Kimbo (Slice) to (Muhammed) Ali.”

News of Silva’s future will likely come in the next few weeks after Dan Henderson, also a potential contender, fights Mauricio Rua at UFC 139. Additionally, Mark Munoz called Silva out albeit respectfully after his win last Saturday night over Chris Leben.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Silva, the awe-inspiring UFC middleweight champ, is working his way back from a shoulder injury requiring rest and rehab for several months. “The Spider” was last in action defeating Yushin Okami this past summer at UFC Rio.

Ed Soares, Silva’s manager, has made comments about the pound-for-pound king having only three or four fights left before he retires from the sport. Silva, however, denied those claims while appearing on a Brazilian television show recently.

“I’ll fight for another six or seven years and then I’ll stop. I stopped to think about it and I’ll postpone my retirement for a little longer. Then I’ll think about TV,” said Silva (thanks to Tatame for transcribing the television interview).

Silva also discussed the possibility of a rematch with Chael Sonnen, who has made it his life-long goal of getting another shot at Silva.

“He doesn’t deserve to fight me,” Silva plainly stated. “I believe he shouldn’t be in the sport because he has no emotional control. While trying to provoke me, he makes the sport look bad. He made bad comments, offended me and my wife.

Sonnen tried calling out Silva after defeating Brian Stann. The champion, however, has remained mostly quiet in regards to any possible rematch though UFC President Dana White has said he will likely try to get the bout signed.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Sonnen, who defeated Brian Stann at UFC 136, tried to get an answer out of 185-pound champion Anderson Silva following his victory by calling “The Spider” out inside the Octagon. Sonnen issued a challenge for Super Bowl weekend in February, even adding the stipulation that if Silva lost, he had to leave the division, while a defeat by Sonnen would mean his exit from the UFC completely.

To date, Silva has not said anything, making Sonnen even more furious. Silva defeated Sonnen via fifth round submission last year in a championship bout.

“As far as the line, I don’t care. People tell me it shouldn’t be personal, well Jim it is personal. Okay? I’m picking a fight. If he has a problem with it, come do something about it,” said Sonnen, while a guest on the Jim Rome Show yesterday. “What doe he do? He called Dana White and tattled on me. Can you believe that? He told Uncle Dana that I said that and I went too far. Well, maybe I did. Guess what? Let’s get in the Octagon – the people’s forum – and settle this.”

Sonnen made comments concerning Silva’s wife in the lead-up to his bout with Stann. Those statements seem to have struck a nerve with Silva, as Sonnen said he would make her cook him a steak and slap her on the butt.

As for the stipulations Sonnen added, he says those had a time limit and have all-but expired.

“That offer was good when I made it, but it’s like any offer, you know, they’ve got to expire,” Sonnen said. “Apparently, they didn’t work. I’m doing anything I can to lure him out, and yes, I would have absolutely done that.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Ed Soares

Chael Sonnen, who lost to Silva last year in a title fight, is hoping that his name is the next one on a contract for Silva to sign. Soares, however, doesn’t feel Sonnen is deserving of another crack at his fighter because he already had his opportunity. Still, the level of personal jabs that Sonnen has thrown towards the champion makes him a strong contender to the title.

“My opinion is that he (Sonnen) had his chance and tapped, he should go back to the end of the line,” said Soares, in a recent interview with SporTV. “The same thing is true with Vitor Belfort. They’re great fighters, but they had their chance.”

Soares went on to say, “we should recognize that Anderson only has around four fights left in his career.” With that statement, Soares added, “Sonnen would make a big fight, as would Dan Henderson and Georges St-Pierre.”

Many have felt that to complete his legacy, Silva needs to have a super-fight with St-Pierre, the current UFC welterweight title-holder or UFC light heavyweight king Jon Jones. But, with the way Sonnen has fired off shots at Silva, he would also make sense.

“Let’s see what the big boss (Dana White) is going to do,” Soares concluded on the topic.

Nothing has been made official as far as Silva’s next fight, as Sonnen’s challenge was laid down at UFC 136 last weekend for a bout in February on Super Bowl weekend. The Brazilian champion is currently sidelined while recovering from a shoulder injury. No specific timetable has been offered for his return.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

However, things have apparently escalated to an uncomfortable point beyond the simple selling of a scrap.

Earlier today Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, spoke to MMAJunkie where he referred to recent comments made by Sonnen taking aim at the Brazilian’s family and made it clear things have now become personal.

“(Anderson) definitely doesn’t respect him for the things that he’s saying,” Soares explained. “Hyping up the fight is one thing, but I think you cross the line when you start talking about people’s family.”

The statement in question came last week on The MMA Show where he joked about kicking Silva’s door down, “patting his little lady on the ass”, and telling her to make him a steak.

“First the guy gets in trouble for fraud, then he tests positive for steroids, and now he wants to kick in someone’s door and slap their wife in the ass,” Soares asked about Sonnen’s behavior before firing back, “This guy should be in jail; he shouldn’t be fighting.”

Soares also explained he was unsure if Silva would be ready by Super Bowl Weekend – a date requested by Sonnen – and was still in the process of recovering from a shoulder injury.

“Chael is not the person that’s going to determine when (Anderson) is going to take the fight. When he’s going to take this fight is when his shoulder is completely healed up, and he’s ready to start his training camp for the fight. It’s not because Chael says he wants to fight in February. Who is Chael to determine that? Chael needs to take a number and wait his turn. He got his opportunity, and he tapped. It’s not the first time he’s tapped, and I guarantee you it won’t be the last.”

With tension this high four months out from February and the rumored rumble clearly Sonnen vs. Silva II will one of the biggest bouts of 2012 if not the last few years as a whole.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

When Henderson recently re-signed with the UFC talk immediately began on whether or not he might consider dropping to middleweight in hopes of fighting Silva again, a move “Hendo” stated he’d happily make given the chance to avenge the loss.

Now, UFC President Dana White has revealed Henderson would have likely gotten his crack at squashing “The Spider” had the Brazilian been healthy enough to fight again before the end of 2011.

Silva is currently suffering from a shoulder injury, a condition White elaborated on in a discussion with MMAFighting.

“He has bursitis in his shoulder,” White explained. “The doctor told him he needs to rest it for eight weeks, and he’s doing physical therapy. It’s not like he’s got some injury that needs surgery or anything like that. As amazing as this guy is, we forget this guy is 37 years old.”

As far as who Silva will actually face next, White kept his options open stating it would be logical to give the winner of this weekend’s fight at UFC 136 between Sonnen and Brian Stann a shot at the 185-pound king while also stating Henderson was someone worth giving consideration to assuming he beats Mauricio “Shogun” Rua next month at UFC 139.

“We’ll have to see what happens,” White concluded in as non-committal a manner as possible.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Well now, thanks to MMA Instruction Manual: The Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, and Ground Fighting by Silva and Glen Cordoza, you can learn all the tricks of the trade that make “The Spider” one of the greatest fighters of all-time.

This book is broken down into eight parts: Muay Thai Clinch Offense, Muay Thai Clinch Defense, Cage Tactics, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, Attacking The Guard, Fighting off your Back, and Focus Mitt Combinations. The book is a follow up to Silva’s first instruction guida, which focussed mainly on striking.

There are plenty of MMA manuals on the market today so why should you buy this one? Because it’s put together at a high level, provides well explained instructions, and you know the techniques work.

The key to any good instruction manual of this type is pictures, and there are plenty of those in MMA Instruction Manual. Every technique in the book comes with a frame-by-frame breakdown, with multiple angles, featuring Silva and sparring dummy Feijao Cavalcante along with a caption to fully explain what’s going on. It’s almost impossible not to comprehend what is going on in the book and with the techniques because every is laid out in front of you and well explained through the pictures and text.

The biggest reason why I like this book though is because you know these techniques work. Being a student of the game, after I read this book, I actually went back and watched the majority of Silva’s UFC fights. After seeing these techniques and seeing them broken down in pages, it’s amazing to watch them come to life via DVD. The first two parts of the book is Muay Thai techniques, both offensive and defensive. I read the chapter and then fired of Silva’s two bouts against Rich Franklin and watched the techniques being used before my eyes. Had Franklin had this book in 2006, maybe he wouldn’t be part of Silva’s highlight reel.

Obviously this book isn’t going to transform you from a keyboard warrior into a UFC champion overnight, but it’s a step in the right direction. You need to pay close attention to all the little details, really soak in what you’re reading/looking at, and then do a lot of practice with your own sparring dummy. Ask your friend if he wouldn’t mind being kneed and elbowed in the face for awhile by explaining to him that if you guys ever get into a bar fight, you’ll do all the work.

If you’re a MMA fan who is currently training, whether it is just for fun or for sport, then I highly recommend this book. It’s packed with invaluable knowledge from one of, if not the, best fighter in the world and filled with techniques that you know work against the best fighters in the world. Even if you’re just a fan who wants to have a deeper understanding of the technical aspect of the sport then this book is worth picking up.

MMA Instruction Manual is available now in bookstores and online. Check out the video below for a further look at the material…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEtKhy9zHI8[/youtube]

According to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, a long time friend and training partner of Silva’s, “The Spider” will face Okami on August 27 in Rio de Janeiro in hopes of defending his title for the ninth straight time with his Brazilian countrymen bearing witness to the feat.

Nogueira’s statements came via a conversation with Tatame.

If Silva does indeed face Okami at the event it will pit him against the last man to defeat him in the ring, albeit by way of disqualification after the UFC’s middleweight champ rendered his kneeling opponent defenseless with an illegal kick while in his guard. Silva has gone on to win fourteen consecutive fights since the January 2006 loss.

Okami has found success in his last three outings including decision wins over Mark Munoz and Nate Marquardt. He holds an overall record of 26-5 including ten wins and two losses inside the Octagon.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

There are a lot of people who now think we need to see Jon Jones vs. Anderson Silva, but I’m not one of them. Here’s why.

First I think that Jones needs the opportunity to establish himself as his division’s top fighter. The reason a Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre superfight has so much potential is because both fighters are the undisputed kings of their weight classes. As of this writing we’re less than 24 hours into Jones’ title reign. The man needs to worry about defending his belt against a former teammate first. If Jones wins his first defense he should then have another challenger lined up right away, and that brings me to my second point.

The UFC needs to establish some sort of clear pecking order in the light heavyweight division. Right now they’ve got a ton of high-level fighters, all of whom have a win and/or loss against at least one other top guy. If we discount the DQ loss to Matt Hamill (since Jones was clearly winning that fight anyways) we now have a light heavyweight champion who is essentially undefeated. The division has been highly unstable for a number of years now so I for one would welcome “The Jones Era” at 205 lbs.

The last reason I say hold off on Jones vs. Silva is because the man known as “Bones” is still not nearly as well-known as some of the company’s other champions. His stock has risen so fast that he’s still something of an unknown commodity amongst casual fans. Those of us that follow the sport so closely have obviously kept a well-trained eye on Jones since that star-making performance against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94. We know that he’s something truly special so it’s fair to want to see him face that upper echelon of talent right away, but what the UFC needs is for Jones to get a few more main events under his belt.

Let’s be clear here: I’m not saying that I never want to see Jones vs. Silva. It’s clear that the fight has plenty of potential and if I was to make a short list of guys that I think could beat Jones, I would undoubtedly put Silva’s name on there. At this point it’s important to consider each man’s place in his career; Silva has dominated his division for a number of years while Jones has just now taken over as the top dog in his weight class. A superfight between the two would be great for Jones’ career if he wins, but thoroughly devastating if he loses.

Right now Jones vs. Evans is the fight that makes the most sense. In the last week the topic of these two teammates fighting one another has far overshadowed the talk of Jones trying to beat “Shogun.” Dana White has long insisted that training partners will have to fight one another if gold is on the line, and this fight is his chance to finally see that mantra put into effect. This fight has several ready-made storylines in place and if the pre-fight talk turns ugly (as it very well could) then I think there’s a strong chance Jones vs. Evans could be one of the biggest fights of the year. After that there are a number of high-profile light heavyweight fights on the horizon, and with that there are plenty of fresh opponents for the newest UFC champion.

Let Anderson Silva defend his belt. Let’s not dismiss Silva vs. St. Pierre just yet. Give Jones a chance to get comfortable at the top, and maybe we can talk about Jones vs. Silva in a year or two.

Jon Fitch Gives Final Thoughts on UFC 127 Fight with B.J. Penn (MMAFighting.com)

Michael Bisping and Jorge Rivera Share an Intense Staredown at the UFC 127 Presser (CagePotato.com)

A Look at the Top Aussies in MMA (FIGHT! Magazine)

Cub Swanson Out of UFC on Versus 3 Bout (HeavyMMA.com)

Check Out Video of Anderson Silva Sparring with Lyoto Machida (MMAScraps.com)

Fedor Emelianenko Considering Training in Holland (MMAConvert.com)

Phil Baroni Offers Brandon Vera Impression (MiddleEasy.com)

A Look at the UFC 127 Open Workouts (Versus.com

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

With the close of the calendar, Five Ounces of Pain brings you the final segment of our annual awards featuring the general categories fans have come to expect – Submission of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Fight of the Year, and of course Mixed Martial Artist of the Year.

As always, 5 Oz. invites our readers to offer their own opinions in the “Comments” section on who should have taken home the hardware (or in this case digital love). We would not be here without you, and rest assured the Staff not only appreciates your contributions from a “page view” standpoint, but genuinely enjoys reading our community’s take on topics. Have an incredibly fun, albeit safe, New Year’s Eve!

— Submission of the Year —

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen / UFC 117: Though the past twelve months delivered a number of memorable BJJ-based victories, including historic moments like Fabricio Werdum tapping Fedor Emelianenko, as well as unique holds like Phil Davis‘ “Wonderbar”, Anderson Silva‘s submission of Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 stood out as the biggest of the year. There was an incredible amount of hype entering their match-up thanks in large part to Sonnen’s gift of gab and the end result lived up to the expectations that had been created. Sonnen abused Silva unlike any fighter had in the Octagon only to see his hopes of winning the middleweight belt slip away in the final two minutes of the fifth round courtesy of the Brazilian’s perfectly-timed Triangle-Armbar hybrid.

— Knockout of the Year —

Mauricio Rua vs. Lyoto Machida / UFC 113: In their first fight at UFC 104, Mauricio Rua and Lyoto Machida engaged in a human chess match where neither man wanted to make a mistake. After leaving it in the hands of the judges and coming up on the wrong end of a controversial decision, Rua had a different game plan in the rematch at UFC 113. Tasting Machida’s power in their first bout and concluding that he couldn’t be hurt, Rua went after Machida in the rematch and did something that some thought was impossible. He countered the ultimate counter fighter and he hit Machida with a big overhand right as Machida leaped in with his patented left straight. The punch dropped Machida to the mat, where Rua quickly pounced on him and delivered the infamous Chute Box choke while pounding Machida unconscious with right hands. The fight-ending series earned “Shogun” the UFC Light Heavyweight Title and the distinction for Five Ounces’ top knockout of 2010.

— Fight of the Year —

Kazuo Misaki vs. Jorge Santiago II / SRC 14: Our selection for this year’s top fight was a match-up a lot of MMA fans likely missed based on location (Japan) and promotion (Sengoku). However, those who have been fortunate enough to see Jorge Santiago’s SRC middleweight title defense against Kazuo Misaki this past August understand exactly how incredible the bout was. The two respected 185-pounders battled for the bulk of five rounds before Misaki’s corner was forced to throw in a towel to stop things with less than a minute remaining in the fight. However, prior to the stoppage, “The Grabaka Hitman” had controlled a good portion of the early action before being dropped in the third then returning the favor a frame later. The championship clash involved near finishes for both and a spectacular, last-minute ending that likely saved Santiago from losing his belt. It may not have been the highest profile fight of 2010, but it was by all means arguably the best of the bunch.

— Mixed Martial Artist of the Year —

Cain Velasquez. There were plenty of stand-out performers in 2010 but no one rose to super-stardom quite like Cain Velasquez. His journey started at UFC 110 against former PRIDE and UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Even though he had dominated previous competition like Ben Rothwell, Cheick Kongo, Jake O’Brien and other more-forgettable UFC heavyweights, Nogueira was Velasquez’ first true test inside the Octagon. Coming into the fight, many believed Nogueira was back to his old form after displaying his complete array of skills against Randy Couture and that his well-roundedness combined with his experience would give Velasquez more than he could handle. If this was Velasquez’ first real test, he passed with flying colors. Nogueira threw one jab and Velasquez countered with a three punch combination, including a right hook that sent “Big Nog” down to the mat in a heap. A few unanswered punches later and Velasquez had scored his first UFC main event win and a shot at the UFC Heavyweight Title. The “Cain Train” had officially left the station, ready to take out anything in its way.

Enter his next challenge. UFC 121 may have been promoted during “Brocktober,” but the million-plus people that bought UFC 121 saw the former WWE superstar fall victim to a far superior fighter. The UFC promoted this fight as one of the biggest of all time, giving it three weeks of strong promotion with the “UFC Primetime” series going deep into each fighter’s training camp. The UFC knew that Brock Lesnar would draw strong and they took that opportunity to fully introduce their fanbase to the next great Mexican-American sports star. When fight night came around Lesnar came out charging, but Velasquez weathered the early storm to take complete control of the fight. What followed was utter domination and in less than five minutes Velasquez became the UFC Heavyweight Champion, utterly destroying the former champion in such a way that no doubt can be left as to who is the better man. 2010 was an extremely strong year for the heavyweight division and Velasquez led the charge. One year ago he was a strong prospect, and now he’s the top heavyweight fighter in the world.

As expected, Anderson Silva will put his middleweight belt up for grabs against former 205-pound champ Vitor Belfort in the evening’s headlining match-up on February 5 at UFC 126.

“This is a fight I’ve been looking forward to for a while,” Silva said of his upcoming defense against Belfort. “Vitor is a very talented striker and a tough competitor. I am training very hard and I know that the fight could go anywhere, but I expect a standup war. I also want to say that I’m very excited to be fighting in Las Vegas again. I have a lot of fans in Vegas and it’s been a while since I’ve fought there. The fans are always very loud in Las Vegas and I feed off that energy.”

“UFC fans expect big things from us every year for our Super Bowl weekend show, and this year could be our biggest ever,” an equally excited Dana White said. “Silva vs. Belfort is a fight fan’s dream match. It’s a fight people have wanted for years. Don’t blink because both of these guys have dynamite in their hands and can end the night quickly and in very exciting fashion.”

Also slated for action against each other are two of the UFC’s most-popular fighters, as well as former champions in their own right, Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin. Griffin has not fought since his split decision win over Tito Ortiz in November 2009 and will no doubt be anxious to engage with “Ace” once the cage door closes.

In addition to Griffin vs. Franklin, the UFC confirmed another pair of light heavyweights would be facing off at the event – Jon Jones and Ryan Bader. Bader is currently undefeated in thirteen professional appearances, while Jones’ only loss was the result of landing an ultimately meaningless illegal elbow in the process of pounding Matt Hamill out last December and being disqualified. Both are coming off impressive victories, albeit of a different variety. Bader out-pointed Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 119 in September, while Jones has back-to-back first round TKOs over Brandon Vera and Vladimir Matyushenko since the disappointing “DQ” defeat to Hamill.

A previous UFC light heavyweight title-holder, as well as winner of UFC 12’s heavyweight tournament, “The Phenom” had the MMA world at his fingertips in the not-too-distant past but also dealt with the kidnapping/murder of his sister and a positive drug test for PED usage.

Belfort, who seems to have truly evolved into a man defined by life experience, spoke to Tatame about how he is approaching the upcoming bout with Silva, if he’s concerned about not having fought since September 2009, and a number of other topics.

“I’ve been training with Ray Sefo…Rodrigo Artilheriro, a world champion of Muay Thai,” Belfort responded when asked about his preparation for the February 2011 fight. “I’ve been training (at XTreme Couture) and at Tapout’s gym. Everything’s going just fine. Vegas don’t have beaches so I only train here.”

In fact, the Brazilian added he enjoyed living in America so much he plans to stay here for the remainder of his career, saying “I decided to move here because I want to end my career on the United States, where I started it.”

As far as if he feels year-plus of inactivity will affect his showing against Silva, Belfort maintained a positive outlook, stating, “Every rule has its exceptions. I’ve had the opportunity, so I don’t care about the “ifs”. I don’t have this word in my vocabulary.”

Winning a second strap in the UFC, however, has crossed his thoughts on more than one occasion but isn’t his primary source of inspiration in terms of wanting to compete.

“(The belt is) just one of the factors that motivate me,” he explained. “What motivates me the most is being able to perform the work I’ve been doing (well). My expectations are these – they are all about what I can do on that fight. Anderson is very versatile so you can’t have one settled game plan. The important thing is to be prepared for anything because he’s a great fighter.”

“You can get there thinking things will go one way, but it can suddenly change. I know he’s the best in the world, but I can get intimidated by it,” he continued.

The 19-8 Brazilian, who has won his last five bouts, also made sure to address hard-hitting PRIDE icon Wanderlei Silva’s recent statements regarding how great a threat the UFC’s 185-pound champion poses to him as an opponent.

“I don’t think anything. He’s a spectator and he can think whatever he wants to,” he said of “The Axe Murderer”. “If you have a mouth you can say whatever you want, and Wanderlei has a big mouth. But it’s about cheering – everyone can cheer for their favorite – and the important is to be respectful and know how to choose the right words. In February I’ll have my chance for the belt and let’s see how it’ll be.”

Nate Diaz Addresses Steroids as Only He Can (WatchKalibRun.com)

Kyra Gracie Goes Sans Gi for Magazine Cover (MiddleEasy.com)

Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard II Looking Likely for UFC 125 (Heavy.com)

Cooking with Miguel Torres? You Bet! (Versus.com)

M-1 Global Announces Upcoming Scheduled of Title Fights (FIGHT! Magazine)

WEC Contender Anthony Pettis Makes his MTV Debut (MMAScraps.com)

News on Joachim Hansen’s Next Fight (CagePotato.com)

Vitor Belfort Could Be Facing Anderson Silva on Superbowl Weekend (MMAConvert.com)

K-1 World Grand Prix Fighters Gather in Seoul (MMAFighting.com)