Hi fight fans, welcome to Inside Fights’ exclusive coverage of UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen II. In the main event of tonight’s show, UFC Middleweight champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva faces off against his heated rival Chael Sonnen. Can Sonnen finish what he started at UFC 117 and take the strap from the greatest fighter of all-time?
Also on the card, Tito Ortiz fights former The Ultimate Fighter winner Forrest Griffin in his final battle and Cung Le faces off against Patrick Cote.
Our live coverage begins with the UFC on FX preliminaries at 8 PM before the main card PPV begins at 10 PM ET.
Main Card (Live on PPV)
Anderson Silva (c) vs Chael Sonnen
Round 1 – Sonnen walks through early wild punches by Silva and hits the power double. Good ground and pound by the challenger. Chael begins to walk him to the cage. Sonnen into half guard. Silva is controlling the posture of Sonnen. Loud “USA” chants from the crowd. Knees to the body from Chael Sonnen. Anderson Silva forces Chael to miss and works for a submission that never happens. Hard punches to the face of Anderson Silva. Full mount from Chael Sonnen. Big elbows from the challenger. Dropping his chest onto Silva, Sonnen looks to ride the champ to exhaustion. 10-9 Sonnen
Round 2 – Sonnen pushes forward and clinches with the champ, pressing him to the fence. Great takedown defense displayed by Silva. Knees to the body from Sonnen. Big left connects on the jaw of Anderson Silva. A spinning backfist from Sonnen misses and he slips to the mat. Big knee to the body from Silva. Sonnen down to the mat and eating hammerfists. Sonnen back to his feet, but he collapses and eats more blows before Yves Lavigne steps in to stop the bout.
Winner: Anderson Silva by TKO (R2, strikes, 1:55)
Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz
Round 1 – Head kick from Griffin is blocked early. Leg kicks have already begun from Griffin. Tito shoots in and gets takedown into Forrest’s guard. Butterfly guard gets Griffin back to his feet. Ortiz is eating combinations on his feet as Griffin presses the case. Tito misses with a kick high. Three punch combo from Griffin. Tito shoots from a distance, but Griffin stuffs it. Griffin is picking Ortiz apart. Wild right hook misses from Ortiz. Superman is faked into a two punch combo from Forrest. Good takedown by Ortiz to end the round. 10-9 Griffin
Round 2 – Big right from Tito puts Forrest stumbling backward. He had just landed a good combination and left himself exposed. Both men swing wildly hoping to finish the fight or get out of danger. The two fighters continue to circle and trade blows. Head kick blocked from Forrest. Unchecked leg kicks from Forrest and Tito eats a body shot. Big punches from Forrest land clean. Tito is a step too slow right now and looks to have spent his energy again. High kick is blocked by Tito. Right hand lands on the jaw for Forrest. He’s picking Ortiz apart and then stepping away from danger. In the center of the cage, Forrest stuffs a takedown as the round ends. 10-9 Griffin
Round 3 – Leg kick from Forrest Griffin lands early. Forrest shows off an array of strikes that don’t land. Big left drops Forrest, but he rolls through and to his feet. Tito into Forrest’s guard and trying to get into position to ground and pound. Griffin gets back to his feet after nearly two minutes on the mat. Tito looks up at the clock as he eats some shots to the body. Big right hand from Tito. Punches in bunches from Griffin and both fighters swing out as the fight draws to a close. 10-9 Griffin and 30-27 Griffin
Winner: Forrest Griffin by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Cung Le vs Patrick Côté
Round 1 – Cote has his kick caught to start and he is swept to his back, but he’s up quick. Head kick from Le is blocked. Body kick from Le lands. Cote comes forward and is trying to exploit holes in Le’s defense. Body kicks are exchanged. Head kick from Le is again blocked. Right hand from Cote is answered by a right hand. Side kick from Le. Left hand lands for Le. Another front leg side kick from Le to get space. Cote and Le show a sign of respect as Cote faked a spin. The round ends with Cote pursuing but Le landing the significant blows. 10-9 Le
Round 2 – Spinning wheel kick from Le is blocked. Le goes for a hopping sidekick. Cote goes for a combination that tags Le. Clinch that is quickly broken. Cung Le and Cote are both bleeding now. Left hand and spinning body kick. Left kick, right hook connects for Cung Le twice. Patrick Cote marches forward and brawls with Cung Le. Front kick to the body and right hand from Le. Knee to the body and right hand from Le. Cote ties up in the clinch and wants the knee, but Le spins him around to the fence. Still in the clinch now, these two warriors walk around the cage while Cote levels uppercuts to the body. Cote with a flying front kick that goes wild as the round ends. 10-9 Le
Round 3 – Left high kick is blocked by Cote. Accidental groin kick by Le leads to a short stoppage, but Cote wants to get going immediately. Cote gets Cung Le against the fence with 4 minutes to go in the round. Spinning backfist from Cote just misses. Another high kick from Le is blocked. Spinning body kick from Le. Cote grabs Le and gets him against the cage. Trip takedown from Le, but Cote is right back up. Cote grabs the leg of Cung Le but he isn’t able to pull him down and watches his opponent bounce around the cage. Two right hands find a home from Le. Cote begins swinging wildly and these clinches lead to a takedown by Le. Cote gets back to guard but cannot get anything going and the round ends. 10-9 Le and 30-27 Le
Winner: Cung Le by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Dong Hyun Kim vs Demian Maia
Round 1 – Maia grabs Hyun Kim’s legs early and eats hammerfists and elbows. Maia is working for the takedown and gets one into mount. Hyun Kim must have verbally quit as Demian Maia stands up victorious as Mario Yamasaki waves the fight off.
Winner: Demian Maia by TKO (R1, injury, 0:47)
Chad Mendes vs Cody McKenzie
Round 1 – Chad Mendes closes the distance quickly and will be using speed to win the fight. McKenzie throws two big kicks over the top and the third is caught and Mendes punches him in the body hard. Five more headshots and the fight is called. Chad Mendes pulled it off quickly.
Winner: Chad Mendes by TKO (R1, punches, 0:31)
Ivan Menjivar vs. Mike Easton
Round 1 – Big right hand from Menjivar misses wildly. Big combo by Easton after a shot from Menjivar. Big right from Menjivar and it’s followed by two more punches from Easton. Three punches miss from Easton. Head kick from Menjivar is blocked. High kick from Easton pushes Menjivar backwards. Spinning back kick to the leg from Menjivar…two times. Easton tries to reply with a spin kick high. Fake spin by Menjivar and a leg kick instead. Superman punch misses from Easton. Each fighter gets in with one. The Hulk shoots for a takedown with seconds left, but Ivan Menjivar fights it off against the fence. 10-9 Menjivar
Round 2 – High kick from Menjivar is blocked. Menjivar coming forward with a wild right that misses. Inside leg kick from Menjivar but it’s countered right away by Easton. Left hook lands against the fence for Eason. Spinning back leg kick from Menjivar. Easton goes for a kick, but it is caught by Menjivar and he eats a shot to the leg. Head kick by Menjivar – two times. Not a lot of strikes landing but Easton continues to walk Menjivar around the cage. Body shot from Menjivar lands, so Easton lands one of his own. Flying knee by Easton followed by a leg kick to end the round. 10-9 Easton
Round 3 – Leg kick from Easton, but both fighters are now beginning to really loosen up with their striking. Brief clinch in the center of the cage, but the fighters both separate. Head kick from Menjivar is blocked. Big right hand over the top misses wildly from Easton. Easton fires a big punch to the ribs and it lands. Body kick from Menjivar and Easton’s headkick leads to a telegraphed spinning kick that Easton walks through and gets a takedown into guard. After some quick ground and pound, Menjivar pops free. Big left from Easton connects. Menjivar lands a shot to the body but eats a hook on the way out. Easton lands a one-two to the body. Easton misses a flying roundhouse kick, but ends up on his butt. The fight ends with both fighters just waiting the clock out. 10-9 Easton and 29-28 Easton
Winner: Mike Easton by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Preliminary Card on FX
Melvin Guillard vs Fabrício Camões
Round 1 – Guillard lands with a leg kick early. Left hand connects for Guillard as Camoes shoots in. Left hand counter lands for Camoes. Camoes gets a leg and works Guillard to the mat, but he pops up quickly. Body kick from Camoes is caught and Guillard lands punches before dumping Camoes. Camoes back up and he gets taken down into mount. Guillard and Camoes scramble on the mat and Melvin Guillard ends up mounted by Camoes. Excellent patience by Guillard sees him get out of a very dangerous situation. Spinning kick by Camoes is countered by a shot that drops him as he comes in. Guillard lands short elbows to end the round. 10-9 Camoes
Round 2 – Guillard lands with a lead left. Big right hand misses from Melvin Guillard. Both fighters continue to stand in front of one another, looking for that big opening. Camoes lands two good left hands as Melvin moves in. Spin kick misses from Camoes. Camoes takes the single leg and the two fighters roll down and through to the initial position on their feet. Both fighters shake out their limbs. Big chants for the Brazilian who gets double underhooks and gets a trip takedown. Spinning back elbow misses once they are back to their feet. Guillard dives on top and hammers on Camoes to end the round. 10-9 Guillard
Round 3 – Big “USA” chant breaks out at the arena. Front kick from Camoes clips Guillard. Left hand lands twice for Guillard. Leg kick from camoes is met with a punch from “The Young Assassin”. Guillard avoids another front kick and is measuring for a big shot. Body shot from Guillard. Leg kick from Camoes. Three punch combo from Guillard. Camoes shoots for a takedown, but Guillard slips free. Camoes shoots again and gets Guillard and tries for a leg lock. Guillard wrestles for wrist control to end the fight. 10-9 Guillard and 29-28 Guillard
Winner: Melvin Guillard by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Gleison Tibau vs Khabib Nurmagomedov
Round 1 – Looping left misses from Tibau. Head kick from Khabib is blocked. Nurmagomedov goes for the takedown and gets Tibau over to the cage. Two big punches miss wildly from Khabib and he presses Tibau to the cage. The fighters are separated and they resume striking. Big right from Khabib. The round ends after much dominance from the Russian, but with little action. Is that possible? 10-9 Nurmagomedov
Round 2 – High kick is taken on the forearm of Nurmagomedov. Big hook from Tibau lands cleanly. Khabib looks for the takedown and gets Gleison Tibau to the fence on his feet. Leg kick is countered with a shot from Tibau. Takedown attempt by Tibau, but Khabib steers clear. Nurmagomedov grabs the right leg of Tibau and is trying for his first takedown. Mario Yamasaki separates the two and Tibau slips a strike and counters with his own. Left hook misses from Nurmagomedov. Jumping front kick from Khabib and a hook against the cage to end this stanza. 10-9 Tibau
Round 3 – Two strikes miss from Nurmagomedov. Tibau eats a big wild left from Khabib. Nurmagomedov holds Tibau tight to the cage but is unable to get the takedown. On the exit, there’s a good right hand from Khabib. Tibau outmuscles Khabib and takes his back for a moment before Nurmagomedov gets back to his feet. Warning against the cage from Yamasaki as Nurmagomedov continues to grab the fence. Nurmagomedov is just too rudimentary with his striking as when he isn’t swinging wildly, he’s leaving himself open for shots. A good striker would have torn him apart, but instead, he was beaten by takedown defense. 10-9 Tibau and 29-28 Tibau
Winner: Khabib Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Allow me to say…WHAT?!?!?!?!?
Constantinos Philippou vs Riki Fukuda
Round 1 – Both fights circle and size one another up early on. Left hand finds a home for Fukuda and follows it with a great takedown that finds Philippou against the cage on his knees. Big right misses by Philippou. Good combination by Philippou gets Fukuda moving backward. Lots of short punches and a big left from Costa. Head kick is blocked by Fukuda. Inside leg kick lands for Fukuda – big, nasty slap. To end the round, both men are looking to gain points and make the second stanza. 10-9 Philippou
Round 2 – Early work by both fighters sees Philippou get his leg taken by Fukuda, who now has Philippou against the cage. Good punches from Costa to get free. Back in the center of the cage, Riki Fukuda lands two good leg kicks. Left hand from Fukuda, but Philippou opens up on Fukuda. Body kick lands multiple times by Fukuda. Inside leg kick lands on the cup of Philippou and earns a restart for the Long Island-based fighter. Leg kick is countered by a right hand from Philippou. Philippou tries to get some points as the round ends. 10-9 Fukuda
Round 3 – Lunging left hook connects for Fukuda and he uses it to set up a takedown attempt. Good exchange by both fighters in the center of the Octagon. Single leg takedown attempt by Fukuda is stuffed. Philippou walks through a strike by Fukuda and lands two of his own. Poke to the eye on Philipou and it’s bad. He is screaming in pain. The doctor comes in to check on him, but says he’s fine. An accidental groin kick on Philippou is walked straight through. He’s on fire now. Swinging until the finish and it’s razor thin. 10-9 Philippou and 29-28 Philippou
Winner: Costa Philippou by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
John Alessio vs. Shane Roller
Round 1 – Alessio comes forward but doesn’t connect after a solid leg kick. Alessio again comes forward, but as Roller fakes a takedown, Roller lights him up with two solid hooks. Accidental kick to the groin on Alessio gets a stoppage from the ref. On the replay, you see just how painful the shot was. On the restart, Alessio comes forward. Good striking from Alessio, who is working around the guard of Roller. Roller shoots for a takedown but Alessio spins free. Alessio and Roller engage in a solid exchange before Alessio gets Roller against the fence. Big body punches and a knee to the body of Roller before Alessio lets go. Great exchange from each fighter but Roller is dropped and has to clinch to end the round. 10-9 Alessio
Round 2 – Takedown from Alessio, but Roller grabs the guillotine. Alessio scrambles free and is now being pressed hard against the fence. Big slam to the mat into the guard of John Alessio. Roller has his wrists controlled while in the top position. He can’t get a submission locked in – he’s searching for a D’Arce it appears. Alessio tries to get back to his feet and is swarmed by Roller, who gets both hooks in while on the back. Both men end up seated with Roller’s back against the cage as the round ends. 10-9 Roller
Round 3 – Alessio comes out on fire and uncorks 10 shots, one uppercut in particular really phases Roller. Alessio gets taken to the mat by Roller who had quickly recovered from the early onslaught and gets some ground and pound on the mat. Roller continues to work for the takedown and gets it, but Alessio doesn’t give up both his back. Alessio gets back to his feet after a long period of grappling (and trash talk, as he asked Roller if he “wants to ride him” instead of fighting) and is able to level some long shots on the grounded Roller as the round ends. 10-9 Roller and 29-28 Roller
Winner: Shane Roller by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Rafaello Oliveira defeated Yoislandy Izquierdo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
