UFC 148: A Show Worthy of Greatness

Added by Joseph Lisnow on July 2, 2012.

Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffen will be one of two major attractions at UFC 148.

The top two matches at UFC 148 may make this the most watched and eventful show for the company. The biggest rematch in UFC history tops the card and audiences will witness at least one historic career come to a close in the co-main event.

In the main event, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva puts his title on the line when he takes on Chael Sonnen in a rematch from UFC 117. Since stepping into the Octagon, Silva has destroyed all 14 fighters in his way. Silva holds numerous records that include: most consecutive title defenses at nine, most successful title defenses at nine, most consecutive wins in the UFC at 14 and holds the longest UFC title reign.

Nobody has come close to ending the unprecedented reign of Silva, expect for Sonnen. In their first encounter, Sonnen clearly won the first four rounds as he entered the final round relentlessly striking the champion. He continued to dominate with less than two minutes to go. History was about to made when Silva proved why he is the pound-for-pound greatest fighter in MMA when he locked Sonnen in a triangle armbar for the submission victory out of nowhere.

Since the fight, Sonnen has taunted Silva for a rematch. He has made fun of Silva, his family and home country of Brazil. Silva, who has always kept his cool, has had enough apparently. In a recent interview he said that he was going break Sonnen’s bones and beat him like his parents should have. This fight is about the championship, but it’s now become personal.

If Silva wins, then he may have to retire with the championship as there is nobody in the division who can defeat him. Sonnen is the only person who has a chance. Come the fight, one of two things will happen. Sonnen and his trash talking will throw Silva off his game enough as a new champion is crowned. Or Silva will pummel Sonnen for five straight rounds to overcome his frustration and prove that their last encounter was a fluke.

In the co-main event, Forrest Griffen and Tito Ortiz will end their trilogy. They each have a win over the other via split decision. Going into the fight, Ortiz will have just been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and has said this fight is his last. In an article from UFC.com Griffen made the cryptic statement, “If I lose to Tito, I’m going to retire from life…seriously.”

Griffen is a fantastic fighter to watch and many have wondered if his time is up. His biggest problem is that when he fights, he kicks it into the next gear after taking some serious blows. He gets pumped-up when he starts to get beat on and that’s when he becomes dangerous. To fight like that will surely shorten a career.

Ortiz stated recently he wouldn’t be surprised if Griffen called it a career after this fight. Based off their previous two fights against each other, this one is a tossup. Since Ortiz knows this is will be his last fight in the UFC, he will leave everything inside that Octagon and at the same time Griffen obviously doesn’t want to lose. Ortiz has only two more fights then Griffen throwing experience out the window, so this may come down to age. Griffen wins here, but Ortiz will not make it an easy one for him.

Two of the biggest and most important fights are less than a week away. July 7, will be a night UFC fans won’t soon forget. Going into the fights there are so many questions. Will Silva’s unprecedented championship reign continue? Can Sonnen repeat his previous performance and win the championship this time around? Does Ortiz retire with a win? Does Griffen call it a career too? All of these questions will hopefully be answered in the most talked about show in recent memory.

Check back Sunday morning, July 8, for the fallout of UFC 148.