UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar

The UFC and Dana White have Anderson Silva to thank for this event. Featherweight champion Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar were supposed to duke it out in the UFC 153 main event, but that bout was scrapped due to injury. Meanwhile, veteran Stephan Bonnar was semi-retired, waiting to fight a big fish in the 205-pound division. That’s where Silva came in. When the UFC called, hoping Silva would take this fight in his native country of Brazil, he didn’t disappoint. Silva will be fighting at light-heavyweight for just the third time in his career but is still set as a huge -1000 favourite at Sports Interaction.

“I want to be able to pay back Brazil the fight that I owe them to have here, so I’m really very pleased to fight with a guy like him, and I hope we can give you all a great show,” Silva told reporters. “I hope this fight will always be standing because it would be a great test for me because he’s a guy who’s never been knocked out, and he’s a great striker.”

Bonnar Likes Underdog Tag

Not many are giving Bonnar much of a chance in this bout, but he’s relishing the opportunity. The 35-year-old does have a two-inch height advantage at 6-foot-4 and promises he won’t back down from the dangerous Silva. “I feel like I’m in a Rocky movie,” Bonnar told reporters. “I’m this huge underdog in his backyard. It’s a huge opportunity. I’m not the guy who always has the best luck but once in a while, big opportunities come along, and I try to take advantage of them.” Bonnar is 17-7 in MMA, including 8-6 in the UFC. Silva heads into the fight at 30-4 lifetime and unbeaten in his 15 UFC bouts.

The Undercard

Make sure you aren’t late to the party Saturday night with Demian Maia squaring off against Rick Story in a solid welterweight battle early in the card. Maia has fought some big names in the UFC (including a win over Chael Sonnen and a title fight loss to Silva), but is looking to reinvent himself after dropping down a weight class. Story has beaten Thiago Alves before and also needs this win in a bad way. However, the hometown crowd will likely give Maia, the -165 favourite, a big boost.

The rematch between Phil Davis and Wagner Prado shouldn’t lack in drama either. The pair fought in August but the fight was called a No Contest when Prado was poked in the eye and couldn’t continue. Now Davis wants to make a statement. “I still look back at the UFC on FOX 4 and I’m like ‘What the heck happened?'” I can’t believe I poked this guy in the eye,” Davis told reporters. “I gotta get back in there and set the record straight.” Davis is set as a -435 favourite.