MMA Junkie reports, via USA Today, that Anderson Silva has stepped into the UFC 153 main event and will face Stephan Bonnar. The fight will take place at 205 pounds and will be a three round main event.
Silva had indicated that he would fight at UFC 151 and now gets the call to replace the Jose Aldo-Frankie Edgar main event in Rio di Janeiro, Brazil. He is given Stephan Bonnar in a fight that seems more like an exhibition than an actual competitive bout.
Also added to the card is Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera facing Dave Herman and Glover Texeira gets a replacement in Fabio Maldonado.
Payout Perspective:
The addition of Anderson Silva should appease the local fans and some PPV buyers but the actual match does not make sense. The UFC could chalk up the Bonnar addition to a lack of able bodies willing to fight Silva. Or, Silva choosing to fight Bonnar. Silva will not have to cut weight (or as much weight since it’s at 205) and the main event will only be three rounds which should make up for any shortening in training camp. It was originally planned that Silva would not fight until 2013 when a fight with GSP was thought to be next. However, the booking of Silva for this card makes sense. Just not the matchup. It will be interesting to see how the addition of Silva will help the attendance and PPV buys.
Complete doody. UFC is scrambling. I bet Silva gets paid more to take the fight on short notice and be in Dana’s good graces than the UFC will net on total buys for the fight….
This is just the UFC trying to put ANYTHING out there… Dana’s serving Stephan to the lions. Stephan already wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box… just wait till Silva scrambles his brains some more.
This is going to be a better fight than people think. Speed will be an issue but if Bonner can adjust early he has the tools to beat Silva. He has never been KOed or submitted and he has a good chance to grind Silva against the cage and get him down. It will be very hard for him to win but I expect it to be competitive.
What a joke of a main event. Bonner has no chance and does not deserve it. This is a fight they would make in boxing, a champ vs a guy that has no shot.
Garbage fight.
The spin is going to be strong to sell this dog shit, wasn’t it just a little while ago that people were calling for Bonnar to retire?
I think Stephan will pull a Vera and do much better than expected, yet still lose. I won’t be spending money on it however.
We’re only going to get so many more opportunities to see Silva compete; I’ll buy it. It’s not a bad card overall, and I saved that money that was supposed to go towards 151.
GARBAGE. BASURA. However you want to call it.
The equivalent of Pacquiao-Mosley
Picture a bloody Bonnar raising Silva’s hand in gratitude after this bout is over. MMA Expert analyzes the fight http://www.chewthedirt.com/fight-weekend-ufc-153-silva-vs-bonnar/ . Let’s hope for a hell of a bout