Just because he’s one of the biggest underdogs in Ultimate Fighting Championship history, doesn’t mean Stephan Bonnar is simply going to roll over and allow Anderson Silva to dismantle him at UFC 153, as so many are predicting.
When the UFC returns to Rio on Saturday, Bonnar will bring everything he has and look to make history and become the first fighter to defeat Silva in the Octagon.
“I’m going in there to fight him, not to just go in there and think it was cool to share an Octagon with Anderson Silva,” Bonnar told the UFC. “I’m going to give everything, fight my heart out, like I did in the fight with Forrest Griffin (in 2005) which changed the sport. That’s what I bring to the cage that Anderson maybe hasn’t seen too many times in his career. I’ve got to give him a fight, I’m got to get him on the back foot, rough him up, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Silva and Bonnar stepped up on short notice to headline a UFC 153 card that was ravaged by injuries. Silva’s regular weight class is middleweight but this fight will be contested at 205 pounds, Bonnar’s natural division.
Bonnar has never been knocked out or submitted in his 11-year mixed martial arts career and believes his experience fighting bigger men will impact the fight.
“I’ve been hit by bigger, stronger guys and never been stopped,” Bonnar explained. “I mean, look at every fight I’ve ever had — I’ve been hit with lots of big shots but I get up and keep coming. Anderson is so damn good, but no-one has ever walked through me and I will keep coming at him no matter what he throws my way.”
Silva is used to the majority of his opponents being slightly tentative against him but the 35-year-old Bonnar is one of the most aggressive light-heavyweights in UFC history and the numbers back it up.
According to FightMetric, the American has landed the third-most strikes in the UFC’s 205-pound division. Only Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin have landed more than Bonnar.
He also has the fourth best takedown accuracy in the division at 44.7 per cent and has attempted to finish fights with submissions more than any fighter in light-heavyweight history besides Renato Sobral.
“I get in there any go after it,” Bonnar said. “I don’t stall, I don’t get stood up (due to inactivity), I go out there any put it on my opponent and I am going to give Anderson Silva hell.
“Very rarely in life does a great opportunity come along for anyone. Getting the biggest shot of my career, when I had sort of retired, is kinda the story of my life. I’ve never really had the best of luck in my career. I’ve not had everything really fall into place for me. But now it really feels like all the stars are aligning just like it did on that magical night for the UFC back in 2005 when I fought Forrest Griffin for the first time.”
UFC 153 also features Brazilian heavyweight icon Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira taking on Dave Herman, Glover Teixeira facing Fabio Maldonado, and rising star Erick Silva meeting veteran Jon Fitch.
Preliminary fights will be available to watch on Sportsnet and sportsnet.ca on Saturday.
