Silva shines in KO victory at UFC 126

Anderson “The Spider” Silva proved once again why he’s considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, as he knocked out “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort in the first round of their Middleweight Championship bout on Saturday night at UFC 126.

At 1:36 in the first round, Silva unleashed a whipping front-kick that landed with devastating precision on the square of Belfort’s chin. Belfort’s body crumpled to the mat, and Silva was quick to pounce on his fallen opponent with a right and a left to the face for added emphasis. The referee stopped the fight moments later.

“That’s just one of the strikes I was working on,” Silva said. “I was focusing on many different types of strikes and attacks.”

“I want to thank all my trainers through the years who have helped me with all the different disciplines,” the always-humble Silva added after the fight. “Thanks to my coach for teaching me that kick. But everybody should respect Vitor. Before I even started fighting, he was a champion, so he deserves your respect.”

With the win, Silva further solidified his status as “the most dangerous fighter in the world” and has defended his UFC Middleweight Championship a record seven times now. Silva holds the record for most consecutive successful title defenses for any weight class, and also holds the record for longest win streak in UFC history with 13 victories. 

“Anderson is a very good fighter,” said Belfort, who had never been knocked out in his career before. “I was waiting and doing my thing, but I got caught. That’s why [he’s a champion]. He faked to the body and kicked to the head. He’s a great fighter.”

In the night’s co-headliner, two fan-favorites and two former champions faced off for the first time as Rich “Ace” Franklin moved up in weight to take on light-heavyweight contender Forrest Griffin. Although the fight didn’t provide the fireworks that many had expected, Griffin looked solid, as he out-worked Franklin for a unanimous three-round decision victory. Griffin was able to score a few takedowns, land most of the big shots, and control the fight’s overall pace.

“[I felt] rusty,” said Griffin, who was returning to the octagon after a year lay-off. “It’s great to be back, obviously. I wanted to win, and I was so nervous. My camp didn’t go right, but I feel good now.”

“It’s hard to come back after a year without people going game speed, let alone [against] a southpaw who’s quicker than me,” Griffin said. “Fortunately, I was able to get him down in the first round and grind him down a little bit, so I felt like I had built up a little lead.”

In another much-anticipated bout, Jon “Bones” Jones passed the biggest test of his young career, as he conquered the undefeated Ryan Bader at 4:21 in the second round. Jones looked dominant as he smothered Bader on the ground and used his length to his advantage, eventually locking in a tight guillotine choke to end the fight.

Jones’ record improves to 11-1 overall, although most observers consider him undefeated, as his only loss came from a controversial disqualification back in 2009. Jones will now face light-heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rau at UFC 128 in March. 

“I feel so confident every time I get in here,” Jones said. “I feel it’s my time, and I’m hungry. I’m going for it.” ?