Silva retains title at UFC 97

Silva retains title at UFC 97
Rua KOs Liddell in one!

In the main event of UFC 97, middleweight champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva soundly defeated challenger Thales Leites after five uneventful and bizarre rounds, via unanimous decision. The opening round saw almost no action until the final minute when Silva swept Leites to the mat. Round two was controlled by the challenger Leites after he scored a quick takedown and controlled Silva from the top position. Round three was full of frustration for both champion and challenger as neither Leites nor Silva could muster any effective offense. Round four was one of the most bizarre in recent memory as Silva spent the larger portion of the round dancing and taunting his opponent as well as throwing punches to the legs of Leites. The final round saw Silva continue to avoid damage until the final bell sounded. Judges’ scorecards read 49-46, 48-47 and 50-46

In the main co-feature of the evening former PrideFC standout Mauricio “Shogun” Rua returned to championship form by knocking out “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell with a left hook to the chin at 4:28 of the opening round. Though Rua finished the fight with strikes on the ground, Liddell was stiffened before he hit the floor.continue>>>