Arguably the biggest MMA fight of the year takes place tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Middleweight champion Anderson Silva squares off against Chael Sonnen in a much-anticipated rematch in UFC 148.
In their first fight, on Aug. 7, 2010, Sonnen dominated the first four rounds but was submitted by Silva’s triangle armbar in the fifth and final round. Although he lost, Sonnen has been boasting for the past two years that he’s the “people’s champ” and that the Brazilian-born Silva has been avoiding a rematch. Taking trash talking to a new level, Sonnen even bashed the people of Brazil and went after Silva’s wife. “You tell Anderson Silva I’m coming over and I’m kicking down his back door and patting his little lady on the [butt], and I’m telling her to make me a steak, medium-rare, just how I like it,” he said.
Not previously known to retaliate with words, Silva has vowed to cause so much bodily harm to Sonnen that he will have to be carried out of the ring.

We recently caught up with Sonnen at the Ultimate Fighter gym in Las Vegas to get a firsthand account of his dislike for Silva. Video below.[brightcove video=”1423672030001″ /] Saturday night’s card will also include the third fight between former lightweight champions Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz. Ortiz took the first bout in 2006. Griffin won the rematch in 2009. This will be the last fight for Ortiz after a 15-year career.
UFC 148 will start with the preliminary card at 8 p.m. EDT on FX, followed by the main event on pay-per-view at 10 p.m.