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Chael Sonnen Batters Wanderlei Silva for Grudge Match Victory (Bellator NYC Results)

Chael Sonnen Batters Wanderlei Silva for Grudge Match Victory (Bellator NYC Results)

Chalk one more in the win column for the bad guy.

The score may not be settled, but Chael Sonnen dominated Wanderlei Silva for the win at Bellator NYC on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

This fight was a grudge match, plain and simple. Sonnen and Silva have bad blood that spills across years of run-ins and the crumbling of their initial match-up, which had been planned to take place when both fought under the UFC banner.

Sonnen wasted no time shooting and planting Silva on his back, where he spent the next couple minutes issuing a steady diet of ground and pound, smothering silva with punches and elbows.

Silva eventually pushed Sonnen off and returned to his feet. Shortly thereafter, he dropped Sonnen with a right hand. Silva followed Sonnen to the canvas, landing in his guard, but Sonnen quickly shrimped out and returned to his feet. He then immediately drove Silva back to the canvas and ground and pounded him for the final minute of the round.

The second frame was all Sonnen’s. He opened with a jumping knee and a left hand that rocked Silva before again taking the fight to the floor. Silva locked him up in a guillotine as they hit the canvas, but it was primarily an attempt to nullify Sonnen and rest, not really an attempt to submit him.

The referee eventually stood them up for a lack of action, but Sonnen immediately shot and took Silva down again, where he kept him for the remainder of the round, grounding and pounding.

Sonnen again wasted no time slamming Silva on his back again in the closing round, where he remained for the final minutes of the fight. Sonnen made a couple attempts to secure a Kimura, but continued to feed Silva a steady diet of punches and elbows until the final bell.

RELATED > Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva Live Results and Fight Stats

It was a dominant performance by Sonnen, although Silva appeared to be frustrated that Sonnen ground out a win instead of standing and banging with him.

Silva stalked around the cage, muttering and throwing his arms in the air, and even walked past Sonnen and shoved him as Sonnen was doing his post-fight interview, trying to goad Fedor Emelianenko into a future fight.

No matter what Silva thought of Sonnen’s strategy, however, it was an effective one. It was one that left Silva with lumps all over his face and Sonnen’s hand held aloft.

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