Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar To Headline UFC 153

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Photo via The Underground [MMA.tv]

After UFC 153 lost it’s main event between featherweight champion Jose Aldo and former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar as well as the co-main event between mixed martial arts legend Rampage Jackson and top light-heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira, the organization needed someone to step up in a big way.

The UFC got just that when middleweight champion Anderson Silva agreed to step in and save the card in his home country of Brazil. Silva will jump up to 205-pounds to take on veteran Stephan Bonnar who was in one of the most influential fights in the sports history along with Forrest Griffin.

Along with the Silva – Bonnar addition, Teixeira will remain on the fight card and will meet fellow Brazilian Fabio Maldonado.

Another Brazilian legend, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has stepped up to help the card on short notice and will face one of the sports best young heavyweights Ed Herman on the night’s pay-per-view. UFC president Dana White confirmed the matchups.

We’re back on track,” White told MMAjunkie.com. “Anderson Silva wasn’t scheduled to fight at all. I called him today, and he’s shooting a commercial in Brazil. Anderson Silva steps up, and Stephan Bonnar wants to fight him. The Teixeira vs. Maldonado fight comes together, and then Nogueira was standing right there with Anderson shooting the commercial with him, and he said he wanted to fight, too.

“This is old-school UFC. A card is in jeopardy, but guys that are world champions and superstars stepped up and jumped in and saved the card. This is why the fans love this sport and why we went on a 12-year run without canceling an event.”

The UFC 153 pay-per-view will now feature six bouts on the main card.

Anderson Silva has previously dabbled in the 205-pound division with impressive first-round knockouts of James Irvin and Forrest Griffin. Bonnar will be his third fight in the division and will try to avoid the seemingly certain first-round finish. Props to both Silva and Bonnar for stepping up to take this fight on short notice and showing the true heart of a warrior — unlike a certain UFC champion who single-handedly got a card cancelled by declining a fight.