Dana White Looks Back on UFC 117, Calls Main Event 'Legendary'

[@Cas_anova]

When he said thank you buddy at the end to Ariel.. How things have changed... haha

[@chrissalim2288]

It's kind of depressing too lol... I like both guys... Ariel asked all the questions people want to know and Dana will answer them with no issues... But its hard not to be on Dana's side with the issue. As long as Ariel has covered the sport he knew better than to leak Brock Lesnar's return at UFC 200! All he had to do to keep his pass was reach out to Dana and ask him "when can i leak this"... silly move by Ariel for ONE breaking news story.

[@xxlk969xx7]

Bring back this Dana

[@diggles27]

Great interview and questions. I really like how honest and open Dana is.

[@MMA4ALL7]

miss this good old days 😭😭

[@jimijackson]

i love how real dana is. good on him for running the comp the way he does.

[@EPB3]

One of the best fights ever! Sonnen did way better than I expected and proved/did what he said he would do;except retire Silva and walk out champ haha,but nonetheless it just goes to show the fight is never over until Ko'ed,Tko'ed,Submitted,or the bell rings. Great fight, much respect to Sonnen and Silva for hanging in there.Can't wait for Dana to annouce the date of the rematch. Sonnen deserves it;hope he wins.

[@niteynite]

Is it just me, or was that one hell of an interview? If this is how it's going down, Ariel...I'm subscribing.

[@Pops007h]

Saw UFC 117 at freaking Buffalo Wild Wings and man the place freaking exploded at the end of that match. There was a lot of energy and people cheering and aruing over the decision. Hell of a fight card and I was rooting for Chael and mad respect to him.

[@coal1987]

"no way! we'll never fight each other. we love each other"

[@Ashurst]

You the MMAn Ariel. Great interviews after these events! S'ashame the GSP V SIlva fight looks at least a year away.

[@Thebonesoftrees]

this guy does some of the best interviews in mma, good vid

[@meknewxenu]

great interview as always, hands down you are the best journalist/reporter in MMA. It was a great event.

[@772ggb]

i like the fact that dana stays and talks about everything and he doesn't mind how long the interview takes...

[@SeNs3NoEviL]

Im glad that Dana finally said that there is some wrestlers out there that will try to grind the fight out and not finish it(Jon Fitch, GSP, Jake Shields, Rashad Evans, Koscheck). Sonnen was not one of those tonight he was a Wrestler like Brock Lesnar that used his skills to try to finish the fight and not just to get a decision and I respect him for that.

[@DeyCudiakaDeyLethal]

While everyone was busy doubting Sonnen he kicked Anderson's overrated ass anderson got lucky with the triangle choke after getting his ass handed to him the whole fuckin fight!

[@pizzaface850]

@youlance29 240 strikes doesn't mean anything if they don't any damage. anderson said he had bad ribs coming into the fight, hurting it during his training. his "ground domination" does not count because silva's submission canceled it out.

[@JacksInn]

People who take one side while cursing out the other fighter are idiots. That fight was fucking amazing. Chael gave 100%. He's tough as hell, and he didn't take it slow for a minute. Silva persevered throughout the entire ground game, managed to keep himself from getting battered to submission, while looking and reserving some of his strength for any moment of weakness. Cheal took him to the ground, Silva fought him on the ground and won. Great fight. I want a fucking rematch.

[@Yuspliff]

every time i see a new interview shown i get all excited! your the man ariel!!

[@HoneyIEducatedTheWeb]

@dbzbabe58 Yes. Silva loosened his hold on Chael when he felt the tap, but maintained a lesser hold on his arm when Chael continued the fight.

[@mrxracing]

Wow! Dana was kinda calm during that interview. He made it most of the way through without getting bleeped :)

[@crimen]

i was a chael sonnen hater..but chael EARNED RESPECT last night, dana is right he dint try to stall, or lay n pray for a win...he put it all on the line, and i am now a fan.

[@1exotic]

best card I've seen in a long time.

[@Gus589]

I was checking the buy rate for these events and some of them are astounding. the funny thing is that in boxing even if the buyrate is around 300,000 to 400,000, they still get a good amount of money. in UFC no one even gets close to a million dollars unless your brock lesnar, no matter how much the buy rate is.

[@ThaBlackSoldier56]

Anderson Silva has always been knwon as a dominating fighter, they know he is the best. But after last night, he showed more. Heart and determination. This fight, in the end, submitted Silva into legendary status

[@BigboyDownStairs]

I live in london, england and im glad i stay up til' 5am to watch the fight... great fight!

[@JustOneMorgan]

@ThePintoAce Yeah probably. Just last night also. People were booing Sonnen and cheering Silva as the fight started up, but once Sonnen started to dominate, it was mostly USA USA and Sonnen chants. I however was one of the ones cheering for Sonnen the last few months upto this fight.

[@SteveMiller88]

@XxPropheticxX It seemed that Sonnen didn't want a rematch, after the fight he said something like, "If im not the best, if Im not number 1 Im gonna move on in life", or something like that.

[@JackHehe]

Are these interviews only on youtube or on TV aswell?

[@toolsound]

Great, great interview. I enjoyed this thoroughly.

[@Dsanchez1979]

the guy actually asks good questions. wow actually good interview

[@devrobbiz]

@Crepsley15 very well said, thumbs up! I'm getting sick of people saying Silva had multiple broken ribs, when he has 1 cracked rib (supposedly, and which could have occurred during the match).

[@XxPropheticxX]

@TheMightykaz According to me, personally, there's nothing that says he deserves a title shot, but he was scheduled to fight Silva in April. And as a long-time fan of Silva it is a long awaited fight that many fans have requested. Also when you look at it, there's really not many guys left for Silva to fight at 185. Considering it's his last contract fight, I personally would love to see him fight Belfort and then retire.

[@FireProMMA]

Dana's always got a smile on his face when Ariel's interviewing him.

[@raw8039]

This aged well

[@pizzaface850]

@youlance29 actually if you think about it, chael did not do much. even though he did land like a 100 punches to silvas head, there was virtually no damage on him after the fight. chaels face was bruised, bloodied, and cut so silva got the better of the exchanges.

[@TheDandikus]

What was Dana saying about Roy Nelson prior to the Dos Santos fight?

[@ACE7Drew]

For those of you saying Silva stood still, or let Chael hit him, what happened was that Chael did exactly what he said he would do: bring the fight to Anderson. SIlva just wasn't used to somebody coming at him like that. Chael landed on him standing, didn't let him hold his caught kicks(he did a fucking somesault), and countered his strikes with takedowns. Besides the ground domination, those were amazing feats. While I don't think he should get an immediate rematch, a rematch should happen.

[@brooksjedi]

im glad i got to see it. one of the best fights ever. Sonnen has my total respect now. and i'm a Silva fan

[@KalifUmestoKalifa]

@iM0nst3r It's not the take-downs and G'n'P that made the ,most impression. What impressed me was Sonnen being the first guy to exploit Silvas non-guard, and exploit it repeatedly with overhand punches

[@simplyphenomenal]

Great job by Sonnen BUT he learned a big lesson in the end, the fight is never won unless your opponent has tapped, been ko'd or the bell has rang. Delighted for Silva, hope he isn't getting old.

[@ElliotEkoh]

"no way, we never fight each other, we love each other" ROFL Dana, that as hilarious xD

[@GorillaJitzu]

Sonnen is one of new favorite fighters. The guy may talk alot, which usually annoys me, but he backed it up and almost beat someone who was previously thought to be unbeatable.

[@MrNeptoon]

really love your interviews

[@wjm911]

not sure how anyone can not like this guy. How many top dogs of a company take nine and a half minute interviews over and over again? Not to mention how bold and outspoken he is. Main fight was real cool (despite the outcome) and Matt Hughes is still a complete bad-ass!

[@bkcpisme]

@ThePintoAce That is true, but I would argue that fedor hasn't really faced very many people of particularly high caliber. not to say that he hasn't faced quality fighters in the past, but the ratio of quality to quantity is a little higher on silva's side.

[@CRAKADAKS]

Silva v Sonnen was one of the best fights ive seen, Dos Santos can strike hard so Big Country done well man UFC 117 rocked!!

[@madonionslicer]

You're the best in the business, Helwani.. keep it up!

[@cbproducktions]

Good interview. Dana usually has a different opinion than me when it comes to predictions and we think fights would go but we shared a near-exact opinion there, lol

[@Schismzz]

Anderson fought like an injured person. He didn't look light on his feet, was not as elusive to Sonnen's slo motion punches, and didn't move well on the ground. At the post fight conference, even Sonnen said that if Anderson says something was wrong with him, then he believes him, because Anderson showed no resistance at all. All this and Anderson still won! True Master.

[@joe0692]

@babyface0514 why would bisbing fight silva at 205 when they are in the 185 weight class.

[@cdonaghue]

Sonnen definitely backed up the smack talk, I had never seen Silva in a fight like that before, where he was dominated for nearly 5 rounds. But thats why Silva's The Champ he just waited and waited for the chance to come, and he nailed it. Can't wait for Silva v Sonnen 2.

[@colbytobin]

I gotta give Sonnen respect. He kept pushing and beating up Silva. But Silva won with that beautiful Triangle. Silva still remains one of my favorite fighters and still remains champion. I would love to see a rematch. One of the best fights ive ever seen. Silva and Sonnen both deserve respect

[@Mr666mma]

Haven't seen it mentioned on any post fight interview. Was it just me who thought sonnen was trying to say to the ref that he hadn't tapped? He clearly did!!!

[@theboreenblog]

Ju-Jitsu is such an art form! We just love it at Big Cow (the farmyard version of Big Brother!) at The Boreen.

[@ProSkilllz]

@MercedesSantiaga Anderson Silva won... it was like 2 days ago

[@calejoncesar]

@Jaremus Indeed, man, I do. AS was hit 206 times during his other 11 UFC fights! Only in this one, he got hit 289 times by Sonnen. Not taking anything away from Sonnen, he's an avarage fighter, but to do that he would have to be 10 times better...Fatso White had the deal! I'm Brazilian and think AS threw his honor away....

[@Redman092000]

jon fitch and koschek said they would only fight each other if it was for the belt and only for that reason

[@Daikkenaurora]

I'm glad Dana addressed the "I dont wanna fight my teammate/friend" bullshit.

[@Mmatycoon]

Don't agree with the thoughts on Silva after / during the tap. He wasn't talking smack; Chael was trying to get away with it (like his teammate Lindland did against Bustamante), and Silva was just talking to Sonnen and the ref, saying that he had tapped.

[@Brickedbeat]

Matt hughes looked amazing at 117. Would love to see him get back into the title running

[@daisukexdark]

@561sage i kinda think that is wrong, it was never expected to do good, people really did expect much of a fight. but i believe from word of mouth it became legendary, and the rematch would be much anticipated.

[@itsthizzbaby]

That was the best card of all time and I've watched every UFC multiple times.

[@LocalMotion2189]

i agree with dana. these fighters are professional athletes and it's their JOB to fight. it doesn't need to be something personal whenever you fight someone, it's just business.

[@ElliotEkoh]

@StreetCammo Im assuming you a fan of Anderson right? and though that Chael didn't have a chance against Silva? I may be wrong but Ariel is one of the best interviewers in MMA and he knew what he was talking about. Anderson did hold the submission longer then he needed to and so do alot of fighters as if your getting beaten up for 4 rounds, You want to hurt the guy. All you needed to do was look at Anderson's face during the submission, After the tap. And when he was walking around the octagon.

[@1608Nikolai]

@1608Nikolai i was never saying anderson silva didn't want to win the fight in whatever way. but the fact was he got battered for 4 rounds. i highly doubt he would have planned to be losing going into the last round.

[@XxPropheticxX]

Don't think Sonnen deserves an instant rematch. He had his shot, he did what he could, he tapped out and he failed. I'm happy Silva pulled the submission off and I'm anxious about Silva Vs Belfort, because that is a fight that never went, and I think it's much more important to see a Silva Vs Belfort fight rather than an already seen Silva Vs Sonnen.

[@ThePintoAce]

@JustOneMorgan wihtout a doubt, if Vitor hits Silva hes gonna hit the canvas. Vitor has power and probably the fastest hands in the division. and if he see's silva hurt, hes not gonna hesitate like some of his past opponents, hes gonna go for the kill

[@pizzaface850]

@youlance29 those are just blogs which can be very biased a lot of times. not a reliable source. unless you've seen actual footage of silva saying sonnen broke his ribs the first round, your theory is very hard to believe.

[@pizzaface850]

well his coach could have just said that to make silva's victory look more glorious. or he could have misinterpreted what silva was saying during the break after the first round because things do get very hectic during breaks.

[@jcraswel]

Ariel, Don't you think there should be a rule for all fighters that if they wish to tap out they must tap three times or verbally tap out. We see it all the time where fighters tap once and then say they didn't mean to tap out. Even though after the fight was over Chael admitted to tapping when the referee stopped the fight he argued the stoppage. -Thanks

[@Allcombatsports]

@LukeSaysss THANK YOU

[@mrcphotographs]

@ryuhao yeah you have a point but hey that was just my opinion i mean hell i wouldn't even mind seeing a rematch because that was a great fight..we'll have to wait and see

[@SGREY1]

THIS FIGHT CARD WAS AWESOME!!! WITNESSED SUM AWESOME FINISHES!!!

[@crimescene08]

@TylerDurdenK7 you know i agree with you alot cuz im a huge silva fan..actually of the ufc silva is my favorite no matter if he gets beaten or not..but i rele dont think sonnen dominated the fight to that extent..i mean he had him on the ground for 4 rounds with pressure on him but it wasnt enough for a champ like silva..thats y the only way sonnen would have won is by being ontop of silva for 4 rounds n for those successful take downs thats bout it...i think silva rocked him worse

[@BigGee614]

Much respect to Sonnen!! I became a fan last night.

[@slinedawg1990]

This was a damn good fight. I thought anderson was gonna lose his title but then the triangle choke, That was insane!!!

[@gitdeefaw]

its tough for Sonnen because if he hits the wrong competition on his way back up he could be knocked out of contention. He might be the guy to beat Silva but he might not be the guy to beat Maia or some others.

[@johnnyrainbow50]

@Arky435 Exactly 20 years from now people arn't gonna be talking about how Sonnen almost took Anderson the distance, they're gona talk about how Anderson overcame adversity and pulled out the win.

[@PloiAm]

@Ben6466 do they still show pride on tv? i loved pride, but i dont see it much.

[@curtispan]

There MUST be a rematch. This was the fight of the year, no contest.

[@XxPropheticxX]

@SeanCozy I completely agree with you

[@ionowattoput]

he tapped silva wanted to let go then sonnen went up to punch him... and silva held his glove... trying to tell sonnen to stop its over... at least thats what it looked like to me correct me if im wrong

[@carlo09kaloy]

@daisukexdark yeah silva is not playing also sonnen too. they are two great fighters. silva came up bombing on 4thround and have a triangle on 4th also 5thround but sonnen dominates silva for four rounds. he just came up short. just dont underestimate the heart of the champion he never gives up

[@JOBOB335]

yeah dan henderson wrestling is way different. chael goes for double leg, dan goes for clinch takedowns

[@kfcarkangel]

@YoannNaruto How can the referee let it go any longer if he tapped?.

[@ThomasDailey]

@WOGI5M Anderson couldn't get a feel for his opponent or get comfortable because Chael came right for him. Anderson generally spends most of the 1st round just feeling out his opponent, but Chael didn't let that happen.

[@74448]

@timmyxdl thats alot of scar tissue... silva may have none! anyway my issue is with cuts, a cut is a cut. its like making a tear in a plum (dark coloured) you can see that! And if he was cut (invisible cut to you) then where is the blood? OK bruise colouring may be difficult to see but swelling is not. Swelling would be easily visible... if you dont know what swelling is google it.

[@logjam8800]

If you guys missed it last night they just put the replay video up over on watchmmafree. com What a night of fights!

[@dannyyangliang]

@XMMAFANX Yes, rightly said, "After the first round". Now go back and watch the 1st round again. Chael hit him with some fucking nice shots to the ribs during the round. It's one of those things we will never find out.

[@axleruzi]

Great fight! Chael Sonnen is badass!

[@LetsBrainStorm]

sonnen and silva fight will go down in history

[@elheadkickio]

One of the greatest cards I've ever seen, though just like one of the other great cards the lone black mark was Jon Fitch.

[@svenzia]

@LibertyInProgress I agree 100%,both great refs.

[@WOGI5M]

Anderson fought differently. Usually he gets a feel for his opponents during the first 20 seconds or so then unleashes. But this fight was completely different. Also, I think he may have wanted to win to submission rather than on points or KO.

[@riceburner888]

@1608Nikolai Sonnen was controlling Silva for most of the fight, but destroying him is exaggeration. Sonnen landed a record setting of over 200 punches, yet Silva did more damage in the brief stand up and from the bottom position. Silva weathered Sonnen's wrestling and GnP, then pulled off a very nice submission. Props to Sonnen for carrying out an excellent game plan, but he couldn't finish it.

[@Sam420Son]

@brandonhansentx I agree, i think there should be a rematch before belfort gets a shot at it, not only because the first fight was close but because i want to see a fresh un hurt Anderson who knows what to expect put this whole thing to rest. Dont get me wrong i have respect for Sonnen, but i believe the better fighter won and deserves to be champion, but i agree give sonnen another shot , the fans want it and after Anderson beats him again, people can put the whole thing to rest.

[@stl31412]

ufc gonna b up there wit nba and other sports soon

[@Anime4Life35]

That's why Silva is the man but mad props to Sonnen I didn't think he could last that long.

[@JustOneMorgan]

@ThePintoAce I agree Vitor could be the man to do it. I mean Chael a guy not known for his great standup had Anderson rocked momentarily with a left hand. Vitor is a guy who's not going to go for that takedown and it could just be a kickboxing match. What's gonna happen if one of his bombs hits Silva in the face standing.

[@MRIDDLE72]

i love Silva man, hes my fav fighter...on the other hand i fucking love Vitor too, him and Pedro Rizzo were my fav fighters when i 1st started watchin mma...its crazy that andy vs vitor is coming up, maybe the best man win...no homo on all the love talk too

[@slothdaddy915]

dana white literally is like my idol lol hes just an awesome person