The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil tonight for UFC 153: Silva vs Bonnar.” The card featured a non-title light heavyweight bout between UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva and “The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar.

Also tonight, rising star Glover Teixeira looked for his second straight win inside the Octagon when he took on Fabio Maldonado at 205 pounds. Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira battled Dave Herman in a featured heavyweight matchup. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

 

Anderson “The Spider” Silva vs “The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar

Round 1:
Silva slipped against the cage wall in the opening seconds and Bonnar took advantage by clinching and holding him against the fence. Silva eventually broke away from the clinch, but he willingly stood with his back against the cage. Bonnar walked in with punches and Silva countered with a right hand.

Silva sprawled out to defend against a takedown and landed a hard right hand while balancing on one leg. Bonnar flurried with punches and a standing elbow. Silva stood still and allowed Bonnar to throw strikes. Silva tripped Bonnar and landed a devastating knee to the chest. Bonnar collapsed to the mat and Silva landed punches until the fight was stopped.

Winner: Anderson Silva by TKO (Knee To The Body & Punches) at 4:40 of round one. He improves to 33-4-0.

 

Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira vs Dave Herman

Round 1:
Herman opened the fight with a big kick to the body. He reversed a takedown attempt and landed on top in mount. Herman stood and Nogueira followed. Herman escaped a clinch by landing a knee to the body and he followed with two kicks to the liver. Nogueira clinched, but Herman broke away and the fighters traded punches.

Nogueira landed a combination and attempted a lunging right. Herman continued to land kicks to the body, but they appeared to have little effect. Nogueira tried for a takedown and Herman defended. He kicked at Nogueira’s legs and both fighters landed right hooks in the final seconds. 10-9 Herman, barely.

Round 2:
Nogueira dropped Herman with a counter hook early in round two and dove into side control on the ground. He used punches to set up a keylock attempt and used it to move to mount. Herman escaped the keylock and gave up his back. Nogueira spun into an armbar, but he could not get it and the fighters returned to their feet.

Herman reversed a body lock takedown and wound up on top in Nogueira’s half-guard. He stood up and Nogueira followed. Nogueira secured another body lock and this time he was able to take Herman down. Nogueira moved to mount and worked for an armbar. Herman defended and tried to roll forward to escape, but Nogueira was able to pull back on the arm and Herman was forced to submit.

Winner: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by Submission (Armbar) at 4:31 of round two. He improves to 34-7-1, 1 NC.

 

Glover Teixeira vs Fabio Maldonado

Round 1:
Teixeira hurt Maldonado with a big left hook right away and swarmed with punches on the ground. Maldonado rolled over and Teixeira teed off with punches and elbows from mount. More and more punches and elbows scored for Teixeira and he postured up with some vicious shots. Teixeira used punches to set up an arm-triangle choke. Teixeira passed to the side, but Maldonado defended well.

Teixeira let it go and moved back to mount. He rained down elbows, but Maldonado somehow managed to get back to his feet. Teixeira picked Maldonado apart with punches, but he left himself open to a counter left hook. Maldonado wobbled him and Teixeira took him down. Maldonado attempted a guillotine at the bell. 10-8 Teixeira. Could be a 10-7.

Round 2:
Maldonado’s face was a swollen, bloody mess leading into round two and Teixeira wasted no time in taking him down. Teixeira worked for a rear-naked choke, but Maldonado scrambled up. Teixeira took him back down and landed punches from mount. Maldonado briefly regained half-guard, but Teixeira moved to side control and snuck in short elbows.

Maldonado got back to half-guard again as Teixeira postured up with elbows. The fighters were stood up and time was called to check Maldonado’s right eye. The fight was allowed to continue and Teixeira wobbled Maldonado with two lead left hooks. Teixeira landed more big punches in the final 15 seconds. 10-9 Teixeira.

In between rounds, the cageside doctor stopped the fight, giving Teixeira the TKO victory.

Winner: Glover Teixeira by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 5:00 of round two. He improves to 19-2-0.

 

Jon Fitch vs Erick “Indio” Silva

Round 1:
Silva opened the fight with punches and a knee to the body, but Fitch clinched and took him down. He transitioned to the back and worked for a rear-naked choke as Silva stood up. Silva spun to avoid a standing arm-triangle and landed a front kick to the body. He followed with a big overhand right, but Fitch answered with an elbow. The fighters exchanged knees to the body in the clinch and Fitch took Silva down. He secured back control and landed punches until the bell. 10-9 Fitch.

Round 2:
Fitch landed a big uppercut and more punches in the second round, but Silva dropped him to his knees and landed punches and elbows from a rear crucifix. He continued to punish Fitch with strikes until the fight returned to the feet. Fitch held Silva up against the cage, but Silva reversed and took Fitch’s back as he dragged him to the mat. He worked for a rear-naked choke and nearly got it, but Fitch managed to defend. Fitch escaped to Silva’s back and transitioned to an armbar just before time expired. 10-9 Silva.

Round 3:
Fitch took Silva down in the final round and landed some big right hands from back control. Fitch attempted a rear-naked choke and then an armbar. Silva scrambled out and secured an arm-in guillotine choke. Fitch used punches to the body to free himself and punished Silva with left hands from back control.

Silva stood and was taken down again. Fitch flattened him out and landed punches and elbows. Silva rolled over and Fitch blasted him with more punches and elbows from mount. Silva managed to survive and escaped to his feet. Fitch trapped him in a front choke as the round came to an end. 10-8 Fitch.

Winner: Jon Fitch by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 24-4-1, 1 NC.

 

Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis vs Wagner “Caldeirao” Prado

Round 1:
The fighters were cautious early on and eventually traded knees a minute into the fight. Davis scored a takedown against the fence and tried to take Prado’s back for a rear-naked choke, but Prado used the cage to defend. He stood and Davis slammed him down. Davis landed short right hands as Prado tried to get back to his feet. Davis kept him pinned down and landed some solid shots until the bell. 10-9 Davis.

Round 2:
Davis closed the distance and clinched against the fence again in round two. He took Prado down and struck from the top as Prado used the cage to work back to a standing position. Prado broke away from the clinch, but not for long. Davis put him on the mat once more and landed on top in side control. He tried for an arm-triangle choke, but lost the position. As Prado attempted to stand up, Davis locked on an Anaconda Choke and rolled through for the tapout win.

Winner: Phil Davis by Submission (Anaconda Choke) at 4:29 of round two. He improves to 10-1-0, 1 NC.

 

Demian Maia vs Rick “The Horror” Story

Round 1:
Maia clinched early in the fight and took Story down to the ground against the cage. Story briefly stood and Maia tripped him again. Once more, Story stood up and Maia took him down. Maia landed on top in mount and quickly transitioned to his back. He first worked for a rear-naked choke and then switched to a neck crank. Story began to bleed from the nose from the pressure and tapped out.

Winner: Demian Maia by Submission (Neck Crank) at 2:30 of round one. He improves to 17-4-0.

 

(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)