5 MMA rivalries and their WWE equivalents
While the WWE receives a lot of flak and criticism for ‘fake fights’ and ‘over the top storylines’ which often translate to more talk and less action, mixed martial arts and UFC in particular, are no different when it comes to fights involving the top-tier talents.
The UFC is a hotbed for cutting-edge promos and verbal altercations going into the fights, something that bears a striking resemblance to WWE’s storylines. Some of the major UFC rivalries that are reminiscent of the classic WWE-styled storylines are:
#5 Chael Sonnen v/s Anderson Silva - Christ Benoit v/s Kurt Angle
The gift of flamboyant repertoire gives Anderson Silva the same leverage that Muhammad Ali was bestowed with; the only difference between the two is that Silva doesn’t prefer verbal tirades!
But when Chael Sonnen earned the opportunity to face Silva, the focus of the MMA-universe shifted to the middleweight division, this was courtesy of the hysteria that had encompassed the anticipation.
Sonnen didn’t mince words in insulting Silva, something that Silva didn’t retort to. He made fun of Silva’s black belt and poked numerous insults at him, which gave an upthrust to the amount of hype the fight was receiving.
Also read: 5 MMA rivalries that felt like pro-wrestling feuds
The match was a treat to watch with Sonnen’s blitzkrieg being too heavy for Silva to handle. Silva was outclassed and overpowered, but in the very final round, reversed with a triangle choke victory! The rematch, a few events later, was easily won by Silva, thereby helping him cement his place in the middleweight division.
The rivalry is often reminiscent of Kurt Angle’s rivalry with Chris Benoit. Angle, owing to his trash-talking which usually included his 3 I’s rant, tried to get into Benoit’s head. Benoit wasn’t known for his talking on the mic and usually relied on his in-ring skills to shut his opponents up.
The two met on more than one occasion, with Benoit picking up one of his most famous wins in an “Ultimate Submission” match at Backlash 2001. Benoit, quite like Silva, was known for his impeccable in-ring skills, replete with submission holds and martial arts takedowns!