By Matt Molgaard
MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer

At this point, it’s very far from a secret that Anderson Silva has completely abused the upper echelons of the UFC’s middleweight division. Vitor Belfort, a terrifying striker with near unbelievable speed took a brief nap when these two met, victim to one of the cleanest front kicks ever delivered in the sport. Yushin Okami, the consensus number one Japanese middleweight found himself trapped in the aura of The Spider, absorbing enough punishment to transform him from dangerous foe to withered heap. Rich Franklin, a once feared champion looked as though he’d had just a handful of fights when he met Silva, on two separate occasions, to boot. Dan Henderson, who will fight Jon Jones for the UFC’s light heavyweight title was run over in the early portions of the second round upon meeting Anderson. The man has, time and again, battered men that traditionally cast a hint of fear in potential opponents’ eyes.

On Saturday, he once more showcased an otherworldly skillset, and once more disposed of a man many deemed the future champion. Chael Sonnen may have made his first encounter with Anderson Silva (back at UFC 117) an intriguing fight, but the rematch wasn’t quite as provocative.

For those who missed UFC 148 (shame on you), fireworks were to be seen throughout the night, as were a string of awkward incidents that you just don’t see every day. During the early portions of the event the promotion showcased one of the largest mismatches post-SEG era, pitting the badly outclassed Cody McKenzie against former title challenger and proven Alpha Male standout, Chad Mendes. McKenzie has plenty of room for improvement, while Mendes has been a polished professional for some time. The two never belonged in the cage together, and I believe most realized that long before the octagon’s door was locked. I’m not bagging on McKenzie, mind you, I actually really like the guy’s attitude, and I think he has one of the nastiest guillotine chokes in the game. He was simply outclassed – by a massive margin – against Mendes.