Sonnen tops Silva in decision at Bellator in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) — Chael Sonnen won a unanimous decision over Wanderlei Silva in a much-delayed grudge match to take the light heavyweight bout Saturday night in Bellator’s debut at Madison Square Garden.

Sonnen and Silva had feuded — and even brawled in street clothes during a taping of an MMA reality show — for years and had an anticipated bout for a UFC payper-view scrapped in 2014. Sonnen (29-15-1) pressured Silva and stayed on top of the MMA great for most of the three rounds. The 40-year-old Sonnen, who can self-promote with his mouth as well as anyone in the game, was dropped once but never in any serious trouble.

Silva, also 40, made his name fighting for Pride in Japan, and made his Bellator debut following a six-year run in UFC. Sonnen was choked out by Tito Ortiz in his Bellator debut in January. Ortiz was on hand at the Garden and egged on fans who cursed him out during the main event.

Sonnen had some choice words of his own:

“I hate New York!” he bellowed in the cage.

Silva (35-13-1) and fellow MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko both had rough nights inside the cage.

Matt Mitrione knocked out Emelianenko in just 74 seconds to win the co-main event in a heavyweight bout. Mitrione (12-5) and Emelianenko both connected on right hands and hit the canvas for a double knockdown. But Mitrione, who briefly played in the NFL, pounced and smashed Emelianenko (36-5) with uppercuts to finish off the Russian great.