(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

If you’re a stats geek, this new UFC 148 promo clip will give you a raging nerd-boner. In dissecting the rivalry between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, we learn the following:

- Before his first fight with Sonnen at UFC 117, Anderson Silva had been hit a combined 166 times by his previous 11 UFC opponents. Sonnen landed on him 320 times. (Each of these must have counted as two.)

- Sonnen has actually out-landed all of his opponents in the UFC and WEC. Unfortunately, he’s also allowed 18 serious submission attempts during his UFC fights, which places him 3rd on the all-time list. We’re guessing he’ll never catch up to Melvin Guillard.

- Silva’s triangle/armbar submission of Sonnen 23:10 into their fight was the latest stoppage in UFC history.

- Sonnen’s 34 takedowns in the Octagon place him at #1 among middleweights.

- Sonnen is the “World’s Best Trash Talker,” which has been scientifically proven by the researchers at CompuTrash.

After the jump: Sonnen discusses the training camp support he gets from his mother/co-conspirator, and the full video of Sonnen’s UFC 136 smashing of Brian Stann.

(Anderson’s naughty language begins at 3:54.)

Props to MiddleEasy for turning us on to the SAMURAIFIGHTSPIRITS channel on YouTube, which specializes in post-fight footage from the PRIDE era. Seriuously, this is already my favorite time-suck of the week. Here’s Chuck Liddell predicting that this Alistair Overeem kid is gonna be good. Here’s Kevin Randleman screaming “I SUCK!” after getting caught in a guillotine by Mirko Cro Cop. Here’s Rulon Gardner chillin’ with Dan Henderson. So much awesome.

Maybe the most fascinating bits of footage are the clips of Anderson Silva reacting to his pair of submission losses to Daiju Takase and Ryo Chonan, which ended the Spider’s PRIDE stint on an unsatisfying note. Above, the Takase loss makes Silva fire off a string of Portugeuse expletives that would make a marinheiro blush. After the jump, an obviously-in-pain Silva can barely keep his emotions together after his freak upset loss to Chonan via flying-scissor-leg-takedown/heel-hook. So remember: Before Anderson was an unbeatable UFC champion, he was a crier, just like you.

(Props: MARISAMONTE via Fabiano C. Obrigado, bro!)

My God this global superstar. Fresh off his stirring performance in that Burger King commercial, Anderson Silva has now popped up as the male lead in Marisa Monte‘s new music video for “Ainda Bem.” Monte is a multi-platinum-selling Brazilian pop singer who’s preparing to release her first album in five years. Anderson Silva is an unbeatable UFC champion who happens to be a very fine dancer.

(LOL, walk much?)

This Saturday, MMA’s greatest knockout artist returns against Yushin Okami in a rematch at UFC 134 — and I stress the word “artist.” Anderson Silva inflicts punishment on his opponents in ways that transcend combat sports, opening our eyes to the enormity of human possibility and the deeper meanings of the universe. In honor of his next fight, we decided to rank our ten favorite Anderson Silva knockouts of all time. Enjoy, and let us know your personal favorite in the comments section…

#10: Anderson Silva vs. Jorge Rivera
Cage Rage 11, 4/30/05

Silva’s first Cage Rage middleweight title defense — after outpointing Lee Murray for the belt the previous year — ended in a storm of knees. This would become a common theme in his subsequent UFC career.

Slow-motion destruction — always a good time. Here’s UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva doing what he does best in a pair of new ads for Budweiser Brasil. Please, keep your can-crushing jokes to yourself.

The Bud campaign is just one of several high-profile sponsorships that Andy has landed recently, including deals with Burger King and Nike. After the jump, Anderson Silva’s first “viral video” for Nike. Man, are Brazilian copy-writers lazy or what?