Chael Patrick Sonnen is set to be accompanied to the Octagon by his doppelgänger (oratory-wise that is) CM Punk in his matchup with Mark Munoz at UFC on Fox 2 later this month.
Ever since the lead up to and the aftermath of his failed attempt at UFC glory back at UFC 117, Sonnen the self-proclaimed “American Gangster” has upped the ante in ways other mere mortal combatants could only wish.
What emerged during that period was Uncle Chael the businessman and to boot, the entertainer.
His trash-talking and gift of the gab has placed him the public stratosphere like no other mixed martial artist, especially one who has achieved so little in his given sport.
For his troubles, he’s now a regular on Michael Landsberg’s show OTR (Off the Record), he co-hosted the 2011 World MMA Awards and in the fewest possible words, he’s just in constant public demand.
And what is his claim to fame?
Beating up on UFC middleweight champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva for almost five rounds, before succumbing to a submission via triangle armbar.
That loss, however, did nothing to shut the all mighty mouth that is Sonnen, if anything it spurred him on to the extreme—his antagonism towards Silva finally paid dividends and a second tilt at UFC gold looms ever so large.
Still, with three-weeks to go before his slated match with Munoz, this latest move by Sonnen, to have the WWE Champion CM Punk alongside him as he makes his entrance to the Octagon, isn’t just another smart move—it’s a stroke of pure Sonnen genius.
The publicity garnered with the announcement that one of the WWE’s most charismatic characters not only making an appearance at UFC on Fox 2, but will also be ushering in the most vocal and controversial of MMA fighters/personalities, will send both ticket and pay-per-view sales through the roof—and that’s a given.
Add to the equation that the event is happening in CM Punk’s own backyard of Chicago— then it’s a recipe for success.
Brock Lesnar has left the building and Georges St-Pierre still has the mass pulling clout, but Sonnen, he’s in a league of his own.
Perish the thought that by some sort of divine intervention, he should upend Munoz and do likewise to Silva—Sonnen will go viral both on a colossal monetary and publicity scale.
The wordsmith provocateur and entertainer personified is hell-bent on furthering his celebrity to new heights and beyond, and his next move is anyone’s guess.
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