Whether you like him or not, it can not be denied that Chael Sonnen is one of the funniest characters there are in the world of sport. His trash-talking skills are comparable to that of the greats: Muhammad Ali, Kevin Garnett and Terrell Owens to name but a few.
Chael Sonnen has swagger and no-one in the sport of MMA can come close to his standards. Pretty bold statements from myself, but Sonnen has a history of living up to expectations and then exceeding them.
Just ask Anderson Silva.
UFC 148 is set to be one of the greatest spectacles in the history of MMA, where we will witness Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva lock horns for a second time in one of the biggest rematches in history.
And this time, it’s personal.
This is a match-up that fans have wanted to see since the first time the two met, back in UFC 117. It is here that Sonnen showed the world what he’s made of. It is here that Silva’s aura of invincibility was heavily damaged.
Amidst various controversies, Sonnen went on to prove that he’s a top contender with wins over Michael Bisping and Brian Stann. Whilst Silva racked up wins over Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami. This left no doubt as to who the top contenders in the division were and after almost two years of insults and taunts from both parties —one party being A LOT more involved in the dishing out of insults than the other—Silva and Sonnen will meet again.
This isn’t a fight that really needs a lot of promotion because this is a fight that fans want to see. I’d even go as far as to say that no promos were needed to hype this fight up because of all the questions that will be answered as a result of this fight taking place: Did TRT really do that much to improve Sonnen’s performance the first time the two met? Has Silva learnt from his mistakes from the first time? What’s next for Sonnen if he loses? What’s next for the winner? Who is the best fighter in the middleweight division?
It is safe to say that lot of questions will be answered after this fight.
UFC 148 is also a chance for Silva to redeem himself after UFC 117, where Sonnen dominated the champ in devastating fashion. Sonnen exposed Silva’s take-down defence and put Silva on his back for longer than all of Silva’s opponents in the UFC had done, combined.
Sonnen even managed to out-strike the man that many believe to be the most accurate, and even the greatest striker in the game. Redemption for Silva is a huge factor going forwards for this fight and will be an ‘X-Factor’ for Silva in this fight.
But remember, Sonnen is out to prove to the world that Silva potentially ‘got lucky’ the first time they met. Sonnen has one of the best work ethics in the UFC and is one tough customer in the Octagon.
The legitimacy of a rib-injury suffered by Silva before UFC 117 has been highly debated as to whether or not it can be blamed for Silva’s poor performance. As a result, Sonnen will be out to prove that he can beat a healthy Silva.
Now, I know I said promos weren’t needed to hype this fight up, but I’ve got a real gem for you. Personally, I think that Sonnen is using satire here when talking about his ‘rough’ upbringing. But then again, it’s Chael P. Sonnen. There’s always a chance he is being serious.
I won’t ruin it for you. Just sit back and enjoy the ‘Chael Sonnen Show’.
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