Author: Alexander Metalis

UFC 148: Chael Sonnen’s Identity Is in Huge Jeopardy

Chael Sonnen holds three areas of expertise: fighting, ruffling feathers and contriving controversy. Of these skills, ruffling feathers is most interwoven with his persona. Since 2010, the Oregonian has antagonized the Zen right out of Anderson Silva, …

Chael Sonnen holds three areas of expertise: fighting, ruffling feathers and contriving controversy. Of these skills, ruffling feathers is most interwoven with his persona.

Since 2010, the Oregonian has antagonized the Zen right out of Anderson Silva, prompting Silva to burst out in hostility for the first time in his UFC career.

Chael expects us to think of him: “Oh that loony guy, talking to Anderson that way. He’s sure got a backbone. I like his moxie.”

The clever wrestler has brewed a formula for creating fandom that many have fallen for. Good for him.

Unfortunately for Sonnen, he’s forged a reputation that is extremely volatile.

Chael Sonnen is a volcano of machismo and swagger, but chooses to spew magma at merely a few targets—mostly Brazilians.  

Fans endorse Sonnen because he didn’t let Silva bulldoze him and because he fires brazen words at the deified champ without relent. But Sonnen’s words will be rendered empty if “The Spider” breaks him, and perhaps so will the joker himself.

Before he unleashed that barrage of mockery upon Silva in 2010, Chael Sonnen was another faceless flea, destined to be entangled in the web of “The Spider.” But his trash talk earned him clout as a sort of heroic jester.  He backed his trash talk—sort of—which garnered him respect.

Because talk is so important to Sonnen, his image will shrivel if he doesn’t pound the champ. He’ll tumble out of immediate relevancy with a loss, and so too will his words.

 

Today, he’s soaking in the spotlight. Chael savors every moment as his words echo throughout the MMA landscape. But if he’s thoroughly bested come July 7, he’ll be 0-2 against Silva—Sonnen’s primary fuel for sustenance will have invalidated him.

The jokes that stratified Sonnen will be stripped of their zest and relevance, and only zealots will continue to heed him.  

Chael Sonnen has forged himself though belittling Anderson Silva and his comrades. If Sonnen loses, perhaps his image will need to be rebuilt, lest his fans grow weary of his hollow, unbacked talk.  

But hey, if he wins, Sonnen will become a hyperbolic, legendary American badass. Either way, I can’t wait to see the drama unfold.  

 

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Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida: Head-to-Toe Breakdown on Potential Rematch

Three years after Lyoto Machida hijacked the 205 strap from Rashad Evans, both men still swim near the top of the light-heavyweight division. Given their eminence, Evans and Machida are on course to clash again sometime.   Their first match saw Ma…

Three years after Lyoto Machida hijacked the 205 strap from Rashad Evans, both men still swim near the top of the light-heavyweight division.

Given their eminence, Evans and Machida are on course to clash again sometime.  

Their first match saw Machida dispose of Evans with ease. The karate master blasted the wrestler from a multitude of odd angles, throwing an onslaught of kicks and punches.

Evans had no rebuttal, other than to talk smack to Machida during the assault, and his belt was surrendered.  

Whatever plan Evans and renowned tactician Greg Jackson brewed up to negate Machida’s flurries didn’t work. For their rematch, Evans figures to conjure a fresh, less stagnant approach.

Stagnancy was Evan’s issue: He didn’t really do anything against Machida. He hardly threw a punch, and he certainly didn’t utilize his strong takedowns.

Perhaps he was entangled by Machida’s offbeat style – a mouse in a mouse trap. Or perhaps he was just hesitant to instigate. Regardless, Evans can’t approach Machida with the same aloofness.

One thing we learned from Evans-Machida 1 is that Evans’s speed can’t match  Machida’s. The wrestler waited for Machida to strike, but “The Dragon” flew away before Evan’s punches, rendered snaillike, could reach anything except air.

Lesson learned by Evans: trying to counterpunch Machida isn’t wise. Machida has been polishing his counterpunching skills since he was in utero. Evans will have to explore alternate routes to victory.

His blood astir with vengeance, perhaps Evans will use his strengths against Machida: his takedowns. Takedowns were fruitful for Jon Jones in his fight with the Brazilian eluder.

Sure, Evans isn’t Jones, but Rashad’s wrestling still sparkles. If he fails to pressure Machida and instead allows Lyoto to gauge distance and get comfy, expect another meme-worthy outcome in favor of the Brazilian.   

Indeed, Evans’s wrestling acumen may aid in revenging his loss to Machida. Evans’s wrestling prowess precedes him: he’s succeeded with 58 takedowns against being matted only 14 times, as per UFC.com (http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Rashad-Evans).

Evans has proven his double-leg is strong, and that his ability to mix strikes and takedown is clever.

Conversely, Machida has shown his ability to deny takedowns. His sumo background might be responsible: UFC.com (http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Lyoto-Machida) says Machida has avoided 83% of impending takedowns.

So grounding Machida won’t be simple. He’s considered a wrestlers’ kryptonite, with the way he creates distance and shows strength in the clinch. But if any man can force Machida to the mat, surmount his guard, and maintain heavy top control, it’s Evans.

To employ his takedowns, Evans must find ways to breach Machida’s range – keep Machida from “getting loose”.

Waddling outside of Machida’s range is to be at the mercy of a firing squad. Evans was already executed once. Perhaps now he knows his away around the bullets.       

Neither man scathed Jon Jones, so comparing their performances against “Bones” is almost moot. Machida, however, mounted some offense against the champion, unlike Evans who politely stood in front of Jones without much resistance.  

We can’t really know how each man’s game has evolved since their first match. It seems as if their skills are unchanged–Machida is still a wizardly karateka and Evans is still a beastly wrestler. Gameplanning might dictate whether or not the outcome is different. 

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Don’t Hate Shogun for Refusing to Fight Glover Teixeira

I’ve been hearing a lot of fans question Mauricio Rua’s manliness for refusing to lock horns with Glover Texeira. What babble—Rua would be foolish to risk his prestigious career against a relative newbie. A loss against unheralded jug…

I’ve been hearing a lot of fans question Mauricio Rua’s manliness for refusing to lock horns with Glover Texeira. What babble—Rua would be foolish to risk his prestigious career against a relative newbie.

A loss against unheralded juggernaut Glover Teixeira wrecks Rua’s viability, and a win over Glover hardly propels him up the light-heavyweight ladder.

No doubt, Teixeira is bloodcurdling challenge. As evidenced by his rout over Kyle Kingsbury, the Brazilian whiz kid possesses a range of lethal talents—both on the ground and standing.

Yes, Glover is a beast and he may well contend for the belt. Yet among casual fans, he’s still just “some guy.”

If “Shogun” were to be sunk by Teixeira, casual fans would crap all over Rua. He’d be losing to a “nobody.” Not only would Rua’s esteem with casual fans be demoted, but he’d be relegated to insignificance—he’d tumble to the base of the 205 ladder.

Also, “Shogun” would be risking his future salary on the gambit of battling Teixeira.

Fabricio Werdum signed a lucrative, six fight contract with the UFC in 2007. When Junior dos Santos punished Werdum with uppercuts from hell, UFC brass insisted on cutting Werdum’s pay. He lost to a “nobody,” after all. Say, whatever happened to that “nobody”?

Werdum, outraged, left the organization for greener (literally – ka ching) pastures. Rua foresees such absurdity plaguing him.

Rua is not a myopic brawler, poisoned by testosterone. He has nothing to prove. He’s playing his cards well. 

A loss to Rua would serve Dana White and Co. well at the bargaining table.

“You lost to this newbie? You’ve suffered two consecutive losses? And you expect me to pay you $150,000 to fight again?” Shogun’s wallet would shrivel.

Refusing to fight Teixeira was a tactical choice on Rua’s part—both for his Octagonal success and his financial success. And to call “Shogun” anything less than a smoldering furnace of manhood is just rubbish typed by spiteful keyboard warriors.    

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UFC: Fighters with Most KO Power in Each Division

Fighters must hone a collection of skills in order to contend in the Octagon. But some fighters are gifted with the inherent ability to crumple their foe with a single smack. At any given second, those with knockout power can turn the tide of a fight. …

Fighters must hone a collection of skills in order to contend in the Octagon. But some fighters are gifted with the inherent ability to crumple their foe with a single smack.

At any given second, those with knockout power can turn the tide of a fight. They can seize victory from looming defeat. Their opponents must be mindful of their power, lest their minds be turned off.

A slew of brawlers have built reputations for their devastating power, but a select few have stratified themselves as accredited “knockout artists.”   

Take a look: here’s a list of the fighters with the most KO power in each UFC division (flyweights excluded). 

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3 Reasons Joe Rogan Has the Best Job in the UFC (and the World)

Hugh Hefner aside, Joe Rogan has the best job on Earth. Compensated handsomely, the UFC’s color commentator enjoys a “job” that many fight fans, like me, would submit themselves to slavery to enjoy.Alas, while you and I are deep-fryin…

Hugh Hefner aside, Joe Rogan has the best job on Earth.

Compensated handsomely, the UFC’s color commentator enjoys a “job” that many fight fans, like me, would submit themselves to slavery to enjoy.

Alas, while you and I are deep-frying french fries and scrubbing fecal matter out of toilets for meager pay, Rogan is befriending our MMA heroes and providing live insight on their fights. And he’s making wonderful figures while doing this “job.”

But Rogan’s career provides a slew of other enticing perks that stratify it as the coolest job in the world.

Here they are: three reasons why Joe Rogan has the coolest job in the UFC (and the coolest job in the world, really). 

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UFC on FX 3: Questions We Have About Erick Silva

Erick Silva may be one of the premiere prospects in the welterweight division, yet the viability of his overall MMA game in the UFC remains a mystery. His UFC performances have been impressive and one-sided, but we haven’t seen his full range of …

Erick Silva may be one of the premiere prospects in the welterweight division, yet the viability of his overall MMA game in the UFC remains a mystery.

His UFC performances have been impressive and one-sided, but we haven’t seen his full range of skills.

In fact, our perception of Silva is very limited: His bouts within the Octagon have lasted a combined one minute. That’s not enough time to assess the nuances of his MMA game.

He was able to quickly vanquish his meager foes with punches—disregarding his gross disqualification loss. We know the magnitude of his punching power, and that’s about it.

How’s his ground game?

His waist dons two belts that may speak to his ground skills: a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a black belt in Judo. But credentials don’t necessarily equal success in the Octagon.

Charlie Brenneman will be the wrestler to illuminate Silva’s ground work, either in a flattering or ugly light. We’ll see if he can pass the imminent “wrestler test.”

Judo practitioners often possess stellar takedown defense. More often than not, Silva has been able to dictate where his fights take place. But amongst the most talented pool of fighters in the world, his takedown defense will be given its most serious test yet.

Since he’s destroyed his sub-par opponents with such haste, his cardio is a mystery too. 

Brenneman, a grinding wrestler, figures to test the depth of Silva’s gas tank. The Brazilian juggernaut swings ferociously, seeking instant victory with every punch. That torrid pace might not be sustainable throughout three rounds against a hardened wrestler.

It also remains to be seen if Silva’s striking arsenal is well-rounded. Thus far, he’s exclusively relied on his monstrous punches to sink his foes.

How’s his clinch game? And his kicks?

Silva entered the UFC with gaudy expectations, and he’s lived up to them. But in doing so, he’s used only one aspect of his MMA game—his punches.

His overall prowess remains a mystery to UFC fans. 

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