Whether you love or hate Chael Sonnen, there’s no denying that it’s a rare feat to control—let alone manhandle—him around the Octagon.
Yet in the moments after the fight, Sonnen couldn’t have been clearer when he declared, “I had one predominant problem tonight, and that is I fought a guy that’s a better fighter than I am. You could have left me out there for 25 more minutes, I wasn’t getting out.”
Sure, Jon Jones may have also controlled the “American Gangster” with relative ease but that was Jon Jones—he’s a creature of a uniquely different nature.
Sonnen vs. Evans was billed as a bout that would be more even-keeled, similar wrestling backgrounds from fighters with similar physiques.
It wasn’t.
Evans overpowered Sonnen in the clinch, got him to the ground, passed to full mount and rained hellfire on the side of his head until the referee had seen enough.
Thankfully, the future is far brighter for Sonnen—much like his recent victory against Shogun Rua, he’ll have a far easier time handling Wanderlei Silva when they clash after their run on the Ultimate Fighter Brazil.
But let’s examine what the future holds beyond Silva.
In a post-fight interview, Sonnen was very clear about wanting to “return to 185 and continue his best work there.”
So which top-10 middleweights are convincing matchups for Sonnen after his spat with Silva is put to rest?