One more for the bad guy.
After being branded an underdog, Chael Sonnen answered with a first-round submission win over former UFC light heavyweight champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua on Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 26.
Shogun, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, appeared to completely underestimate Sonnen’s submission skills.
Sonnen was determined to lock up the guillotine choke, as he made several attempts to secure the hold standing and on the ground. Despite the obvious attempts, Shogun persistently left his neck exposed without the slightest fear of being in danger. Sonnen eventually made him pay by latching on a deep, standing guillotine choke and pulling guard for the tap at 4:47 of the first round.
“I’m the man of the hour, too sweet to be sour. What you see is what you get and what you don’t is better yet. I’m the women’s pick. I’m the men’s regret, and if you pick against Chael Sonnen, you made a bad bet,” Sonnen told UFC commentator Joe Rogan after the fight.
Sonnen confirmed on a recent episode of UFC Tonight that he wanted to return to the middleweight division after his fight with Shogun.
Here are five fights for him to take next.