Tag: Chael Sonnen

Michael “The Count” Bisping has ignited the fuse ahead of his epic encounter with Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2, by stating that he will submit Sonnen if he takes him down.

Bisping was propelled into the co-main event after Mark Munoz pulled out due to an injury sustained to his elbow.

“I’m going to get the best Chael Sonnen possible I know that,” Bisping told Fighters Only. “But his jiu-jitsu won’t be too slick.”

“Chael Sonnen can take me down if he likes, because I know I can submit him off my back. I know I can. That’s his big weakness.”

Sonnen’s susceptibility to submissions has been well-documented. To date, eight of Sonnen’s 11 defeats have come as a result of his inability to defend submissions.

He’s succumbed to the likes of Anderson Silva, Demian Maia, Paulo Filho, Jeremy Horn (twice) and Forrest Griffin.

The last time Bisping submitted an opponent was almost six years ago and that was against Ross Pointon whilst competing on The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 reality series.

Thus far, “The Count” has a total of four submissions in his career (two via strikes, one arm bar and a choke).

Nonetheless, Bisping said he’s been training with some of the elite practitioners of the art and now believes he stands a great chance against Sonnen if and when the fight hits the mat.

“I may not have a black belt, but I consider myself a black belt. I’ve been rolling with Jake Shields, Dean Lister and a wash of other world champions. Believe me, if Chael Sonnen takes me down he better be prepared to get submitted.

“Working with these guys recently, these top level jiu-jitsu guys, has really brought on my game and I am so comfortable on my back right now. In the past I have stood fights up a lot but the way I am training right now, I will be delighted if Chael takes me down. If he does, then it will be a short night for him.”

On the other hand, Sonnen is a former NCAA Division I wrestler, a base wherein most of his strengths lie.

However, it’s also safe to say that the Oregon native is by no means a novice when it comes to submissions, having four to his name as well, including an armbar he locked in to submit Brian Stann in his most recent outing at UFC 136.

With the fight scheduled to take place in less than a fortnight, and having little time to prepare for what could be the penultimate crowning glory in his career, Bisping is exuding confidence in abundance.

Enough conviction to suggest he’s as determined as ever to book his flight to Brazil and vie for the 185 lb crown.

“Without a shadow of a doubt this is the biggest fight of my career,” Bisping said. “It’s going to be the most watched fight of all time, with it going live on Fox TV, and I am fighting the number one contender. This is my title fight.

“I beat this guy and I am fighting for the title. I’m going to Brazil and it’s me that will be getting the big pay day. There is no doubt that I will beat this guy too. I am the better fighter. No doubt, he is a tough motherf**ker, but it’s my big opportunity and I will be ready.”

UFC on Fox 2 is set for Jan. 28, 2012, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

 

For additional information, follow Nedu Obi on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Michael Bisping is saying Chael Sonnen doesn’t possess the all-around skill set required to either knock him out or submit him when the two combatants clash at UFC on Fox 2 later this month.

What awaits the winner is a chance to vie for Anderson Silva’s middleweight crown.

“Next week, I’m ready to go all guns blazing. A fight is a fight, and at this level anything can happen. But all things being equal, Chael Sonnen cannot knock me out. He can’t submit me, either.

“The worst that is going to happen is that he will outpoint me and, if I don’t beat him, I didn’t deserve a title shot against Anderson Silva anyway,” Bisping told ESPN.co.uk.

For Bisping, the opportunity to fight in the co-main event presented itself when Mark Munoz, Sonnen’s original opponent, had to pull out following an elbow injury he incurred in training.

An opportunity Bisping wholeheartedly accepted after the UFC hierarchy informed him of the situation.

With less than two weeks to prepare for what could turn out to be the biggest fight of his MMA career, “The Count” (22-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) is already strategizing on how to wreck Sonnen’s title aspirations.

“Dana hadn’t even finished saying Munoz was out before I was planning how to beat Sonnen in my head. I’ve accepted fights on short notice for the UFC throughout my career, but this one is a massive, massive chance for me, and I am very grateful to Dana, Joe Silva and the UFC,” Bisping told Fox.

“I was already hugely grateful to be asked to fight on Fox, but to fight Chael on Fox … well, there are hundreds of fighters who would kill for this opportunity and I would have had to be a fool to turn it down.”

Earlier, Sonnen told USA Today that he was giving Bisping his full backing.

“I’m a Bisping supporter. I think he has. I think he’s fought a lot of important matches,” Sonnen said.

UFC on Fox 2 is set for Jan. 28, 2012, at the United Center in Chicago, Ill.

 

For additional information, follow Nedu Obi on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

I had a lot of things to tell you about Chael Sonnen. About his first MMA fight with a high level wrestler. About the mental dexterity it takes to convince yourself you can beat an opponent who has bested you in the past. About what happens when two wrestling juggernauts meet in the middle of the cage to settle a score and earn a title shot.

I won’t be telling you any of those things.

Sonnen’s fight with former NCAA champion Mark Munoz was cancelled yesterday after Munoz was forced to bow out with an injury. In his stead to save the day, riding the white horse for perhaps the first time in his UFC career, comes British striker Michael Bisping—the internet exploded.

Bisping and Sonnen. It’s a dream fight in a lot of ways. Not so much in the cage, where fans and oddsmakers see Sonnen as a heavy favorite. But behind the scenes, on radio shows, podcasts and television shows. It has the makings of an epic.

For now, Sonnen is content to bide his time. Nothing I said or asked him yesterday shortly after the announcement evoked even a shred of emotion. The trash talk that has helped him rise from journeyman to superstar was nowhere to be seen.

Does he respect Bisping?

“I’ve never been clear on what respect means. I hear [the word] thrown around a lot, and how it equates to a lowly cage fighter is beyond me,” Sonnen said.

Why do you think the fans don’t seem to like Bisping much?

“He has sold out a lot of different arenas. What other measuring stick compares?”

 

Even rank jingoism couldn’t force him to play his hand. Is he proud to represent America against an invading British fighter?

“I don’t get caught up anything this isn’t Chael P. Sonnen. I look out for No. 1,” Sonnen said, before conceding one issue with Bisping and his British fans. “They have got the Oxford English Dictionary, and it if wasn’t thanks to us, it would be the Oxford GERMAN Dictionary.”

The trash talk will likely come. When it does, the sane people will all have a laugh and the serious pundits will complain about how it sullies the sport. Right now, Sonnen is too focused on Bisping the fighter. The questions he and his team are answering involve crushing him in the cage. Hurting his feelings will have to come later.

The fight itself seems like an afterthought to many fans who expect Sonnen to be able to ground Bisping and control the bout on the mat. Sonnen bristles at the idea this is an easy fight.

Does Sonnen think Bisping really believes he can stay off the mat against a bruising wrestler like himself?

“Your question implies that Mike thinks he can,” Sonnen said. “Does that mean you spoke to him?  You spoke to Mike Bisping in the last two hours since the bout was announced, then you had time to concoct these questions for me? Wow, you have been busy.”

While Chael goes out of his way to defend Bisping, his opponent was quick to the attack, telling ESPN “Chael Sonnen cannot knock me out. He can’t submit me, either.” Sonnen seems non-plussed by the comments.

“Let him have fun. There is only one Mona Lisa, one Leaning Tower of Pisa, one Saks 5th Avenue and one Chael P. Sonnen,” Sonnen said, referring to himself in the third person. “I have been putting the finishing touches on my preparation. When I am done, I’ll tackle the scales. The match itself is down the road.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com