If you think Fedor-Sonnen was a work...

[JustOnce]

When you have some time, check out a similar match up between Lombard and Jake Shield. A high level Judoka vs a high level wrestler, where Lombard legit ragdolled Jake Shield in the clinch and what not.

Fedor isn't just a sambo guy. Fedor isn't a worse Judoka than Lombard, Lombard just had easier competition at his weight class. Fedor was quoted saying, "..I went to fighting because I had no other choice. Until then I was in the Russian National Judo Team. Tamerlan Tmenov, the future 2x Olympic Medalist was at that time No.1. Alexander Mihailin, nowadays, a 3x World Champion in Judo, was considered No. 2. And I was 3rd. I was in the national team for 2 years, but it was hard to go higher than 3rd"

In general, until perhaps Khabib came along, Fedor was really an exception and Sambo fighters didn't really enjoy the highest level of success in MMA, and most of the time they really don't have wrestling like Khabib or Judo like Fedor to compete against the highest level of BJJ guys or wrestlers, so people might be left wondering what's going on when they see something they are not used to seeing, and might attribute it to just Fedor being stronger. Fedor is a better Judoka than Sonnen is a wrestler for one, but no one really mentions that. He's just a sambo guy.

Calling that fight a work in any shape or form is doing disservice to Fedor who only had 9 pounds weight advantage over a former middleweight/lightheavyweight, and it's not any more ridiculous than Chael claiming he was trying to rope and dope by balling up and saying he didn't think ref would stop the fight when he was explicitly warning him so.

I guess I just keep pointing out the fact that Fedor was an exceptional Judoka, because for whatever reason, this isn't often mentioned when speaking about Fedor, and personally, Sambo still isn't really the background, in my opinion, that is as strong as BJJ or wrestling, when you look at the track record in general, or have a pool of competition like Judo or wrestling for one, so would like to point out how awesome FEdor is when I can I suppose.

With all due respect though , I think Fedor would like to think and present himself as Sambo guy and just that.

 

[genecop]

Only idiots think it was a work....that’s what two middle aged men rolling around a cage looks like..

 

[Andrei Orlovski]

Sonnen felt Fedor's power and knew he needed to finish on the ground as soon as possible. Tried roll with Fedor's back and messed up, couldn't roll Fedor over. A quick finish for Fedor would be better for Bellator, Sonnen had an excuse not to get up when he took a clean punch from Fedor within 5 seconds.

 

[cade187]

Clearly the notion has gotten to you TS, or else you wouldn't creature a wall of text defending it.

FWIW: Didn't Read LOL

 

[Bacco]

Only idiots think it was a work.

/thread

 

[Sasquatch Smith]

I don't think it was a work, but I also don't think Chael cared in the least if he won or lost. I think he knew he'd most likely lose, and took his way out...the moment when he started covering up at the end just looked weird. It was like you could see him decide he didn't feel like going to round 2 so he covered up and waited for the ref.

Fedor is my favorite fighter of all time easily, I knew Chael would have nothing for him unless he got tired (which it looked like he started to). Glad he won, but it was definitely a weird fight.

 

[EVIL WAR GOD]

Chael was completely compromised after that first left hand dropped him.

 

[crxer]

Only newbies that joined in 2018 think it's a work, everyone that has been a fan for along time and been watching fedor forever know whats up. Can't believe im seeing this shit "a work" lmfao. Over the years ive seen real WORK fights and this is NOT one of them... casuals...

 

[ralphus1]

I'm not saying it was a work, but Chael found creative ways to lose against both Tito and Fedor.

Kind of like Ken losing to Kimbo.

 

[Mammothman]

Fedor was serious, like always but I'm not sure about Sonnen, I thought it was fixed, then I thought he didn´t care but now I'm thinking he was just mentally defeated before entering the cage, we know always get brutalized when he fight real GOATs, I think he just trained normally and hoped for the best lol

 

[Shadowthrone]

Chael got his head launched into the 10th row 5 seconds in, don't think it was a work just a couple 40+ guys bangin

 

[trident]

Not the first time we've seen Chael lose due to a very bad in fight decision.

 

[Paulsp]

Chael just sucks and always has

 

[silvasurfer5253]

Chael quits when he gets overwhelmed. It just looks weird, and people start talking about a work. See the Tito fight, the Shad fight, basically, any fight that he ends up on bottom.

 

[Eisenhans]

I don't understand why people are so opposed to sports with lots of money involved being works. Just look up the scandals on Olympic boxing, wrestling or TKD. And that's the Olympics.

 

[Paulsp]

Lmao can someone plz explain what chael did though

 

[DoctorNick]

It was a great HW vs an overachieving MW, are people this fucking dense?

 

[Jballer]

Chael is a consummate loser. No work there.

 

[Muay Thai #1]

Definetly wasnt a work.

Chael took more punishment than I thought he would.

Really disappointed me that he gave up, Fedor was legit getting tired and Chael probably would have had more success in the 2nd round

 

[chukutee]

Chael is a convicted felon. Anybody who thinks he's not throwing fights or running some betting scam on the side is naive. All his Bellator fights have weird sequences.