A case for Sonnen deserving the shot

[MCS]

If he beats Vitor, him, Weidman and Anderson are the only fighters who hold wins over 3 or more currently ranked MW's from this site: Vitor, Bisping and Okami.

His only losses at MW since returning to the UFC in 2009 are two losses to Anderson and a loss to Maia in his return debut.

Chael & Vitor were the 2 top contenders at MW for years. Both have been fighting at 205 since then, where Vitor is 1-1 and Chael is 1-2. Both lost to Jones.

Vitor is the top contender. Beat him, everything else is a step-down. Rockhold recently lost to Vitor. Jacare's most highly ranked win in the UFC is Okami, who Sonnen also beat.

Those were facts, here's an opinion: with Chael's forward-charging power-wrestling style, Weidman's wrestling will be tested for the first time. I didn't believe Munoz could do it, but Sonnen outwrestled Okami, which no-one else in the UFC has done (he was with them for 18 fights).

 

[loopholbrook]

I don't think Chael beats Weidman, but if he beats Vitor, he deserves the fight. I do think Sonnen would beat Machida.

 

[MCS]

I don't think he beats any of them, but that Weidman fight is the most interesting one since Chris' wrestling is still untested. Machida will test his striking more, Chael his wrestling. Jacare would sub him, Rockhold probably as well.

 

[Lloydster]

It's unfortunate that this fight is taking place at 205 instead of 185. There's no denying that either of those guys are worthy of fighting Weidman.

 

[Akordas]

I am Chael biggest fan but to be honest Chael days are over. I hate Vitor, but Vitor would be my bet pick.

 

[7437]

I am Chael biggest fan but to be honest Chael days are over. I hate Vitor, but Vitor would be my bet pick.

I think this is a pretty common sentiment. if Chael does win though, he would be a legit challenger.

 

[MarloStanfield]

his performances in title fights is embarrassing so i say he doesnt deserve a shot ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้

 

[jmd69]

Wait...forgive me for not knowing...but what weight are Sonnen and Belfort fighting at on this one?

 

[foard32]

I think Chael is underrated at this point because of how bad he looked at 205. He was just way too small and didn't translate well to the bigger weight class.

He's still a force at 185, as TS stated. I don't know if he can beat Weidman, I'd pick against him, but I definitely think he can take Vitor.

 

[Rvd Slmr]

He hasn't even fought at MW since losing the secound time to Silva, he hasn't won a MW fight since 2012. Sonnen is just helpless against the best wrestlers, IMO he'll get crushed like against Jones and Rashad.

 

[jmd69]

TS has some valid points me thinks on this fight at MW with regards to standings and next shot at Weidman (if he wins against Machida).

By the way, Jacare would sub who? Chael or Weidman?

 

[the handcuff00]

his performances in title fights is embarrassing so i say he doesnt deserve a shot ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้

exactly. his best title fight was the first loss to silva when he got busted for cheating.

his act is tiresome, d-level wwe heel schtick that he either stole from muhammed ali or full metal jacket. he wilts under pressure, has worse submission defense than hammerhouse, got gifted a decision against f'ing bisping, and has never come close to beating a champion except for the time he cheated against anderson.

he's basically a wrestling version of stephan bonnar who scripts his d-level smack talk.

 

[MarloStanfield]

exactly. his best title fight was the first loss to silva when he got busted for cheating.

his act is tiresome, d-level wwe heel schtick that he either stole from muhammed ali or full metal jacket. he wilts under pressure, has worse submission defense than hammerhouse, got gifted a decision against f'ing bisping, and has never come close to beating a champion except for the time he cheated against anderson.

he's basically a wrestling version of stephan bonnar who scripts his d-level smack talk.

true dat bra ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ค้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้

 

[5H3RD0G]

There are a lot of guys ahead of him, if he beats Jacare, Rockhold, Romero, Machida then sure but Vitor come on now.

 

[Kneepocalypse]

he almost lost to Bisping.

 

[DirtyLandry**]

Doesn't matter, Vitor gonna fuck this dude up

 

[IMPmmath]

He should have to win a fight at 185 against another top 5 guy.One of the young guns in the division not coming off trt .His loss to Rashad was too recent and was a horrible performance.
A win over Vitor brings back his hype and puts him in line for a #1 contender fight.

 

[Koro_11]

Chael is not a title contender, and he already got 2 title shots he didn't even earn. He's not a great fighter, he's not an exciting fighter, and he folds as soon as things dont go his way. There is plenty of guys at MW much more deserving.

That said this is UFC, and Lesnar got a shot with a 1-1 record and the win being a decision over a washed up Heath Herring lol.

 

[Jose Aldo Nova]

Dana's case for Sonnen deserving a shot: $$$$$$

 

[Hummel]

I just feel sorry for Sonnen because I think he will be embarassed by Vitor.