The UFC Most Wanted – Chael Sonnen
By Christopher Jester
After his impressive victory over Maurcio “Shogun” Rua, Chael Sonnen may have become numero uno on everyone’s Most Wanted list. With a win that gets him past his back-to-back losses to UFC champions Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, Chael Sonnen is now a precious commodity in the UFC. Sonnen was so close to becoming irrelevant in two weight classes, but is currently a wanted man in two divisions. He has men gunning for him, and there is a myriad of reasons why.
Just a few years ago, despite having a career which was blotchy with submission losses and never having had participated in a match that made him a household name, Chael Sonnen was always that fighter who was elite enough to get to top contention but never good enough to capture the headlines. So what changed, you may ask? His five round beatdown of then UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.
Sonnen was the first man to make Silva look human in the Octagon, and he did so with the fervor of a pro-wrestling when he spoke to any sort of media outlet. Whether it seemed gimmicky or not, it has made Sonnen relevant. Despite losing to Silva, his shtick got people to think that Silva was afraid of him. And why not? He had barely lost a match that he was sure to win and Silva was not exactly hip to the thought of fighting him again.
Even after losing a second fight to Silva, his gift of gab got him an undeserved title shot against UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. He would end up losing this fight as well. So, after defeating a former champion in Shogun Rua soundly at UFC Fight Night 26 on Saturday August 17th, there is little surprise to hear that so many people are begging for the opportunity to fight Sonnen.
All of that was said to say this: Sonnen is rare gift in the UFC. He finds ways to headline cards. A lot of that is thanks to his promotional skills. The UFC does not have to hire anyone to market this guy. He markets himself. The fight could be against one of the worst fighters in the UFC, but Sonnen would make you feel like it was the most important fight of all time. That is just how talented he is when someone puts a mic to his lips.
Sonnen has been campaigning to face Wanderlei Silva but just moments after Sonnen defeated Shogun, Vitor Belfort tweeted that he wanted dibs on Sonnen next. It would seem like nearly every Brazilian wants to finally shut Sonnen up but light-heavyweight contender Phil Davis mentioned that he would face Sonnen as well. The point is that it is inevitable for any fighter in the middleweight and light-heavyweight division to look past a payday that taking a bout against Chael Sonnen could become. If that fighter is a top contender, and most are likely to be at this point, they are likely going to headline or co-headline a fight card. Better yet, there is going to be some major implications to it; whether it is official or not – Chael Sonnen will make some implications.
At this point however, Chael Sonnen can dictate his pace. He is surely in the position to. Whether he chases after titles or not, fighters will want to gain from the popularity of Sonnen. Having your name uttered with Sonnen at this point is gold. What makes this all the more ironic is that if Sonnen keeps winning he will find his way back into title contention. He has that ability to make himself a target, and as long as he keeps doing so, he will remain one of the most wanted men in the UFC.
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
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