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COLUMN: Nine reasons to cheer for Chael Sonnen at UFC 117
Jul 29, 2010 - 12:56:36 PM COLUMN: Nine reasons to cheer for Chael Sonnen at UFC 117

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By: Mike Bacior, MMATorch Contributor

With all of the Chael Sonnen hate that is being thrown around, and with the continued defenders of Anderson Silva, I thought I'd point out some reasons to want Chael to win.

1. Anderson Silva fights have gotten very old.

No, I'm not talking about his age. Watching him dance around opponents like he is in a ballroom makes me feel sick to my stomach. I'll admit that when he is actually trying, his striking is a thing of beauty. Lately, however, he seems more interested in auditioning for "So You Think You Can Dance."

2. Chael constantly brings it.

Some people may think that he is just a typical wrestler who lays and prays (a la Gray Maynard), but trust me, this guy works. Watching him pound away from the guard, even throwing combinations, is beautiful in its own right.

3. Chael is not intimidated by anyone.

This is an obvious fact, as he has made many negative comments about Silva, as well as other fighters, which simply proves to me that he is not intimidated and will not be on fight night.

4. Though some of the things Chael says are bit outlandish, he often speaks the truth.

I find some of his comments about Ed Soares to be particularly amusing, but also true. I agree with Chael when he says that Anderson wants to have a barrier between himself and the media, and even fans. C'mon, he can speak English!

5. Silva's disrespect.

This goes along with his ballroom dancing skills, but one of the things that irks me is this fake respect he shows to some opponents. He went out and graciously bowed to Demian Maia, just to toy with him for 5 rounds?! He bows and lets Forrest Griffin up, just to put his hands down and make him look foolish?! That is annoying.

6. The hype Chael can bring to fights.

Apparently, he already has someone he is going to call out after this fight (assuming he wins). Need I say more?

7. Chael is a tough, tough dude.

This guy has eaten all sorts of strikes over the years, and if you watched his fight with Nate Marquardt, you can see his level of toughness. He ate a huge flying knee, elbows that sliced him wide open, and survived two tight, tight guillotine choke attempts.

8. Anderson's recent comments about staying at 185 lb.

If Silva does win, now we know that we will most likely never see him fight Shogun. With Vitor Belfort left as the only legitimate challenger after Sonnen, if Anderson gets past him, who is next? GSP is tied up for a while, and a fight between GSP and Silva is not a sure thing, even a while down the road.

9. All the fresh matchups for a new champion.

We saw how Frankie Edgar's win opened up the lightweight division for a host of exciting new fights (then they gave B.J. the rematch, dang it). When a champion reigns for a long time, it becomes harder and harder to find legitimate, exciting contenders. We see it happening with the welterweight division right now.

Well, I know not everyone will agree with what I just wrote. However, I know one other thing too: when I sit down on my (or my friend's) couch on August 7, I will be rooting for Chael Sonnen.