...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
UFC 161 is less than two weeks away, and the UFC is currently in search of a replacement opponent for Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the night's co-main event. "Shogun" was supposed to be taking on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in a rematch of a 2006 Pride bout, but Nogueira was forced out of the fight this weekend due to a nagging back injury.
Finding a quality replacement on such short notice is no easy task, and there haven't been many hints as to which way the UFC might go, other than the fact that they were, indeed, searching for a replacement. However, one person has at least expressed interest in taking the fight: Chael Sonnen.
After previously calling out Wanderlei Silva, only to have that not yet come together, Sonnen took to Twitter to throw his name in the mix to step up against the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
@shogunrua I HEAR BRAZILIAN CHICKEN IS OFF THE MENU. AMERICAN GANGSTER IS STILL AVAILABLE IF YOU WANT TO SEND YOUR WAITRESS OVER.
While not an official call-out, the point is made, and if the UFC is willing - and if Sonnen is truly willing - to put that fight together on less than two week's notice, that may be a way to placate the Winnipeg audience.
Penick's Analysis: Sonnen's probably the best option available right now from a name standpoint, at least of a name opponent who would be willing to take that fight on two weeks notice. Not to mention Shogun's got to agree to the fight as well, and he has to believe he can defeat Sonnen given his strengths on the ground were he to be taken down. If it's not Sonnen, we may be in for another "Ilir Latifi" situation, where a fighter somewhere in Canada is tapped due to his proximity more than anything. For now, we wait, but they'll have to make a move soon on this front.
[Chael Sonnen art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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