FACEBOOK TWITTER RSS APP PODCAST Opinion & Analysis : Bjorn Hansen's Take HANSEN: Chael Sonnen can't get no satisfaction - constantly coming in second

Aug 14, 2010 - 9:29:22 PM

By: Bjorn Hansen, MMATorch Columnist

“It’s devastating, my heart's broken. I wrestled for a world championship, I came in second, I fought in the WEC for a world championship, I came in second, in the UFC, (coughs in disgust) again I’m a runner up, and it hurts really bad.”

-August 7, 2010 - Chael Sonnen describing his post-fight emotions following his gut-wrenching historic misfortune at UFC 117.


A Harbinger of Heartbreak

November 5, 2008 - WEC 36: Chael Sonnen had just handily defeated a highly touted Brazilian, whose biggest weakness was his mysterious episodes of disinterest in the cage.

There Sonnen was, standing in the cage, a victor in all technical terms, yet a loser in the most desirous category: Champion.

This narrative sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Except on that November 5, that particular Brazilian, during that instance, was Paulo Filho, and that particular cage was in the WEC.

Sonnen won the fight, but not the championship.

Little did Sonnen, or anyone else in the MMA galaxy know, that this fight would serve as a harbinger to the most shocking fight in the world’s most premier promotion.

An Undying Promise

Chael made a bedside promise to his dying pops that his son would indeed become an MMA Champion, or as Sonnen namely described it, "the toughest man on the planet." Period.

And so for the last seven years, Chael Sonnen became a man hell-bent on not breaking that promise. Through a will power immune to fatigue and allergic to self-indulgence, he persevered. Then, under the tutelage of legends like Randy Couture, and Matt Lindland, Sonnen transformed himself from a great college wrestler into an exceedingly dangerous mixed martial artist.

A Gaping Grappling Hole

Every successful fighter has an Achilles heel. Shane Carwin has a ten-quart gas-tank. Brock Lesnar has disturbingly porous boxing defense. Chael Sonnen, despite his ultra-effective style of takedowns and rabbit punching ground-and-pound, has been uncomfortably susceptible to submissions.

It was how Paulo Filho first took championship glory away from Sonnen. It was how Forrest Griffin managed to walk away with a first round stoppage against Chael, a couple promotions ago. It would also be how Chael Sonnen would tarnish his return to the UFC; World-elite BJJ practitioner Demian Maia tapped out Sonnen with a highlight reel triangle-choke early in the first round during UFC 95.

Hello, My Name is Chael, and I’m a Workaholic

O.K. So that was not the best way to state your case for title contention. That’s alright. Where others see the agony of "starting over," Sonnen sees blissful opportunity. Never one to rest on his laurels, he responds by doing what he does best: having the tenacity and mettle to keep chasing his undying promise by working diligently to improve.

His opponents and the MMA world would never view him under the same light thereafter.

First he manhandled the virtually immovable Yushin Okami. He followed that performance by steam-rolling through the athletically versatile and perennially contending Nate Marquardt. He had done it. Without any fanfare, he had finally reached the top of Mount UFC.

There was only one problem; the summit’s sentry was none other than "The Spider" Anderson Silva.

Chael Goes Off

What followed will go down in MMA history, as the most bombastic, invective and yet in a strange way, laudable, heartfelt, and downright compelling smack talk this side of the WWE border.

In Chael’s words:

“When I go off, it’s like a bomb, and everyone around me is going to get dirty. That’s the way that it goes. I don’t offer an apology for any of that stuff. These guys need to get thicker skins. And second off, Everyone in the UFC should issue an apology except me. You stick a microphone in a guy’s face, and he calls out anybody but the champ, and Joe Silva should fax him his pink slip. Right then.”

And call out the champ he did. Speaking in a tone that was anything but disingenuous, Sonnen began to reveal his sincere attitude regarding The Spider:

“He’s not the bully of the playground when Chael’s around. His eyes go to the curb. He doesn’t even look me in the eye... This guy’s no more real than the Lochness Monster... [and]he needs me to expose him.”

Arachnid Exposure

The only people not flabbergasted this past weekend at UFC 117 were Chael and his kindred. In fact, most felt Dana White would have to be contacting Chael’s kindred after the fight. After Chael’s histrionic display of pre-fight hype, most foresaw this ending as a cautionary tale of what happens when opening your mouth against the wrong fighter.

After all, Anderson Silva, desire still intact, was the world’s most feared and revered fighter. He has yet to lose in the Octagon in twelve fights, and if you (rightfully) discount his disqualification loss against Yushin Okami, he’s riding a fifteen fight win streak.

Then you look at Sonnen’s pedestrian record, and you wonder why they’re even in the same Octagon.

But then you reexamine Anderson’s hit list and you recognize something’s glaringly missing: fighter’s with a proven wrestling pedigree.

As Dana said during the countdown:

“I think [Chael] brings a completely different dimension on Anderson, he’s been fighting these Jui Jitsu guys, who have a hard time taking him down, but Chael Sonnen will get him down to the ground, that I guarantee you.”

Sure, there was Dan Henderson. But let’s be honest; as good as Hendo was, and he did give Anderson fits in the first round of their bout, he was thirty-eight at the time, and was fixated on knocking Silva out. Nevertheless, Henderson learned Anderson’s high center of gravity left him prone to the takedown. Being part of the Team Quest brethren, I’m sure that knowledge eventually trickled down to Chael.

How else could Chael be not only so self-assured, but deadly accurate in his pre-fight hype?

"People keep asking me if I’m preparing for a war. Guys, This isn’t going to be a war, this is going to be a one-sided pounding, and I’m swinging the hammer... I’m going to grab his legs, and I’m going to push him up against the fence, and I’m going to put him on his prissy little ass."

Could he have been more forthright? These were not facetious remarks. Not only did he do exactly that, but he gave Anderson fair warning to prepare for it.

For twenty-three minutes, Chael Sonnen made Anderson Silva look downright ordinary; just like any other run of the mill, striking super-star who just doesn’t possess adequate takedown defense in MMA (taking notes James Toney?).

The Promise Keeper Cures The Spider

Almost forgotten in the commotion, unlike UFC 90, 97, and 112, there was no prima donna performance by Anderson. There was no boondoggling in the Octagon during a UFC Middleweight Championship bout, for a refreshing change.

The Champ was engaged from bell to bell, just as Sonnen had promised. In fact, Sonnen kept just about every promise, except one.

Even though you won’t hear it from him, Chael has everything in the world to be proud of. Cracked rib or not, Anderson put his belt on the line when he walked in that Octagon, and he’s never been as close to having it snatched away from his hands as he did that night. Dramatic fifth round triangle-choke notwithstanding, he’s never looked more mortal.

Starting From Scratch

Nevertheless, there was Sonnen again, standing in the cage, a victor in most technical terms, yet a loser in the most desirous category: Champion.

Sonnen won the fight (for the most part), but lost the championship.

We all know, he’s probably out somewhere, losing sleep, hauling cement cinderblocks in a wheelbarrow, continuing the workmanlike approach to life he learned from his late father. Sounds intense, huh?

Just ask Sonnen what he’s willing to sacrifice to keep his undying promise.

“It’s a life time of work, for that one moment... where I’ve sacrificed... every relationship I’ve had, every material item, I [would] give them all back, I would start over tomorrow from scratch, to be Champion for one night.”

Questions, Comments? Email me at Bjorn.hansen@fiu.edu.