Hyden's Take
HYDEN BLOG: Frankie Edgar, and Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2
Oct 12, 2011 - 8:00:09 AM HYDEN BLOG: Frankie Edgar, and Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2

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By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor

The two biggest things coming out of UFC 136 were Frankie Edgar getting the knockout win over Gray Maynard and Chael Sonnen calling out Anderson Silva. Edgar getting the finish on Maynard was a great capper to their trilogy. It also allowed Edgar to show that he's more than just a scrappy wrestler who can take a beating. We did see that again in this fight, though, as Maynard nearly had Edgar out. It was a great comeback by Edgar and you can pretty much guarantee that the UFC will eventually put out a DVD collection of the Edgar vs. Maynard fights. They should do that because they were good fights and deserve a look back at them.

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Chael Sonnen had a great showing against Brian Stann. Sonnen also got the submission finish, which made the fight even better. We all know Sonnen is capable of out-wrestling a lot of fighters, so to see him get a submission win is a good thing for Sonnen fans. It's pretty clear that Stann has a way to go before he can compete at the upper levels of the UFC MIddleweight division. I think he can do it. Stann has great power, now he just needs to polish the rest of the game.

As for Sonnen calling out Anderson Silva, I'm all for it. This is assuming, of course, that they both agree to the stakes. If Sonnen loses, which I think he will, he can never compete in the UFC ever again. If Silva loses, he has to vacate the UFC Middleweight title and leave the division.

I'm not surprised Sonnen offered this stipulation. It was the only card he has left to play. Otherwise, how do you justify a Silva vs. Sonnen rematch? Sonnen has had a lot of legal issues and he tested positive for PED, he really shouldn't even still have a job in the UFC. Why is Nate Marquardt banished from the UFC yet Sonnen is still with the company? They both had PED issues, but Sonnen also has legal issues. I don't see why Marquardt is gone, but Sonnen is allowed to stay?

Getting back to Sonnen, he also realizes his schtick is growing old. There are only so many times you can call out the same guy, especially after you tapped out to him. Sonnen knows it's also the natural progression of things. It's like an angle in pro wrestling. You start with a normal match, then you move to a lumberjack match, then you finish with a cage match. You have to up the stakes in order to keep people interested. By (essentially) putting his career on the line, Sonnen knows that it will draw interest and get him a rematch even when he hasn't earned it.

Sonnen knows that this is it, this is the big payoff. He knows that his gimmick is wearing thin, that's why he upped the stakes. It's a brilliant strategic move on his part, he knows that people are getting tired of him running his mouth like this. He also knows that he can't beat Silva. Sonnen knows that he has one more fight with Silva, and that's it. No one will be interested in seeing a third fight between the two after Silva beats him again. So Sonnen knows that he needs to get all he can out of this final fight because there won't be anymore after this. Sonnen is like Charlie Sheen, a loudmouth guy with some catchy phrases and a short shelf-life. Sheen's already passed his expiration date, Sonnen's expiration date is his rematch with Anderson Silva. After that, no one's going to care what he has to say.

I think that Anderson Silva is going to destroy Chael Sonnen in this rematch. Sonnen has his wrestling, but that's it. I only hope that Silva doesn't do to Sonnen what he did to Demian Maia and dick around all fight. Silva needs to get in there and crush Sonnen. Don't toy with him, don't try to embarrass him by showboating. He needs to go right up to Sonnen, look him in the eyes, and knock him the hell out. If Silva wants to get rid of Sonnen once and for all, that's what he needs to do.


Comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com