UFC on FOX 2 preview: Sonnen-Bisping
Chael Sonnen (26-11-1) vs. Michael Bisping (22-3)
In a middleweight title eliminator bout, the outspoken wrestler Sonnen meets short-notice replacement Bisping after Mark Munoz withdrew from the card due to an injury.
The winner of this contest has already been guaranteed a title shot against Anderson Silva. For Sonnen, it's a chance at redemption after nearly beating Silva in their first meeting, while Bisping would finally get his crack at the title after half a decade competing under the UFC banner.
Sonnen, 34, a former NCAA Division I wrestler and Olympic alternate in Greco-Roman wrestling, is arguably the best catch wrestler in mixed martial arts. The longtime product of Team Quest has endured his fair share of ups and downs since making his mixed martial arts debut in May 1997.
The sarcastic southpaw has been submitted by the likes of Trevor Prangley, Jeremy Horn, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Paulo Filho, Demian Maia and the champion Silva, while earning notable wins over Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami, Dan Miller, Prangley and Filho.
Sonnen tested positive for high levels of testosterone in his system in the aftermath of his loss against Silva. He returned after more than a year of inactivity against Brian Stann this past October, simply outmuscling and overwhelming Stann from the onset before sinking in an arm-triangle choke for the second-round victory.
The simplest way to describe Sonnen's fighting style is the stark contrast in his strengths and weaknesses. Sonnen is an incredible wrestler, if not the best, but his ability to defend submissions is incredibly questionable.
Trash talk and brash interviews have become a big part of Sonnen's pre-fight hype and it arguably made him into the star he is today. Interestingly, however, he has not had too many negative things to say about his equally outspoken British adversary, even complimenting Bisping's ability to get his hand raised time and time again against top-level middleweights.
Bisping, 32, a product of Wolfslair Academy, decimated Jason Miller in impressive fashion this past December. The Cyprus native won the third season of "The Ultimate Fighter" before going on to amass quality wins over Eric Schafer, Matt Hamill, Chris Leben, Denis Kang, Dan Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Jorge Rivera and Miller.
Bisping is a very well-rounded fighter with few holes in his game. Wanderlei Silva, Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson, the only men to ever defeat him, are all former champions with world-class credentials. Furthermore, Bisping's fights with Silva and Evans came down to the wire and he can make his case for deserving the decision in either outing.
Bisping's boxing is arguably his sharpest weapon, but his Brazilian jiu-jitsu game is too often overlooked. With the ground game being Sonnen's primary weakness, Bisping has what it takes to surprise him off his back. The Brit will try to anticipate Sonnen shooting in and he will likely throw up some triangle and armbar attempts from the mat, but the American's suffocating control should spoil Bisping's shot at challenging for the title.
Sonnen has been caught many times before and he will likely be extra cautious as his relentless pressure will be the deciding factor in this fight. The Oregon native will close the distance and pummel Bisping with ground-and-pound throughout 15 minutes, setting up one of the most anticipated rematches in UFC history.
Verdict: Sonnen via decision
