UFC Insider: Sonnen lives up to his own hype

Showdown Joe answers fan questions in this UFC Central Ask the Insider, including whether he was surprised at Chael Sonnen's domination of Shogun Rua.

BY SHOWDOWN JOE

Eating Crow, while addressing some recurring questions seems to be the main theme this week. But alas, just as I shake my head at some of the redundancy, I realized not everyone can be informed all the time, and that there are still some excellent questions and suggestions from some very well-educated MMA fans.

I may have a difficult time fully answering your questions, as the plate of crow I am ingesting does not taste well. I take pride in offering up my analysis, especially when breaking down who truly has an edge in a prize fight. Then along comes Chael Sonnen, who didn’t have much going for him on paper, and who proceeds to submit a much bigger Shogun Rua, who just so happens to be a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Was I surprised? Yes. And I’m rarely every taken aback in this game. Chael put a huge smile on my face with that victory. He defeated an incredible fighter in a manner nobody saw coming. He talks the talk and walks the walk. Good for him. And I know I will hear about it the next time I see him. He always treats me well, but let me tell you, I’m in big trouble the next time we are face to face. I’m in for an epic verbal beat down.

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This may rock a few boats, but I’d like to see him take on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira next.

Via Facebook, Dan Malo asked “Can Overeem get past his conditioning issues? Will he start to protect his head or are his arms to heavy to keep up closing out round 1. We’re big fans ever since he sent Brock packing, but we would sure like to see him prepared for at least a 3 round war.”

I have long been puzzled by Alistair’s striking defense. For a former K-1 champ, it does seem awfully lacking. But in his prime, he was unstoppable. He was a force that could walk through any opponent’s punches, and once he would return the favour, it was lights out. Sounds similar to Chuck Liddell in his prime, but the years eventually caught up to “The Iceman.” And Overeem’s conditioning is a peculiar beast.

I’ve long maintained there are many reasons for this. The obvious is lack of training; simply not putting the required time in. That’s more of a rarity than a constant for most fighters. There are also injuries during training camps. There is the “peaking too early” syndrome, and the anxiety plague (which I have seen firsthand, dozens upon dozens of times). There are also hidden health issues that prevent guys and gals from simply competing at a Vo2 Max for an extended period of time. There’s also age, and if you listen to some folks, anyone who competes “clean” after “not being clean” often suffers in performance.

On the flip side, Overeem also publicly admitted he underestimated Big Foot. And let’s not take any credit away from Travis Browne here.

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Joey Hie asked on Facebook “Who’s next for joe lauzon? And WANDY should not fight chael!”

No word on whose next for Lauzon, but I’d like to see him take on someone like Pat Healy. Heck, how about Jorge Masvidal? That would be a fun scrap. And here’s hoping Wanderlei can work out his differences with the UFC so he can fight Chael in November.

Looking at UFC 167, it appears another mini-welterweight tournament is being formed. If Rory does defeat Robbie Lawler, yes, the “will GSP and Rory fight” story angle will rise to unprecedented levels. It will actually build monthly, weekly, daily and hourly as we get closer to fight time, but as it stands today, Georges and Rory will not fight. The only way it does happen is if Rory leaves TriStar or is kicked out. I do not see either scenario in my crystal ball. That’s not to say it won’t happen. As for it being a distraction, I don’t believe it will. It’s not their first rodeo. They are used to it and know it will continue to come up, over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.

Do I believe Dana? Partially – like 25/75. I believe Rory would do it. I’ve had reliable sources tell me he would. It’s tough to balance out all the info, but based on what I believe and what I’ve seen, it wouldn’t surprise me if things changed in Montreal. Part of me believes Rory would never do it – his loyalty and word would be questioned, as it would be a huge betrayal to Firas and Georges, but he’s also human. He wants to be the best in the world. He wants to be a champion. A Mixed Martial Artists career can be very short, which brings me to my next point…

“The Plan” – well, I don’t want to get overly analytical, but to sum up what I believe it may be: if Rory gets too close to Georges, to the point the only fight GSP has left, is Rory, then Georges relinquishes the title and pursues other options he deems worthy for his legacy. This will allow Rory the right to compete for the title and to try and achieve his dream. In essence, a passing of the torch.

Teammates fighting one another is completely different than friends fighting one another. There’s a difference. I have no issues with teammates scrapping. But when two guys are close friends, they should not be pressured to compete in a prize fight. I know it’s the fight business. I know it’s the hurt business. But you should never think about doing what you should do to an opponent, to someone you call a friend.

And it’s more than that as well. I also appreciate when fighters call out other ones. It makes my job easier and a whole lot more fun. And if the UFC matchmaking team like it, heck, then their job just got easier. It makes for great clips, stories, angles, etc. Plus, it draws a line in the sand, which is one of the first, and arguably the most important aspects in building and hyping a fight. Once the line is drawn, then build from it. Fighter A calls out Fighter B. Boom – now what. Well, does Fighter B accept? If he does, great, the fight hype goes to the next level. If he does not, well, then things could get zanier. This is the tip of the iceberg and it all started with one guy or gal, calling out another one.

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As long as the promise isn’t cancelled, as in Dana saying they are never going back to Calgary, then the offer still stands. The UFC will return to Calgary, but when, I have no idea. I tried warning all the fans out there. Actually, I almost tried to tell the fans and media in Cow Town to choose their attitudes accordingly, but it didn’t happen.

Not one person who works for the UFC will likely ever admit it, but I believe they left the city with an extremely sour taste in their mouth.

The card had no chance at being a success, no matter what the prelim fighters did. There were some fight of the year candidates on that card, but three bouts that were not overly impressive. By the time it got to the main event, the energy had dissipated into drunken boos. Then a few local media outlets ripped the organization apart. I tried to prove the show was a success, and got vilified. I really enjoyed my time there, but not a day goes by when I am asked this very question, that I think to myself “I don’t believe the UFC is going back to Calgary anytime soon.”

I’m very excited for the octagon debut of “The Body Snatcher.” If you are a fan of fearless striking and body punching expertise, you will love Jesse Ronson.

My preferred route of choice was the course I went through, at http://www.mmareferee.com. Passing and getting certified is not easy – just visit the site and you’ll see what I mean. Then, if you pass and get certified, do the Judging course as well. Both are tough, but you will gain a whole new aspect of MMA. And the certificates you can then place on your wall will look great. Trust me, they are both great conversation starters at my home office.

Also via Facebook, David Crundwell asked “Hey Joe, wouldn’t rounding the divisions off to say 120 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 etc. etc. make for a lot more fight time options and a lot more exciting fights ad also help alleviate the pressure of a overcrowded light weight weight division?”

Every 10 pounds? I like it. Why not? Some weight classes have huge gaps, while others do not. In the UFC, the Flyweight, Bantamweight, Featherweight and Lightweight classes are each separated by 10 lbs. Then there’s a fifteen pound jump to Welterweight, another fifteen pound gap to the middleweight class, then a twenty pound jump to Light heavyweight. After that, it’s a massive gap between 205 lbs. and 265 lbs.

A few more divisions would see more champions, less dramatic and drastic weight cuts and likely better for the sport, but most specifically, for the athletes themselves.

Another question via Facebook as Mike Moto asked “When will big country get a title shot? Ufc should have a show called “make a fighter”. Taking average people and making them into fighters:) getting them into shape.”

As per Dana White addressing this question on numerous occasions, once Roy defeats a someone in the top five, he’ll likely get his shot. And don’t forget – there is always a method to Roy’s madness. He knows another win, and people will start bringing this up again. He’s in a division where like he says, he’s one, two, or a contender’s injury away from a title shot.

As for the show you mentioned, most fighters are born. Not many are honed. Getting someone in shape is a far cry from turning them into a fighters. There’s a big difference there, and any show that could do it, would likely have years of footage stocked up. I’m not sure it would be a profitable for any production company to do it. Now, taking an overweight “tough guy/girl” and turning them into a fighter – that happens every day. Taking any overweight person and making them a fighter – not likely. As for other ideas, I’m all ears. Truth be told, I have about four different reality shows in my back pocket. You never know – one could one day become a reality (no pun intended).

Our final question from Facebook comes from Pasquale DeNardo who asked “Bjorn Rebney recently stated that Bellator will not stand in the way of UFC should they wish to sign WW Champ Ben Askren. Two part question. 1) what is the likely hood Ben Funky Askren signs with UFC? 2) if he does, do you think the 2X NCAA champ and Olympian warrants an immediate title shot?”

I’ll answer your second question first – No. I don’t believe Ben would deserve an immediate title shot. There are guys on the UFC’s welterweight roster who have competed for years for the right to fight for the title. Many had ups, many had downs, but they are all working for the same goal. Now, if Ben was in the same position of Anthony Pettis (former WEC champ) and Gilbert Melendez (former Strikeforce champ) who all competed against opponents ranked in the top 10, then yes, give Ben his title shot.

But, like you asked in your first question, we should hang on here. Will Bjorn Rebney actually prevent Askren from signing with the UFC? I’m not sure I’m buying what he’s selling. Unless those above him, want Askren released, Bjorn will likely not allow one of his champions to simply walk to the UFC. If he does, I will be shocked. Just take one look at the Eddie Alvarez file, and you will see what I mean. Mind you, these two cases are separate and not equal, but there are many similarities that can forecast what will likely unfold over the next few weeks.

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