UFC 159: 'Jones vs Sonnen'

[wandshogun09]

 

PPV MAIN CARD

Jon Jones vs Chael Sonnen - UFC Light Heavyweight Title

Michael Bisping vs Alan Belcher

Roy Nelson vs Cheick Kongo

Phil Davis vs Vinny Magalhaes

Jim Miller vs Pat Healy

 

FX PRELIMS

Bryan Caraway vs Johnny Bedford

Ovince St Preux vs Gian Villante

Sara McMann vs Sheila Gaff

Rustam Khabilov vs Yancy Medeiros

 

FACEBOOK PRELIMS

Leonard Garcia vs Cody McKenzie

Nick Catone vs James Head

Steven Siler vs Kurt Holobaugh

 

Now, I've retired the big pic/gif-laden preview posts but I kind of already did one for this fight in the TUF thread here;

http://ukff.com/index.php?showtopic=132146...50#entry2694923

 

People have been down on the fact that these two have been getting on better than everyone expected but it hasn't all resembled a cop buddy film. The build-up has had it's moments. Like this promotion bit on FOX;

 

 

Love the staredown at the end.

 

Also this;

 

Sonnen: I don't promote fights, I pick fights. I'm better than Jon Jones. I'm better than Sean Combs. I am even better than John Holmes...

 

Rogan: John Holmes is a dead junkie. And Sean Combs is a rapper...

 

Sonnen: ...Don't bring up old business.

 

Chael tells the story of UFC 159 through poetry;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4nKgg_BbtM

 

Awesome trailer by NickTheFace;

 

Excellent Jon 'Angry Johnny' Jones highlight;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uqRKKncwYI

 

Chael Sonnen highlight;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfpFWuKN3_0

 

Sorry to turn this into link-a-mania but this stuff is all worth watching. Especially if you've been underwhelmed by the interaction between them on TUF so far.

 

Looks a very strong card. I've done the main event but the rest is quality as well.

 

*Bisping vs Belcher is stylistically a great match on paper and no doubt they'll talk up a storm on the Countdown, they've been having digs at each other on and off for a few years now and that was before they were set to fight so I'm sure shit will be talked in the next few weeks.

 

*Nelson vs Kongo, as with any Kongo fight, could go good or bad. It usually depends whether Kongo turns up to fight or not. When he does we usually get something enjoyable. Nelson should win this via superior grappling.

 

*Davis vs Magalhaes is another fight that's surrounded in dislike. They've been having a pop for a bit now, mostly from Vinny's side. Clash of styles, kind of old school wrestling vs BJJ. Let's hope we don't get 15 minutes of sloppy kickboxing. If it hits the ground things will get very interesting. Could be good.

 

*Miller vs Healy is the sleeper on the main card. Miller's coming of the FOTY contender win over Lauzon so he's looking to build on that and get himself back in the title hunt. Likewise, Healy is looking to make a statement here. He was in line to challenge Gilbert Melendez for the Strikeforce title before they folded. A win over an animal like Miller will go a long way to getting him "in the mix" as Dana says. Should be a cracking fight as well.

 

Prelims look very good. Garcia vs McKenzie could be fun, I know people like to hate Leonard these days but I still like him. His style is overly wild and ugly to watch at times but he's been in too many fights I love for me to dislike him. Kind of like Clay Guida.

 

Sara McMann is an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling and a top prospect in MMA. She could be a challenger for Ronda sooner rather than later.

 

Speaking of prospects, I'm excited to see Erik Perez and Rustam Khabilov again. They've both looked fantastic so far, Perez with his boxing and Khabliov with his German Suplex KO a few months back.

 

Great card. Lamby is jammy.

 

[Egg Shen]

yeh particuarly interested in Miller/Healy, that's gonna be a f'n battle...been a big Pat Healy fan for a while, glad he's been given a big fight cause i thought he may be passed over. Very few people outwork Jim Miller in a fight, Healy will have as good a go as anyone and that's what's gonna make it interesting.

 

Also interested in Magalaes/Davis. Vinny has quietly become one of the guys people wanna see Jon Jones fight, it's a hell of a turnaround as only a few years ago everybody questioned Vinny's heart for the game but he's armed with one of the more unique skill sets at 205 and he can give anyone trouble if he can get a fight where he needs it. Davis thinks his wrestling negats any ground advantage Vinny has and i wanna see if he's right. On the flip side, this may turn into a ropey standup battle if Davis decides to keep this thing on the feet.

[lambyUK]

Obviously I don't need to tell you who I'm rooting for in the main event. The thing is, I have this feeling Chael is going to surprise people and give Jones some problems on the night. I think he is going to come in in the best shape of his life and not give Jones any space whatsoever. I don't think he is scared to eat some shots to close the distance which has been the problem for all of Jones' opponents.

 

Now is he going to win? Highly doubtful, but I think we are going to see a closer fight than many people are predicting.

 

I'm on level 1 seats (ie the first rows after floor seats) so i'm hoping for a good view. The arena looks huge though so it's difficult to tell. My wife (that sounds weird) has zero interest in fighting and the UFC in general, so I'm giving her a pair of binoculars so she can try and spot a few celebs. Additionally, she has no idea of my man crush on CPS. I'm pretty sure the divorce papers will be all but ready if Chael wins and she sees her new husband going bat shit crazy and having a meltdown.

 

The rest of the card is great too but I think I'm not going in till probably the second set of prelims. When I went to Nottingham sitting around drinking beer from 6 till 10.30 was just too long.

 

Obviously I'm hoping for a Bisping win, but this fight is too close to call. I think we will see a Big Country win and a Miller win. For the Davis fight you have to favour Davis, but if Magalaes can get Davis down it could be curtains for Davis.

 

Overall some fantastic fights.

 

Chael pre fight interview

 

 

jones pre fight interview

 

[Supremo]

Chael promo on UFC Tonight.

[wandshogun09]

The thing is I just don't see what Chael can bring that others didn't. He's got three big strengths going in - great wrestling, a relentless pace and he's fearless.

 

But it all hinges on his wrestling. If he can't get Jones down he is fucked most likely. The bad news for Chael is that Jones seems to handle wrestlers with ease. If you look at all his fights he's been in trouble (kind of) twice - once in the striking (vs Machida, although he wasn't so much in trouble he did lose the round) and once with submissions (vs Belfort). Bonnar, although soundly beaten, went the distance, as did Gusmao.

 

Look at the wrestlers he's faced - Rashad, Bader, Hamill, Vladdy, O'Brien - these are probably Jones' easiest wins. So while he's beating everyone, wrestlers have never once troubled him. And Chael was never as good at 205 as he was at 185. He was a beast at middleweight, he's never beat anyone good at 205, has he?

 

I hope you're right and it's surprisingly competitive, but I can't see it.

[Dead Mike]

This will be just like Silva vs Bonnar. The UFC hype machine will convince some that'll it'll be competetive affair but the reality will be a huge mismatch. That said, the rest of the card looks great, I think Bisping has a tough fight against Belcher & Nelson will stop Kongo.

Looking forward to this one.

[lambyUK]

I think it's those 3 three things you've mentioned Wand that everyone else who Jones has faced doesn't have.

 

Rashad wasn't the Rashad we all know in that fight, and the other wrestlers you've mentioned doesn't push the pace like Sonnen does. Now again, I'm not stressing Sonnen is winning here, just that I think it's going to be Jones' toughest fight to so far.

[wandshogun09]

Maybe, I just think the other 2 strengths will depend on his wrestling working, and I don't think it will on Jones.

 

This will be just like Silva vs Bonnar. The UFC hype machine will convince some that'll it'll be competetive affair but the reality will be a huge mismatch.

 

I'll be honest I gave Bonnar a shot. I wasn't fooled by the UFC hype and didn't go as far as predicting him to win, but in a 3 rounder, with the size and how tough Bonnar is, I gave him a chance to nick a decision. What surprised me was how Anderson was able to deal with Bonnar's strength and size. It's clear looking at the Bonnar and second Chael fights that Anderson has really worked hard to improve his wrestling the last couple of years.

 

As for Bisping vs Belcher, I almost instinctively picked Bisping on points in the poll and immediately kind of regretted it. Belcher is a really tough fight for Bisping and I could see him winning this. It's a hard fight to call.

[The Natural]

UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen Extended Previews released on YouTube yesterday. Here it is:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=playe...p;v=K5SPdGvmVKY

 

The video reminds you about UFC 151, the event that never was and the debate it caused.

[David]

The thing is I just don't see what Chael can bring that others didn't. He's got three big strengths going in - great wrestling, a relentless pace and he's fearless.

 

But it all hinges on his wrestling. If he can't get Jones down he is fucked most likely. The bad news for Chael is that Jones seems to handle wrestlers with ease. If you look at all his fights he's been in trouble (kind of) twice - once in the striking (vs Machida, although he wasn't so much in trouble he did lose the round) and once with submissions (vs Belfort). Bonnar, although soundly beaten, went the distance, as did Gusmao.

 

Look at the wrestlers he's faced - Rashad, Bader, Hamill, Vladdy, O'Brien - these are probably Jones' easiest wins. So while he's beating everyone, wrestlers have never once troubled him. And Chael was never as good at 205 as he was at 185. He was a beast at middleweight, he's never beat anyone good at 205, has he?

 

I hope you're right and it's surprisingly competitive, but I can't see it.

This pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter. Jones is simply too big and too good for Sonnen to handle. I imagine he'll last maybe a frame if he's cautious, and less if he decides to try and take the fight to Jones.

 

The bigger question is, does retirement beckon for Chael afterwards?

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

Looking at the whole fight card, I'm more excited about the event than I was when I just knew the top two fights.

 

Jones vs. Sonnen is a mismatch the level of Anderson vs. Bonnar. Unfortunately, the UFC are trying to promote Chael as if he has a legitimate chance in this fight. Yeah, Chael can wrestle really well. So could Bader and Rashad, who did approximately nothing to Jones. The idea that Chael's aggression could lead to success is something, but Jones is faster, more athletic, more unorthodox, better takedown defense than Anderson. I'm assuming Chael isn't on the juice for that one, and fingers crossed Jones isn't carrying any sort of injury. I can't believe they dedicated an entire season of TUF to building this bullshit fight. The TUF season has been great from the tournament aspect, but there's no real sense of rivalry between the coaches. The booking of this fight and GSP vs. Diaz have really soured me on the UFC this year. I don't mind if fights are hyped up with trash talk and stories, as this initially was, but when that cage door closes, I want to see a competitive, exciting fight. Jones will skull fuck Chael and make him look like a klutz, again. Then hopefully Jones can fight a legitimate LHW contender again- Machida, Hendo, Teixeria, hell, even Lil Nog- it's not like LHW is empty.

 

Bisping vs. Belcher- two guys who have been in UFC for years, never breaking that glass ceiling despite flashes of promise for better things. It doesn't matter who wins this because they'll just be made into a bitch for Belfort, Rockhold or Weidman afterwards.

 

But the rest of the card... damn, sign me up! Nelson vs. Kongo should be a fun fight provided it doesn't go past the second frame. Hoping Kongo brings his French zombie mode for this one, someone's gonna get their wig (or dome) split. Davis vs. Magalhaes should be a great stylistic fight, and Miller vs. Healy will show two gritty talented fighters biting down on the mouthpiece and biting down. OSP is making his UFC debut, I was impressed by him in SF. Another ladies fight, and the Human Suplex Machine, Khabilov, is back.

 

Oh, and Garcia vs. McKenzie. Maybe Loser Leaves Town? They're not elite fighters, their style resembles drunken brawlers at times, but dammit, they're usually fun to watch. I'm rooting for Anorexic Mick Foley in that one.

 

The bigger question is, does retirement beckon for Chael afterwards?

 

I hope so. He's hitting his late 30s, won't get any more opportunities unless he can make WW to fight GSP, and is a much better analyst than he ever was a fighter. Plus you don't need to be on TRT to talk shit with Jay Glazier.

[METAL ON METAL]

Unfortunately, the UFC are trying to promote Chael as if he has a legitimate chance in this fight.

 

Opposed to? They're hardly going to say "He's probably going to get beat easily but you should still give us $50 for it".

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

Unfortunately, the UFC are trying to promote Chael as if he has a legitimate chance in this fight.

 

Opposed to? They're hardly going to say "He's probably going to get beat easily but you should still give us $50 for it".

 

Well, I thought this was note perfect for the Bonnar/Griffin fight, something along these lines. Sell it as "pay $50 to watch Chael get beat to a bloody pulp".

 

 

But, really, what UFC should have done was not make this fight at all. At least with GSP vs. Diaz, fans were asking for the fight.

 

And honestly, I'm sick of Chael. He doesn't deserve this spot, and Jones deserves better. That's what it boils down to for me.

[Supremo]

But, really, what UFC should have done was not make this fight at all. At least with GSP vs. Diaz, fans were asking for the fight.

People were asking for Chael vs. Jones, though. Jon Jones himself cites people bombarding him about fighting Chael on Twitter as the very reason for him agreeing to the fight. And Dana said from the very beginning that if enough people wanted to see Jones vs. Sonnen then he'd have to give the fans what they wanted.

 

You can dislike Chael and you can say he doesn't deserve the title shot, but don't say fans don't want to see this fight because that's simply not true. The only reason it's happening is because fans were asking for it.

 

EDIT:

 

Dana on the subject here:

"I had tons of fans begging me to make that fight. Just to make it clear from the last press conference when they talk about all the top contenders and all the top contenders whining who didn't get that fight. I called every single one of them and they turned it down," White said. "Chael Sonnen accepted that fight on eight days notice, that's my kind of guy. There's tons of people who want to see Chael Sonnen, if you're not one of them, don't buy it. I'll guarantee you'll like the next fight, and if you don't like that one, we put on plenty of fights — there will be one that you do like."

And Jones on the subject here:

"The more I realize how bad the fans want to see me fight Sonnen, the more I am beginning to disregard whether he deserves it or not."

[wandshogun09]

I don't have a problem with them doing Jones vs Sonnen.

 

People forget when comparing this to GSP vs Diaz, it's a totally different set of circumstances. At the time this fight was made there weren't many options for Jones. All the top contenders either turned it down (Machida/Shogun), weren't quite ready (Gustafsson/Glover) or were injured (Hendo). Not to mention Jones had beat the likes of Rashad decisively recently, taking him out of the running. All this plus Jones was injured and needed time off.

 

In Chael you have a fresh challenger with a ready made backstory following the UFC 151 bollocks. And TUF would give Jones time to heal up from his injury. There was no other clear #1 contender for Jones when this fight was booked. Not like Hendricks getting cockblocked at 170.

 

Also, as much as I don't give Chael a sniff of beating Jones, let's not be silly and pretend he isn't a legit fighter. Dominant wins over Okami and Marquardt plus the 4 rounds vs Anderson in the first fight, strongly disagree.