baby1
08-17-2013, 11:41 PM
Heading into his UFC Fight Night 26 showdown with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua on Saturday night in Boston, Chael Sonnen said he was expecting a long an unpleasant evening.
It was anything but.
Sonnen started quickly, immediately shooting across the Octagon to put Shogun on the mat, but the Brazilian brought the fight back up and then, surprisingly, planted Sonnen on the mat.
Sonnen, however, escaped to his feet, only to turn the tide again, clinching with Shogun and tripping the former UFC light heavyweight champion to the canvas. He smothered Shogun for the next few minutes, grounding and pounding him.
Just when it looked the round might play out that way, Shogun regained his feet again. This time, Sonnen managed a standing guillotine choke, felt that he had it sunk in, and dropped to the mat, tightening the hold.
Shogun tapped out at the 4:47 mark.
“Tonight’s fight is dedicated to (my grandma and my friend), who are in a battle much bigger than Shogun and I did tonight,” said Sonnen after the fight. “For anybody else who has had to go through cancer or anything like that, this is for you.”
Sonnen’s emotions ran the gambit, however, as he unleashed a bit of poetry and then zeroed in on another Brazilian fighter.
Sonnen had shown a tremendous amount of respect for Shogun leading up to their fight, but he reserved none when taking aim at his next bullseye.
“Wanderlei Silva, six feet tall and 205 pounds, boy, until I met you, I didn’t know they could stack crap that high,” he declared.
“Wanderlei Silva, three months, you and the bad guy.”
It was anything but.
Sonnen started quickly, immediately shooting across the Octagon to put Shogun on the mat, but the Brazilian brought the fight back up and then, surprisingly, planted Sonnen on the mat.
Sonnen, however, escaped to his feet, only to turn the tide again, clinching with Shogun and tripping the former UFC light heavyweight champion to the canvas. He smothered Shogun for the next few minutes, grounding and pounding him.
Just when it looked the round might play out that way, Shogun regained his feet again. This time, Sonnen managed a standing guillotine choke, felt that he had it sunk in, and dropped to the mat, tightening the hold.
Shogun tapped out at the 4:47 mark.
“Tonight’s fight is dedicated to (my grandma and my friend), who are in a battle much bigger than Shogun and I did tonight,” said Sonnen after the fight. “For anybody else who has had to go through cancer or anything like that, this is for you.”
Sonnen’s emotions ran the gambit, however, as he unleashed a bit of poetry and then zeroed in on another Brazilian fighter.
Sonnen had shown a tremendous amount of respect for Shogun leading up to their fight, but he reserved none when taking aim at his next bullseye.
“Wanderlei Silva, six feet tall and 205 pounds, boy, until I met you, I didn’t know they could stack crap that high,” he declared.
“Wanderlei Silva, three months, you and the bad guy.”