Should Chael Sonnen Retire If He Loses To Shogun?
Chael Sonnen is facing a real battle at UFC Fight Night 26 in the form of Pride and UFC legend Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. It’s a bout in which most UFC fighters in Sonnen’s position would be fighting for their jobs, but Sonnen is not most fighters.
Sonnen is the perfect example of a company man. He knows how to make money, he always turns up for work even on short notice, and he can fill more than one role. The role that Sonnen has shone the most in lately is as co-host of UFC tonight. The former 185/205 lb. title challenger uses the gift of the gab to perfection in his role as analyst and co-host.
With his last win coming against Michael Bisping in January of 2012, Sonnen is in desperate need of a win against Rua, if only to prove that he can still compete at a high level. I do think he may get the hard end of everyone’s opinion a lot of the time, though.
Frankie Edgar was riding a three-fight losing streak leading up to his most recent win, and I can’t recall many fans calling for his retirement. I think where the hostility stems from is Sonnen’s mouth.
He talks up his fights so much, and in recent bouts he has fallen spectacularly. Most fans I speak to about Sonnen are just tired of hearing him talk endlessly while failing to produce during his fights. But again, you look at a guy like Dan Henderson who is also on a two-fight losing streak, but has six years on Sonnenl. Hendo is still being linked to fights with big names like Vitor Belfort and was on the cusp of a shot at Jon Jones were he to defeat Lyoto Machida back at UFC 157.
With all this being said, I am interested to see how the bout with Shogun plays out. Sonnen is obviously better known for his wrestling than his striking, and Shogun is the opposite. Shogun does have strong wrestling, but not to NCAA All-American standards like Sonnen. Minus his attempted spinning back fist against Anderson Silva and his spectacular flying knee KO over Justin Bailey in 2004, Sonnen’s striking is pretty average. He likes to take you down and rough you up from the guard. Shogun would definitely prefer to keep this fight standing.
The answer to my question lies solely in the hands of Sonnen himself. He needs to go out there and prove he still has what it takes, prove that he isn’t just a ticket salesman with MMA gloves on. If he can bring the fight to Shogun, get in his face and put him on his back, he could gain the W that he needs so much.
It’s all about Sonnen’s attitude. Truthfully, as long as Sonnen comes to fight, and fight hard, he shouldn’t retire. Even if he loses, as long as he gives Shogun a good fight and can hang in there, he should stay fighting.
On the other hand, if the Sonnen shows up that fought against Jones, it’s going to be time to hang them up. Jones basically walked through Sonnen, whose only offensive output was a couple poorly timed low kicks. Sonnen is better than that. He’s defnitely nowhere near Jones’ level, but he has more in the tank than what he showed that night.
I’ve always been a huge Shogun fan, but something is telling me that this fight is going to be very competitive. What do you think will happen at UFC on Fox Sports 1: Boston’s main event?
