Sonnen and Shogun Headline UFC Fight Night

The biggest mouth in MMA squares off with one of the most accomplished fighters in the business. Chael Sonnen is trying to avoid a third straight defeat when he steps into the cage with former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. Al Dannity previews the main event and makes his picks of the best of the rest.

There’s no better entertainer in MMA outside the cage. The problem for Chael Sonnen is that, while talented, he’s never matched his mouth with a championship calibre performance. Three title fight losses, the last two of which were brutally one-sided, have pegged Sonnen as a fighter who doesn’t belong among the elite. Even this weekend’s fight sees Sonnen as a fighter aware he’s on the downside of his career. Sonnen’s using the build-up to try and call out Wanderlei Silva. This tells me two things. Firstly, Sonnen doesn’t think he’s going to get back in the title picture without some big breaks. Secondly, he accepts the possibility of defeat. A fight with Wanderlei would work for Sonnen even with a loss to Shogun and frankly, that’s what I expect is in store this weekend. Shogun’s the real deal and he’s going to punish the American Gangster.

On the undercard there’s one fight that leaps out. At 25, ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor is a hot property with youth on his side. The Irishman impressed in his UFC debut and will have the Boston crowd heavily behind him against Max Holloway. Talent wise, the gulf isn’t all that great. Holloway however took this fight on short notice and I like McGregor to stop this fight.

Travis Browne will prove if he belongs amongst the worryingly shallow pool of elite heavyweight fighters on Saturday night. A win over Alistair Overeem could put him straight into the title picture. Browne’s biggest win was over Gabriel Gonzaga last time out, which followed his first career loss at the hands of Bigfoot Silva. For Overeem, this is an absolute must-win fight. He’s not Dana White’s favourite fighter and a disappointing UFC loss, also at the hands of Bigfoot, in his last fight did little to help his case. Conditioning should be a factor this time. Overeem clearly was below his best against Silva. If he comes in 100 per cent on Saturday, he should find a way to finish Browne.

Yuri Alcantara will try to do what no man has ever managed, beat Urijah Faber in a non-title fight. Faber’s record in championship bouts is an 11-6, losing his last five title fights. Ending Faber’s 17-0 record in fights with no belt on the line looks too much for Alcantara. Faber to win and, inevitably, follow it up with another title fight defeat next time out.