In this, the second installment of my 3 part series with former UFC middleweight superstar, Chael Sonnen, we get his breakdown of Mark Hunt vs. Fabricio Werdum, as well as who happens to be impressing him the most from the UFC roster and his thoughts on Anderson Silva's future return to action.
Werdum vs. Hunto
I think Werdum takes it. First and foremost, Werdum is really good, but he is so much better now than he was when he left the UFC. That's really rare. You don't really see athletes getting better with time. That's just not how the human body works. We just experienced this phenomenon with Robbie Lawler. We're still experiencing it. It's weird and wonderful, but it's not how it works.
Guys get less motivated and gain more wear and tear, so it's really rare to see a guy buck this trend. Werdum was good when he left, but he's great now. If you watch his fight with Roy Nelson; Roy is a bad dude, but that whole 15 minutes was like a highlight reel for Werdum.
He's hitting Jon Jones'esque techniques; reaching down for a leg, spinning up top with an elbow...stuff that heavyweights just don't do. He's in great shape, pushing the pace the whole time. He's just really, really good and skilled everywhere. He's nasty. I don't think he's going to beat Cain; I'm not gonna get crazy here [laughs].
Hunt has also been doing a great job, but he's hit or miss. He's got some fights on his record that if you look at, you'd think it was a misprint. He has been showing glimpses of brilliance lately-all of his fights show glimpses of brilliance-but lately, he's just brilliant. He belongs in the spotlight, and I can't think of anybody that should be in there more than those two in Cain's absence.
It's a great match-up, but Werdum has just been so dynamic lately. It's really hard to believe, some of the stuff he's pulled off technique-wise, for a heavyweight.
Fighters to Watch
Luke Rockhold is Chris Weidman's biggest threat, and I think he has been for a while. The guy is really good, and has been for several years.
When I was coming through-and I'm going to insert myself here-I was the best in the world for a long time, but I just couldn't get my shot. All my opportunities came very late in my career; I wasn't even in the UFC until I was 28 years old, then I got released, I had to come back...there were all sorts of things.
Don't get me wrong, there were always guys that could beat me, but there was a long stretch of my career where there was nobody I couldn't beat. On the right day, I could beat any of them. No doubt about it, and that's where Rockhold is at. Rockhold can beat anybody right now, and that same could be true, even if I were to put the tape in rewind two or three years. He was a top contender two or three years ago, but he couldn't get a shot. He was over in Strikeforce and he was the champ, setting the world on fire, but he wasn't getting his much deserved notoriety.
Bisping is one of those fighters that always could have been "the guy." I had a fight with him that was a title eliminator. I won, but it was a really close fight. Mike's had a few of those. Bisping's always been in the hunt, always takes the hard fights. I think if anyone can beat him, it means a lot, at least it does to me, because I know the guy, and I know how tough he is. I know how bad he wants it and how rugged he is, so if you can squeak out a win against him, you're good with me. If you can do what Rockhold did...I think it was a major statement for a lot of people, but definitely for me, knowing firsthand what he was up against and what he had to deal with. I think Luke's one of those guys to watch.
I've always been a big Tim Kennedy fan. With that said, the guy he just fought, Yoel Romero, is the best wrestler in the UFC. Daniel Cormier, who is a two time Olympian, will concede that Romero is indeed the best wrestler in the UFC. It's happening for him late, too. He's 36 years old, he might even have have had a 37th birthday.
I think those guys are exciting. I think one of the most exciting guys at 145 is Dennis Bermudez. He's got the look, the intensity and skill. He's on a 6 or 7 fight win streak, but for whatever reason, it's just not quite happening for him. It's a little bit slower climb to the top. Matt Brown had to go through the same thing before he got a main event spot on a show.
Anderson Silva's Return
I'm absolutely thrilled he's coming back, but it's a two-sided answer. He has done enough for the sport. From a financial standpoint, he's done enough for his family. From a success standpoint, he's set every damned record there is.
I was surprised he decided to come back. I thought he had done enough and had enough. That's one of the things about being a fighter or a competitor. It doesn't just go away. Success is a drug, and you want more of it, and so is fame. Being in the spotlight and having a show named for you and doing the press tours, man, it's a drug, and you need it.
I think Anderson may be dealing with a little of that. I think he's also been very vulnerable and very honest with the media, as of late. I think he's telling us the truth and that he is very worried about the leg, that it does hurt him, and that he is worried about throwing that kick, and he probably won't ever throw it again.
I love that he's leveling with us and letting us in to share in his trials and tribulations. He's basically saying, ‘I'm just a guy, a mortal human being. I had some good success, but I'm just a person like everyone else. My body hurts, too and my mind does question itself.'
That's just real, and I like that. As far as fights go, that's a really interesting one. I've seen Nick Diaz lose plenty of fights, but I've never seen him get outstruck. I've never even seen anyone come that close. Nick really beats people up on the feet.
If Anderson wins, we're going to see a weakness in Nick that we've never seen before. The good news for Anderson is that Nick's been out a while, too. It wasn't due to injury, but he was still out. Ring rust is a real thing. I think that levels the playing field a little bit. I think that's a real interesting fight.
I thought Anderson's post fight speech was perfect. He made no excuses after the first loss. He said, ‘My time as champion is done.' Then, he passed the torch. That is so important. If I were the king of the UFC, I'd never leave until somebody beat me, because I believe you have to pass the torch. Your career is not complete until you do. If I'm Anderson Silva, I'm not coming back.
If you missed Part 1 of this amazing interview, you can find it here. Part 3 will be up in the next day or two.
You can follow Chael via his Twitter account, @SonnenCh and catch him on his hit podcast, You're Welcome.