He talks the talk like no one else in mixed martial arts. But can he walk the walk?

I have to admit, Chael Sonnen has really grown on me. I didn’t think much of him when BJJ master Demian Maia choked him out last year but all Sonnen has done since then is beat the tar out of people. The highly accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler (two-time NCAA division-1 champ) has a lot of strength in his wiry frame and fights with a courageous, relentless, smothering style that wears opponents out. Just ask Nate Marquardt.

Better yet – there may be no better quote in the sport day-to-day than Sonnen, who is also running for office in Oregon. One of his best recent quips, of course, was that he had a “moral obligation to beat up Anderson Silva.”

While it isn’t confirmed, Sonnen appears highly likely to get the next crack at Anderson Silva’s UFC middleweight championship belt. While we certainly know how badly Sonnen wants to destroy Silva – he pretty much hates the guy – the question is whether or not he can actually do it.

Whatever happens, I see a Sonnen/Silva fight as win-win for the UFC. Even if Sonnen can’t defeat Silva, he’s a virtual lock to make him work harder than any recent challenger has. Patrick Cote, Thales Leites, Demian Maia – all were extremely tentative, too respectful of Silva’s striking. They were afraid to engage and it frustrated, even bored, Silva.

Look at the guys who’ve brought out Anderson Silva’s most spectacular results: Chris Leben, Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin. What do they have in common? They’re all tough as nails, absolutely fearless, willing to risk taking a beating, willing to make the Spider work for the victory.

Sonnen fits this exact bill. He’s tough, he has a strong jaw and he’s fuelled by contempt. Even if he gets his clock cleaned, he’s still a great choice to battle Anderson Silva. Sonnen is underrated – his wrestling could cause trouble if he gets close – and, more importantly, he’ll force Silva to give the fans a spectacular finish.

Make ’em sign, Dana!

By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

Wrestling Clubs North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Toronto, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

We have to hand it to Strikeforce. The MMA promotion has clearly emerged as the UFC’s main competition and it has a genuinely interesting fight card to behold this weekend. Among Saturday’s competitors is Bobby Lashley; the former WWE superstar now draws lanky Wes Sims in what should be a cupcake matchup for him.

The big question on most of our minds is whether or not Lashley is the next Brock Lesnar.

To me, the more compelling question is: do we want him to be?

It’s easy to draw similarities between the two. Both men come from highly accomplished collegiate wrestling backgrounds. Both were quite popular in the WWE. Both have to slim down and drop water weight just to make the 265-pound limit. Both, love them or hate them, are outstanding athletes – “next generation” mixed martial artists.

But for now, there’s one crucial factor separating Lashley and Lesnar: their mouths.

Lesnar embraces the heel role and it’s helped him fast-track his way to the top. He wanted the best right away and landed a title fight in his fourth career bout. Since then, he’s defamed sponsors, referees, Canadian health care and more. In the process, he’s infuriated any mixed martial artists, professional or immature, who respect the sport’s honour.

So far, so good for Lashley. He’s confident – any fighter should be – but not brash. He openly admits he’s too green for the likes of Fedor or Alistair Overeem after four pro fights. He knows he has to develop his striking and submission defense before he can hang with the big boys.

Eventually, though, Lashley could reach a crossroads. As hated as Lesnar is, he’s “good television.” He drives ratings, starts water-cooler discussions and has unquestionably raised the UFC’s profile. As the UFC’s competition, Strikeforce knows it could use its own heel. Might it pressure Lashley to run is mouth more and drive up ratings? By doing so, Lashley will earn bigger pay days.

Here’s hoping he doesn’t give in. Instead, I’d love to see him emerge as an anti-Lesnar, a guy with the same career background but a different philosophy for fighting. And wouldn’t that make for a great rivalry if Lashley one day migrated to the UFC?
By Matt Larkin
Guest Writer

Wrestling Clubs North York, Brampton, Etobicoke, Markham, Mississauga, Oshawa, Peel Region, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Thornhill, Toronto, Vaughan, Woodbridge, York, York Region Ontario Canada.