The sports section of Brazilian news portal Globo.com is reporting that the proposed bout between “the Gangster from West Lynn” and “Shogun” has now been set for UFC 161.
The UFC has yet to confirm this, though an official word will likely come down before tomorrow’s conference call.
Chael Sonnen (27-13-1) is a polarizing figure with the UFC, with his grinding attack and sharp tongue. Many fans have criticized him for his non-stop verbal barrages, but also for his ability to talk his way into major fights, such as his recent loss to UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. Still, his style presents a lot of challenges for “Shogun,” whose biggest submission threats tend to come out of the half-guard, as opposed to the full guard, where Chael has a tendency to spend most of his time. Will the Oregon-based wrestler’s attack and impeccable cardio be enough to soundly defeat this Brazilian?
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (21-7) is one of the more successful fighters to have made the transition from Pride to the UFC, even being able to capture the light-heavyweight title from Lyoto Machida at one point. However, if you examine his record, he’s been alternating wins and losses since his defeat of Chuck Lidell at UFC 97. A graduate of the Chute Boxe academy, Rua is known for a buzzsaw-like assault of kicks and punches, but has noticeably slowed in the past few years. His durability in the cage, though, has not diminished. Will he be able to rebound from his loss to Alexander Gustafson and begin his road to glory anew with a victory over “the American Gangster”?
UFC 161 is scheduled to take place at Winnipeg, Manitoba’s MPS Centre on Saturday, June 15th. The main event is currently scheduled to be a light heavyweight tilt between Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson. Stay tuned to MMASucka for more on UFC 161 and other UFC events as things develop.
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