It’s official: “The American Gangster” will face the “Shogun,” Ovince St. Preux takes on Cody Donovan, and Michael McDonald will do battle with Brad Pickett.
UFC announces Chael Sonnen vs. Mauricio Rua, other fights for UFC on FS1 1
The UFC as now confirmed that these fight will all be on their debut on Fox Sports 1.
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”?
Brad Picket (23-7) and Michael McDonald (15-2) are both top 5 bantamweights, with “One Punch” climbing his way up the rankings and “Mayday” coming off a loss to interim BW champ Renan Barao. Both men are well-rounded, and are as comfortable on the ground as they are on their feet. Will this end by knockout, submission, or an evenly-matched decision?
Ovince St. Preux (13-5) and Cody Donovan (8-2) are up and coming light heavyweights both coming off wins in their UFC debuts. “OSP” took Gian Villante to a controversial majority technical decision due to an eye poke at UFC 159, while “Donnybrook” finished Nick Penner by KO in the first round of their bout at UFC on FX 6. Will Donovan’s heavy hands be able to overcome the suffocating wrestling of St. Preux?
UFC on FS1 1 takes place on August 17th at Boston, MA’s TD Garden. The card will be headlined by a light heavyweight war between Chael Sonnen and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. For more on UFC on FS1 1 and other upcoming cards, stay tuned to MMASucka!
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