On Tuesday, word began to spread that UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones would take on former middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen, first as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter and then against one another inside the octagon.
The announcement came as a shock to most, considering Dan Henderson had been promise a world title opportunity and other contenders are approaching championship status.
With all this in mind, let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of this monumental encounter.
The Good:
There are a couple of things which can be taken away from this bout to be considered positive. The first, and perhaps most obvious, is the breath of fresh air this will put into The Ultimate Fighter reality show.
There are no equals to Sonnen when it comes to building anticipation for a bout, and his witty one-liners, constant jabs at Jones, and general intelligence in front of the camera will spice up the show.
Two of the top draws in the UFC will be on The Ultimate Fighter and, even if it doesn’t last, will lead to a ratings boost. People will be interested to see the verbal sparring which is certain to take place.
Finally, it will prove an interesting and compelling mental test to the young world champion. Few of his opponents have went on the offensive verbally, save for the contrived dialogue from Rashad Evans, and if Jones can keep calm and composed both as a coach and a fighter it will help in his development.
The Bad
There’s no logical argument which can be made to explain why a 185lb. former title contender gets to move to light-heavyweight and challenge for the world title. That is, unless – as many often forget to do – you factor in the UFC being a business.
As previously mentioned, Jones and Sonnen are amongst the UFC’s top five pay-per-view draws, and a fight between the two is certain to bring in more money than a title fight against Dan Henderson or any of the other top contenders. This fight is about money, plain and simple.
The worst part, however, is the message this sends to other fighters in the company. A simple jaunt over to Twitter shows how much displeasure there is among Zuffa employed fighters because of this. “Why fight when you can talk your way to the top?” asked originally scheduled Sonnen opponent, Forrest Griffin. That is certainly the message the UFC is sending, and a move like this could lead to more fighters lashing out in hopes of a world title opportunity.
The Ugly
If the UFC giving undeserving world title opportunities isn’t ugly enough, consider in the fact the bout is not remotely competitive.
Styles make fights, and Sonnen’s style will lead to devastating consequences. His style depends on wrestling his way into top control and pecking away at a victory. Sonnen does have adequate striking, and his submission skills have come far, but this is not Brian Stann or Michael Bisping.
The technical skills and size both favour the champion in every way. Sonnen is too small physically to work his wrestling and gain top control, and is technically not efficient enough to exchange strike or submission attempts with the superior Jones.
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