Day 4 – 12/4/10
Day 3 – 12/3/10
Day 2 – 12/2/10
Day 1 – 12/1-/10
21. Chael Sonnen vs. Nate Marquardt
When it happened – UFC 109: Relentless (February 6, 2010)
If the last four fights to appear left expectations for any of my viewers, then I’m sure there are some who might be perplexed with my fifth choice in this countdown. The fight, after all, didn’t feature a highlight reel knock out nor did it show off some flashy Jiu-Jitsu grappling. However, this is the fight that I believe planted the seed for Trash-talker of 2010, Chael Sonnen.
I don’t want to include everyone in a sweeping generalization, but I know when they first announced the Middleweight co-main event between Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt at UFC 109, I said a prayer for Chael Sonnen. In Nate Marquardt’s fight prior to UFC 109, he helped assist grappling-ace Demian Maia with a somersault via right hand. As far as I was concerned, Chael Sonnen was going to fall asleep in the cage at UFC: 109.
Chael Sonnen ended up impressing the hell out of me by grinding out a decision on Nate Marquardt with some of the most aggressive takedowns and top control ground and pound that I’ve seen in the game. Despite Chael Sonnen absolutely controlling Nate Marquardt for three rounds, the future Middleweight Contender did run into some close calls due to some airtight guillotines from Nate Marquardt, but a combination of body sweat and blood swollen biceps kept Chael Sonnen in enough control to earn a hard fought 30-27 Unanimous Decision over Marquardt and as menntioned earlier, the conclusion of the fight led to some of the greatest trash-talking from Chael Sonnen that even put the Tito Ortiz/Lion’s Den feud.
If you’re a fan of fifteen and twenty-five minute fighting clinics, I’d certainly recommend this fight for you.
