Join The Poll Who Wins Chael Sonnen Or Babalu Sobral?
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I’m a huge Chael Sonnen fan. Whenever he competes, I will definitely watch. Whether it’s MMA, grappling, or television, Sonnen comes to entertain. His first ever submission grappling match was against world champion, Andre Galvao. He would get submitted in that match via RNC, but it was still very entertaining. Now he takes on an old foe in Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral.
Sonnen and Sobral have met twice before, in the world of MMA. Chael was victorious the first time, beating Sobral via decision, and Renato was victorious the second time, defeating Chael by triangle choke. Their rubber match will take place at Metamoris 6. This co-main event is sure to bring in a lot of viewers, but can Chael actually submit ‘Babalu’? Well, since retiring from MMA, Chael has been focusing exclusively on grappling. However, Sonnen has always been especially susceptible to submissions. During his MMA career, Chael lost eight times by some sort of submission.
Both Sonnen and Sobral are accomplished, high level wrestlers. But even if Sonnen gets a takedown, I don’t see him submitting ‘Babalu’. His game, even in MMA, has mostly been about top control and pressure. That might work in a match where points are scored, but since Metamoris is submission only, it will be far more difficult for Sonnen to score a victory. The best case scenario for Chael would be a draw, but even that is not guaranteed. This could look like a repeat of Sonnen’s second fight with Renato. This match should be exciting, but I think ‘Babalu’ takes this one in the end. I really think Chael should start competing in IBJJF tournaments or something like that. Those tournaments would give him invaluable experience, and help to further develop his skill set.
The post Does Chael Sonnen stand a chance against ‘Babalu’? appeared first on Jiu-Jitsu Times.