Chael Sonnen sinks in the fight-winning guillotine choke against Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. (AP)
Travis Browne knocks out Alistair Overeem with a front kick to the face. (Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Urijah Faber reacts after his victory over Iuri Alcantara. (Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Matt Brown rains down punches on Mike Pyle. (Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
John Howard ducks around a Uriah Hall spinning kick. (Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Chael Sonnen is known more for his mouth than his fighting ability. But the UFC’s best trash talker reminded everyone how good he actually is in the cage Saturday night.
In the main event of the FOX Sports 1 launch card in Boston, Sonnen submitted Mauricio “Shogun” Rua with a guillotine choke at 4:47 of the first round. Sonnen, 36, has lost to two men in the past four years – the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Jon Jones and Anderson Silva.
Sonnen went back to his antagonistic ways after beating Rua, calling out rival Wanderlei Silva and borrowing a line from Full Metal Jacket.
“Wanderlei Silva, 6 feet tall and 205 pounds,” Sonnen said. “Before I met you, I didn’t know they could stack crap that high.”
Sonnen used his wrestling to take “Shogun” down and land some ground and pound. In a scramble late in the first round, Sonnen got a hold of Rua’s neck and pulled guard with the choke cinched in.
Much to the chagrin of his many haters, Sonnen’s victory here keeps him relevant – and in play for more high-profile fights. Rua, on the other hand, seems to be on the downside of his career. And facing an elite wrestler like Sonnen was a bad stylistic matchup in the first place.
Travis Browne def. Alistair Overeem via first-round knockout (4:08)
Overeem crushed Browne early with a knee to the body and came within seconds of finishing. Somehow, though, Browne found a way to get back to his feet. Overeem seemed to gas out, putting everything into stopping the fight during that sequence. And he walked into a Browne front kick with less than a minute left in the first round. The kick all but knocked him out cold and Browne came down with a pair of hammer fists to make it academic. Absolutely wild turn of events for both men. Browne’s heart is to be commended for hanging in. Overeem continues to underachieve.
“I was mentally there but I’ve never had my body shut down like that on me,” Browne said. “The referee kept saying he was going to stop it and I was telling him that I was ok. I was thinking about my sons and providing for my family, this is what I’m made of.”
Urijah Faber def. Iuri Alcantara via unanimous decision
Faber was too aggressive right out of the gate and spent the early portion of the first round with Alcantara on his back. But Faber found his way back to his feet, slammed Alcantara down and ended up dominating the rest of the fight. Faber dropped elbow after elbow onto Alcantara’s face from guard and two judges had him winning the second round 10-8. A dominant performance that keeps the 34-year-old among the elite in the bantamweight division.
Matt Brown def. Mike Pyle via first-round knockout (:29)
Brown dropped Pyle early then swarmed on him with punches to make it a quick night. Brown has now won six straight fights – all but one by finish – and one would have to believe this impressive finish of the tough Pyle puts him in welterweight title contention. After the fight, Brown called out champion Georges St-Pierre, saying Pyle is better. That’s a ridiculous statement, but Brown’s surge in his 30s – he’s 32 now – has been unlikely.
John Howard def. Uriah Hall via split decision
In a bizarre display by two men known for knockouts, Howard won a relatively uneventful decision. Neither man did much damage and Hall seemed to shy away from exchanges. Howard was making his first UFC appearance in two years. Hall, who looked like a world beater on last season’s “Ultimate Fighter” reality show, put forth his second straight disappointing performance in the UFC. There’s a chance he could be cut – especially after UFC president Dana White tweeted his disappointment Saturday night that Hall and Howard seemed to high five more than fight.
Michael Johnson def. Joe Lauzon via unanimous decision
Johnson’s striking has come along way since his days on “The Ultimate Fighter.” He rocked Lauzon repeatedly in the first round and gave the Boston native a beating throughout the fight. Critics can’t rip the Blackzilians too much – Johnson has clearly gotten a lot better since training with the Miami-area team led by Rashad Evans. It was a disappointing loss for Lauzon in his hometown.
