https://youtu.be/Je7wWTGJILk
On the latest episode of his “You’re Welcome! podcast, former UFC title contender and Bellator MMA fighter Chael Sonnen shared his two cents on this Friday’s UFC 207 pay-per-view main event between UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes and the returning UFC mega-star “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey.
After discussing the odds briefly, noting that the champion went from a 2-1 betting favorite to near-even odds against the division’s inaugural title-holder, “The American Gangster” mentioned that money continues to come in on Rousey going into Friday’s event, and that he wouldn’t be surprised if she were the betting favorite by the time the fight hit the Octagon (check latest UFC 207 betting odds here).
When breaking down the Rousey-Nunes bout, however, Sonnen pointed out that Rousey is basically a question mark at this point in his career, while admitting that he doesn’t know much about the UFC’s reigning 135-pound women’s champion.
“I don’t know Amanda Nunes,” said Sonnen, before questioning how her last name is properly pronounced. “I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but she’s just new to me. She fought on undercards, I didn’t know who she was.”
Sonnen continued, “Looking back, I didn’t know who she was or what she looked like until she walked out of the tunnel to fight Miehsa Tate at UFC 200 and I represent a lot of [other] people. It is my job to know [who the fighters are]. She’s amazing. She’s the champion of the world. She’s just unknown to me. I know she’s got some hands. I know she’s a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. I read that on the paper. That popped up right in the tale of the tape. I know what her record is. I know she’s from Brazil and that she trains in A.T.T. I’ve just never seen her fight.”
When switching gears to talk about the former, and UFC’s first-ever, Women’s Bantamweight Champion, Sonnen pointed out that Rousey is a gamer, particularly when the pressure is on. This point is something he feels carries more weight than most feel, and is a factor many aren’t considering when looking at her upcoming Octagon return on Friday.
“Ronda is a special competitor,” said Sonnen. “When they call her name and those lights come on and those people are watching and there’s a time and a round system … she understands how to go out and operate under the confines of that agreement.”
Sonnen continued, “That’s what sets her aside from everyone else. You take out that armbar and she’s still a champion several times over. She finds a way to win. That’s what people are overlooking. On Friday, that is what we’re going to find out — how bad she wants this — because that is what was called into question [since losing her first fight in her last Octagon outing against Holly Holm].”
Sonnen elaborated, sharing his belief that Rousey is a beast when things are going well for her. When things are going her way, she’s almost unstoppable, according to the host of the “You’re Welcome” podcast, who himself is readying for an MMA return against Tito Ortiz at Bellator 170 on January 21, however when things aren’t going so great, that’s when she doesn’t compete quite as well.
“As soon as things started to go bad, we haven’t seen her since,” Sonnen pointed out. “So that becomes the question. That becomes the intrigue in what we need to get answered.”
In conclusion, Sonnen also questioned whether or not the sport — from a technical standpoint — has progressed to the point that it passed Rousey by, something she, nor fans, will be able to find out until this Friday’s event.
“But that is the question — Has the sport on a technical basis passed her up,” questioned Sonnen. “I do not know the answer to that. I don’t know.”
UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey takes place this Saturday, December 30th, and airs live on pay-per-view from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Join us here at MMANews.com on Friday evening for live round-by-round results coverage of the UFC 207 PPV.
“You’re Welcome! with Chael Sonnen” airs weekly via iTunes and PodcastOne.com.
