Shogun Rua vs. Chael Sonnen live stream online UFC Fight (2022) (2023)

UFC on Fox Sports 1: Shogun vs. Sonnen (also known as UFC Fight Night 26) is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held on August 17, 2013 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

Background:
The event will be the first UFC event broadcast on Fox Sports 1.

The main event is expected to be contested between former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Maurício Rua and Chael Sonnen. The bout was first linked to UFC 161, as Sonnen was mentioned as a short notice replacement for Rua's original opponent Antônio Rogério Nogueira, who was out of the bout with a back injury. Visa issues prevented Sonnen from getting into Canada, resulting in Rua being pulled from the event altogether.

Nick Ring was expected to face Uriah Hall at the event. However, Ring was pulled from the bout and replaced by Josh Samman Samman was subsequently forced from the bout and replaced by returning UFC fighter John Howard.

Akira Corassani was expected to face Mike Brown at the event; however, Corassani pulled out of the bout and was replaced by Steven Siler.

Thiago Alves was expected to face Matt Brown at the event; however, Alves pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by Mike Pyle.

Andy Ogle was expected to face Conor McGregor at the event; however, Ogle pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by Max Holloway.

Final Odds for Shogun Rua vs. Chael Sonnen Fight Card:

Fight night is upon us as the UFC returns to Boston for their inaugural card on Fox Sports 1. The card boasts a main event between Mauricio Rua and Chael Sonnen at light heavyweight.

Also on the card is a co-main event with heavyweights Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne. It is a fight that could push either man into the title picture.

The entire card is stacked, so if you plan on watching, perhaps you want to put a few bucks on some fights to add to the excitement. Below are the current betting odds, courtesy of sportbet.com.

Facebook Prelims

James Vick (+160) vs. Ramsey Nijem (-185)
Ovince St. Preux (-340) vs. Cody Donovan (+280)
Manvel Gamburyan (-125) vs. Cole Miller (+105)

Fox Sports 1 Prelims

Daniel Pineda (+220) vs. Diego Brandao (-260)
Mike Brown (-200) vs. Steven Siler (+170)
Conor McGregor (-300) vs. Max Holloway (+250)
Brad Pickett (-210) vs. Michael McDonald (+175)

Fox Sports 1 Main Card

Joe Lauzon (-240) vs. Michael Johnson (+200)
Uriah Hall (-430) vs. John Howard (+345)
Matt Brown (-160) vs. Mike Pyle (+140)
Urijah Faber (-250) vs Yuri Alcantara (+210)
Alistair Overeem (-215) vs. Travis Browne (+178)
Chael Sonnen (+100) vs. Mauricio Rua (-120)

In looking at the betting odds, you can see which fights are the closest. The main event between Sonnen and Shogun is not really worth betting on as the line is so thin. Another one that is almost invisible is the Cole Miller-Manvel Gamburyan fight.

In looking at the most intriguing money makers, there is one line that could bring you a pretty penny. John Howard is a vast underdog against Uriah Hall despite the fact he has great experience against top-level talent. If you want to take the chance on a solid risk-reward scenario, put a few pesos on John Howard for the win.

The featured attraction of tonight's UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen event is a light-heavyweight clash pitting former champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Chael Sonnen. The stacked 13-fight ensemble from Boston's TD Garden marks the UFC's premiere on the Fox Sports 1 channel, which will house the six-fight main card at 8:00 p.m. ET as well as a four-piece preliminary lineup beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET. Three more preliminary contests will put things in motion on Facebook with an approximate start time of 4:30 p.m. ET.

"Shogun" Rua (21-7) and Chael Sonnen (27-13) are alike in that they're both extensively battle-hardened and experienced veterans. But the similarities end there.

The pair are polar opposites in every other category: Sonnen's clever wit and biting cynicism gets as much attention as his fighting prowess (some would argue more) and opponents are forced to defend a verbal onslaught well before the physical engagement begins; Shogun is soft-spoken, respectful in all capacities and does his talking in the cage. Sonnen exemplifies the blue-collar legacy of Team Quest with a grinding and hard-nosed wrestling acumen that actualizes in the form of stifling top-side control; Shogun's roots stem back to the fan-adored Chute Boxe squad that cemented a fierce reputation for dynamic striking carnage by way of excessively volatile Muay Thai.

Their career trajectories are equally divergent as well. Shogun debuted in Pride FC with only five outings under his belt but was branded as one of the hottest prospects and most exciting gunslingers in MMA just a few fights later. It took Sonnen 25 fights and 8 years to make it onto the big stage, whereupon he was submitted twice in three turns, posted a pedestrian 1-2 clip and was released shortly after. Sonnen wasn't even a candidate for the elite echelon until he dropped down to middleweight and avenged a previous submission defeat to WEC champion Paulo Filho at WEC 36 in 2008. Even then, the win was robbed of its luster by no fault of Sonnen's: Filho, the champion, failed to make weight, which took the official title implications out of the mix, and the Brazilian's bizarre conduct and personal struggles stole most of the spotlight.

Approaching his mid-30's and the tail-end of what most expected to be a mediocre career, Sonnen capitalized on the UFC's absorption of the WEC and made serious waves in his sophomore stint. Though he was tapped out by sub-whiz Demian Maia in his first go, Sonnen reshaped the division's hierarchy by streaking to a title shot with surprisingly commanding wins over the venerable BJJ black belt Dan Miller and perennial top contenders Yushin Okami and Nate Marquardt.

Sonnen went on to walk his scathing smack-talk against the seemingly invincible pound-for-pound great Anderson Silva, becoming the first to make Silva seem at least partially mortal by rag-dolling and pummeling the middleweight champ for four-and-a-half rounds before succumbing to a late triangle choke. And now, everyone knows and respects Chael Sonnen, and his presence in MMA is anything but mediocre.

Shogun vs. Sonnen fits the timeless striker vs. grappler mold, the variables of which are constant and unchanging: they're both fully inclined to punch each other in the face hard and often, but Shogun wants to do it standing up and moving of his own accord and Sonnen wants to do it from the top position after burying Shogun with a takedown.

Sonnen's means of achieving that goal are obvious and precisely what he's known for -- either close the distance methodically or quickly change levels and blast a double-leg from outside. That's always been Sonnen's M.O., but the way he's learned to "set the table" with a completely retooled assembly of sharp, technical footwork in conjunction with shockingly crisp boxing has made all the difference in the world. Oddly enough, the Team Quest standouts -- Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and Sonnen -- have all undergone a dramatic transformation late in their careers. The difference between Chael Sonnen then and now is virtually mind-blowing.

In the role of the striker, Shogun has his work cut out for him. Historically, the looming threat of takedowns is the best way to instill hesitancy in a trigger-happy striker. The ideal stance and position to defend takedowns -- having a low center of gravity, your shoulders square, your hands unoccupied and at chest level while staying light on your toes to react with motion -- is the polar opposite of the stance and position of throwing strikes. This means that, against a wrestler/grappler, the striker must assume the worst defensive form every time they even attempt to ply their best offense.

That's in general -- specific to Shogun, the imperative necessity of the striker's movement against a wrestler is a big concern because of the multiple knee injuries and surgeries that have plagued his career. Shogun was expected to be a flop after his notably uncharacteristic performances against Forrest Griffin and Mark Coleman early in his UFC run, in which he seemed to have cinder blocks strapped to his feet. But the Shogun that ricocheted around the cage with blinding speed en route to snaring the title from Lyoto Machida might as well have been wearing rocket shoes.

Movement is the biggest key to Shogun's effectiveness, and we just never know what we're going to get. It could be the sluggish Brazilian who's reduced to eating spoonfuls of leather, acquiescing to takedowns and hurling sloppy haymakers in the pocket, or the perfect blend of raw brutality and composed tactician who's racked up a library of highlight-reel stoppages.

While Shogun doesn't have the wrestling ability of Sonnen, he has relied on his trusty trip takedowns from the clinch with frightening consistency throughout his career. I don't think he can ground Sonnen in a head-to-head standoff, but I do believe he can turn the tables and surprise Chael by timing an attempt when he's barging in to lock horns.

Sonnen's allergy to submissions leaves the door open for Rua's black-belt-level grappling acumen to influence the fight, as he's known for having an active guard and an effective array of sweeps and leg locks. Since Sonnen is not easy to put away with strikes and Shogun might spend a good amount of time on his back, he might have a better chance of submitting Sonnen than beating him standing.

Though he's one of the more assertive and aggressive guard players in the division, banking on finishing an opponent from your guard in today's version of MMA is futile. And I said specifically said "finish" because effective guard play isn't even acknowledged by the judges, so the viable options are basically to sweep, submit or escape. Sonnen's ballsy showing against Silva, also a BJJ black belt, bodes well for the Team Quest rep, but Shogun's been more threatening and effective off his back than "The Spider." Chael's standard routine is to climb into a high half-guard after achieving a takedown and attack his opponent's closest arm, alternating between trying to pin it under his knee for better ground-and-pound opportunities or trap it and seek out an arm triangle. Chael would be wise to lessen his focus on attacking and concentrate on shutting down Shogun's options with his heavy top-side base and head control.

Considering Shogun's inconsistent performances, his gradual decline in voracity as time ticks on, the looming question mark of his explosive motion and all the aforementioned burdens he'll face to prevent Sonnen from doing his thing, I think Sonnen is clearly the safer pick here. What seals my decision is the way Sonnen can maintain his high-paced grinding in later rounds whereas Rua has established a trend for slowing down as the fight progresses.