Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

  

August 2009 saw the UFC finally take on Portland. But on February 6, 2010, Portland took over UFC 109. The Rose City's own Randy Couture and Chael Sonnen won the UFC's top two fights, and reminded the world why Portland is MMA Supertown. Pay Per View sites and sports bars tuned in across the metro, including Buffalo Wild Wings at the Portland Airport. The crowd was 'standing room only' and latecomers, or those without reservations, ceded the entire place to UFC fight fans. 

 The show started with Joe Rogan's usual rundown of the match-ups, but his animation was plain about the most anticipated fight of the night, Chael Sonnen versus Nate Marquardt. Rogan described Sonnen as a 'solid wrestler', but marked his fight with Yushin Okami as a turning point for the FCFF owner's career, as the moment when Sonnen "shot to the top of the contender list". 

In the mad dash at Buffalo Wild Wings finding a beer, and an 'out of the way' spot with audio, was key to enjoying the under card's good show; Phil Davis's relentless control over Brian Stann, and Matt Serra's satisfying knock out of Frank Trigg. But, for followers of Chael Sonnen's career, the real event didn't start until the Maia fight.  Because Maia's almost 'too easy' take down over Chael in UFC 95 was on the mind; was it a fluke? It looked like a fluke. Some of Chael's teammates might tell you that even the best of them get caught with an old school trick- and your opponent gets what looks like a big win. For now? We wanted to see more of what Maia was made of. After all, his record- until Chael- was against fighters with half the experience. Granted, Maia's great Jiu Jitsu gained him a good 'catch' against Chael. But, arguably, it was Marquardt's deep experience which, then, neutralized Maia's strategy so economically... with his fists. 

Maia came out against Dan Miller with less bravado and a cooler demeanor. The strategy seemed apt after Marquardt's heavy handed cold-cock felled the Brazilian, mid-leap, in UFC 102.  But Maia never seized control of the pace with Miller, and appeared determined to go to strike it out. In the end, Maia's less than riveting stand-up win over Dan Miller put the seal on 'fluke' against Chael. 

No disrespect for plowing right past Thiago's fight- and big regard to another great performance by a buff Couture, sporting a light beard- but, this is the FCFF's home page so it has to be all about the FCFF's owner, Chael Sonnen. 

And what a battle between Marquardt and Sonnen! UFC's 'Relentless' tag was never more fitting. Chael 'relentlessly' took down Marquardt, ostensibly at will, whether with great style, creative skill, or by sheer force; Chael did it all.  Marquardt could not shake his opponent's utter unwillingness to relinquish any control of the pace, or position. If you missed this fight, you missed an epic MMA moment. 

Chael entered the ring, and those who follow his career could see by his demeanor that this fight was different. Something had changed in him. He seemed to have crossed some line, his eyes telegraphing a new level of being- no longer a defender of his record, but an athlete confidently at the top of his profession; a champion. As Joe Rogan said after the fight, this is 'a Chael Sonnen we've never seen.' 

The transformation was solidly in place sometime after his fight with Yushin Okami- and certainly after Chael hosted Okami's post UFC visit to Portland and Team Quest. On the morning of the weigh-ins for Rumble #48 word was, in the tight circle of FCFF staff, that Yushin had flown-in from Japan, to 'see what was up'; how had he been taken down so effectively by a ranked contender with modest press and no hype? Text messages flew that, as soon as The Slammer was set up at the Roseland, Chael and Yushin planned to spar. Ticket holders were welcome to come early and watch. 

It was around 3:30pm and the air was still cool upstairs at the Roseland- no full house attendance to heat the empty arena to its usual swelter. Echoing sound tests and equipment wrangling formed a constant background as the fighters warmed up. Lindland was in full fight garb, politely extending his hand in greeting before you realized he was completely taped and gloved. Cage Master Mike had a water station all set, and equipment stowed. Fight commissioners, crew, and tech people milled; the cage was ready. In the final strap-on of shin guards and warm up gear somebody pitched a crack about Randy fighting till he was 50. "Why not?" Chael flipped back, of the former Team Quest co-owner and his fellow teammate. "It's only three years away." Couture probably has that many fights left on his contract.

The cage door clanked shut and all three men went at it in a round robin switch out, 5 minutes each. Claudia Sonnen kept time, like usual. Mike manned the cage door, like usual. But these weren't the usual barely-amateur fighters in The Slammer, though an intense cadre of them ringed the cage, eyeing every move. Lindland and Chael went first, with Okami standing in red corner watching the action. On the switch out, Chael bridged the language gap- Japanese to English- by tapping Okami with a couple playful punches and motioning him into the center of the cage. Okami grinned, returned a couple agile, playful punches of his own, and then went after him. 

As the session wound on, the pace became more intense until you saw glimpses of each man's competitive drive penetrate the politeness and camaraderie to serious aggression and pure, top level MMA. It was one of those exclusively insider MMA moments; Champions, putting aside rivalry to train at a pitch only found in a small group of elite athletes. On that day- sitting barely three feet from the cage, when two world-class fighters crashed into the wire and went down, sweat flying - well, it was beyond price. 

Afterwards, the pair made plans for the pre-Rumble 48 break and you were left with just what a couple of nice guys they were, Okami and Sonnen. And how inconceivable was it that- barely a week earlier- they had battled it out a UFC cage? Until you saw the excruciating and extreme pictures of Sonnen v. Okami on Sherdog- then you might think it was just plain remarkable. 

Here, in UFC 109, those Sherdog shots of Chael against Okami came to mind; of that unwavering relentlessness which shot him to the top of the contender's list. When he entered the cage against Marquardt it was not to defend, not to prove; but to win, from the first second to the last. 

Chael's repeated takedowns landed Marquardt on his back in defense, over and over. His execution of the classic Team Quest ground and pound acquired a new level- a new, terrible beauty- for the one-armed short elbow to the head. After pinning Marquardt solidly against the cage, tying him up in full guard, Chael showed us a pattern; he pushed into his signature posture-up with a single leg anchored, freed his left arm for a pass to control the breath and pin the throat. Executing an inexorable forearm drag to palm the skull, he pushed vertical only to fall a sledgehammer short elbow to the head; and repeat. Each blow dropped Chael's forearm into perfect position to do it again. Marquardt could only shrimp and squirm in an effort to impede the devastating head control. Nate managed to explode a destructive elbow upward, once. But the blow clipped Chael so hard it began a potentially decision changing bleed-out from a two inch vertical gash over his right eyebrow. At one point, in a mad battle for ground control, the close-up of a top positioned Chael showed a steady splatting onto the mat from his forehead; he couldn't not see it. But the utter concentration, as Chael stoically powered on- his opponent, slippery with his own blood- demonstrated the pure, 'will to win' of the elite MMA athlete. It is this triumph of strategy- at the limits of human endurance- that returns fans to the sport of MMA again, and again. 

At Buffalo Wild Wings, PDX, the crowd went wild with every crashing blow Chael delivered to his opponent. When the round ended no one would have been surprised if the fight was called for excessive blood.  But Chael's cut man was brilliant. Clayton Hires closed in, and Matt Lindland's coaching was focused, holding Chael's gaze with driving intensity. The round was a turning point from which Marquardt could not recover. 

Chael dragged Marquardt to the ground time and, tying up Marquardt on the floor while raining devastating blows and elbows. The crowd roared, and moaned with every strike, including some anxious passes through a couple rear nakeds that looked so deep- Marquardt's massive biceps bulging with such strain- that you were sure it was 'lights out'. Chael remained ferociously resistant in each choke, until - after tense seconds where you had to hold your breath- he would slip free once again. You've just got to want to know: what was going through his head? How'd he do that? 

The decision was unanimous, 27-30, across the board, and this single fight, alone, was worth the price of admission. Joe Rogan was going crazy, shouting, "This is the best version of Chael Sonnen we have ever seen! We have not seen Nate Marquardt controlled like this in a long time!" The fight was voted best of the night and Chael took home a bonus for that, along with the win, too. 

So, Chael Sonnen- having parsed Paulo Filho's strengths and weaknesses in the WEC, leaving Filho demoralized and questioning his own renowned Jiu Jitsu; having out wrestled the fluid, and subtly powerful Yushin Okami; foiling Marquardt's incredible hammer fists that took out Maia- is a UFC belt contender who is more than ready for Anderson Silva and a shot at the title. Chael will take on the winner of UFC 112, for the belt. How ironic will it be if that shot is with Maia, again? Vitor Belfort is out with an injury and Maia was tapped to fill in. Maia was quoted on Sherdog as saying "I can't believe they picked me." Well, others can't believe it, either. Record to record, a stronger fight history should have been granted that shot at Silva's belt. 

For now, Chael took his UFC 109 win battered, but cool minded; not boastful, just vindicated. A couple years ago, after a Bodog bout, he said with his typical forthrightness, "I just want to be Champion of the World. I don't think that's unreasonable." And at this moment, 'Chael Sonnen, Middleweight UFC Champion' is not only reasonable, it is right around the corner. So next time Chael says he thinks something is 'not unreasonable', it's probably not a good idea to doubt him; especially if you are Anderson Silva, or Demian Maia, either. 

And, to every athlete who enters The Slammer at the FCFF's Rumble at the Roseland? Right here, is the crucible- a first step on the path of Champions. All you have to do is look about 25 feet to your left, to the co-owner who sits behind the announcer's table; to Chael Sonnen, number one contender to Middleweight Champion of the World.