Why Lyoto Machida vs. Chael Sonnen Is a Great Idea

Chael Sonnen calls out a lot of fighters. So the fact that Lyoto Machida and Chael Sonnen are feuding over Twitter isn't exactly earth-shattering news.

It could, however, be the beginning of a great fight that the UFC should definitely try to make happen.

With Machida contemplating a move to middleweight after failing to take the light heavyweight title from Jon Jones, Sonnen would be the perfect fighter to welcome him to the division.

Sonnen has said he is only interested in fighting the best, and Machida definitely qualifies. Machida has made it clear that he wouldn't have any qualms about fighting the brash middleweight challenger, and that is just one of many reasons that this matchup is a great idea.

It's an Easy Sell

Everyone wants to see Sonnen vs. Silva II, and if Chael Sonnen is able to defeat Mark Munoz at UFC on Fox 2, everyone will most likely get their wish.

However, Sonnen has gone on the record recently as saying he is done with Anderson Silva, and if given No. 1 contender status he would rather fight Junior dos Santos, Jon Jones or Georges St. Pierre. How much of that is true is debatable, but it is clear he is willing to fight whoever the UFC puts in front of him.

Should Sonnen not get his rematch with Silva for whatever reason (a loss to Munoz, another injury to Silva, Silva retiring, etc.), a match with Lyoto Machida would certainly be a great consolation prize for fans.

It's well known that Machida and Anderson Silva are good friends and sparring partners, so the disdain for Sonnen that Machida has is very real, and there would definitely be some bad blood.

Nothing sells better than a good old-fashioned feud, and that is exactly what these two would bring to the octagon.

What Machida Could Prove

Should Lyoto Machida make the drop from light heavyweight to middleweight, there will be a lot of questions surrounding the move.

Will he be drained after the cut?

Can he contend with the middleweight elite?

What will his cardio be like after the cut?

With a fight against Chael Sonnen, these questions could be answered.

Sonnen's smothering and relentless style is enough to test anyone's cardio, and if Machida's strength is sapped from a tough cut, he would be in for a long night.

A win for Machida would immediately spark talks about him taking on his good pal Anderson Silva for the middleweight championship. A fight against Sonnen gives him a chance to shoot right up the 185-pound ladder.

What Sonnen Could Prove

When Chael Sonnen took Anderson Silva into deep water at UFC 117, many were quick to point out that it was a fluke performance.

Many critics pointed at a potential rib injury Silva suffered, Sonnen's elevated testosterone levels and even Silva's gameplan being tailored to submitting Sonnen as reasons that Sonnen's impressive performance was not legitimate.

The only real way Sonnen could prove that his performance wasn't a fluke would be to repeat the performance and finish it against Anderson Silva.

Should he be denied a rematch, proving his mettle against Lyoto Machida would be as close as it gets.

Machida and Silva not only train together, they have very similar styles and skill sets.

Both Machida and Silva are pinpoint strikers who like to counterstrike with deadly accuracy and precision. They both also happen to have very underrated jiu-jitsu and submission abilities.

If Sonnen could bring the fight to Machida like he did to Silva, he could prove that night was not a fluke.

It Could Set Up a Superfight

A win for Lyoto Machida would be an emphatic proclamation of his arrival in the middleweight division.

It would also create quite the awkward situation.

Many pundits and fans have wondered what would happen if Machida and Silva were to fight, but the matchup has seemed highly unlikely up to this point. With a win over Sonnen, the situation may arise where they would almost be forced to fight each other.

While friends and training partners never like to fight, money talks, and Machida vs. Silva would certainly have a superfight feel to it.

And it would sell out, especially in Brazil.

It Could Set Up the Rematch of the Century

As Chael Sonnen himself has called it, Sonnen vs. Silva II is the biggest rematch in the history of the business. The only problem is that it isn't exactly a guaranteed event.

Silva seems to have little interest in granting Sonnen his rematch and has only agreed to the bout if it is in Brazil, a demand that may delay the fight.

A Sonnen victory over Machida could be the final straw that makes Silva want to take the fight and creates yet another wrinkle of drama in the saga that is the Chael Sonnen-Anderson Silva feud.

Mark Munoz vs. Chael Sonnen is nice, but Sonnen getting through Silva's good friend to earn his title shot? Sounds like it came from a movie.

It Could Be the Fight of the Year

Perhaps the most important reason this fight is a great idea is the most simple.

It would be an awesome fight.

Styles make fights, and these two were simply made to fight each other.

Machida has been involved in some great fights, but he has also been involved in some snoozers (most notably, his fight against Rampage Jackson). His elusive karate style is the perfect counter balance to Sonnen's hard-charging relentless style.

Sonnen's first bout with Silva was one of the most memorable fights in the history of the UFC, and a match with Machida could be even more memorable.

Could Sonnen bring the fight to Machida much like he did with Silva?

Would Machida knock him out while he's coming in for the takedown?

Could Sonnen possibly get choked with a triangle choke again?

The buzz surrounding this fight would be incredible, and that is why it is an awesome idea for the UFC to make this fight happen.