UFC on Fox 2: Chael Sonnen Gives UFC Best Shot at Making Up for Poor 1st Edition

Chael Sonnen will be the key to the success of UFC on Fox 2. The first edition of UFC on Fox was not what many fans would have wanted from the sport's network television debut. Fans and especially Dana White must hope that things are more exciting the second time around.

The main event seemed like a smart choice. Heavyweight title fight, two big time strikers, set to do battle for the biggest title in the sport. Junior dos Santos' annihilation of Cain Velasquez wasn't all that impressive, and worst of all it was short. If a fight is short, it needs to be explosive, and punctuated by an earth-shattering blow. The punch Junior KO'd Velasquez with wasn't solidly landed and just left me feeling a bit empty.

Even though the action lacked, the viewers certainly tuned in. Chuck Yarbrough of the Cleveland Plain Dealer posted this sentiment and fact about UFC on Fox 1:

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UFC on Fox 1 in November saw heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez knocked out by Junior dos Santos a little over one minute into the fight. Sounds disappointing, right?

Well, not really. The show was the most watched MMA event in U.S. television history, averaging 5.7 million viewers over the course of the night, with nearly 9 million sets tuned to Fox for the short main event.

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The numbers were impressive, but will they last if the action continues to be lackluster? Will it ultimately only be tuned in to by hardcore MMA fans like myself after a few shows? That remains to be seen, but it certainly behooves the UFC to have an exciting show tonight.

This time around, the main event is a light heavyweight tilt. Veteran star Rashad Evans will tangle with undefeated Phil Davis. This isn't exactly set up to be an explosive bout.

Evans is the favorite despite Davis' spotless 9-0 record. Davis is coming off a injury and doesn't have the striking ability to stay out of the grasp of Evans, and Evans holds a grappling advantage.

Evans prefers to wrestle, although he has shown some pop, most notably putting Chuck Lidell to sleep at UFC 88 in 2008. Evans hasn't scored the type of dramatic victory UFC on Fox needs to pump up the excitement since 2008. When he dropped Liddell, or the one after, against Forrest Griffin whom he TKO'd in a fight that won Fight of the Night. Evans' style lends itself to a fight that is best appreciated by hardcore followers.

Anything is possible, but it would seem, the best opportunity for a major splash will come in the Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping fight.

Both men have explosive personalities and mouths. Check out their weigh-in vid:

Sonnen may have the edge in the overall obnoxious category. That "quality" mixed with the fact that he is an extremely talented and well-rounded fighter make him the favorite and the best shot at a wow moment.

Bisping is taking the fight on short notice, after Mark Munoz had to pull out. That puts him at a decided disadvantage as he would have had to be at his best to beat Sonnen anyway. Thus, Sonnen is in position to be the event's biggest star.

He is pining for a rematch against Anderson Silva after being submitted in their first fight, but making great account for himself. His overall popularity has grown over the past year, primarily because of his antagonistic, but clever tweets and barbs about other fighters. Here are a few examples:

Winning impressively tonight will only give him a humongous stage to show off his personality, and become a household name. Like it or not, the only thing that sells combat sports better than someone to love, is someone to hate. Chael Sonnen can be that guy at UFC on Fox 2.

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