10 Reasons Chael Sonnen Will Beat Anderson Silva in Brazil

At UFC 117, former NCAA All-American Chael Sonnen nearly shocked the world. Middleweight champion Anderson Silva was considered by many to be nigh unbeatable. Silva moved with a panther's grace and struck like a cobra. Few, if any, in MMA history can match his record, skill set or martial prowess.

That's what made Sonnen's four-round dismantling of the champion so remarkable. It was unprecedented. Only a brilliant last-minute submission saved Silva's title and perfect UFC record.

Now the two men are set to meet again. And this time, Sonnen will walk away with the world championship. Why? I've got 10 reasons Chael will be the next UFC middleweight champion.

10. Wrestling Trumps All

In the UFC's 19-year history, exactly half of their 46 world champions have come from a wrestling background or made wrestling the focal point of their attack.

The odds are in Sonnen's favor, although the middleweight class is the one weight class devoid of a wrestling kingpin.

Wrestlers dictate where the fight will take place. And no one in the sport does it better than Chael Sonnen.

9. Chael Is in Silva's Head

Can you imagine what it must be like to be Anderson Silva? Chael Sonnen has been yapping in his ear for years now.

The trash talk is designed to take Silva off his game. If he's angry, or worried about avenging Chael's increasingly inflammatory talk, he's not concentrating on winning.

Advantage: Chael.

8. Team Quest Pedigree

Although they've mostly gone their separate ways, Chael grew up in the sport with a who's who of UFC and wrestling talent.

Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland was his mentor. He watched and trained with legends like Randy Couture and Dan Henderson daily.

Oregon's Team Quest will go down as one of the all-time great fight teams. A Chael title run will simply add to their legacy.

7. Chael Is Learning the Submission Game

Sonnen's head coach, Scott McQuary, tells Bleacher Report that Chael will soon be making the most of his advantageous positions on the ground:

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"We just needed to tweak a few things," McQuary said. "I told him, 'We need to work on your defense and I want to work on just a couple of submissions.' It's worked really well. We have a number of things in the bag that we haven't even let out yet. The Brian Stann fight, we were so glad he got that submission we'd been working on.

"But trust me—he's got a bunch of stuff he hasn't even showcased yet. I looked at the positions he was most frequently in. A lot of times he was trying to ground-and-pound people with fairly good success. But I told him, 'We can make this a lot easier. Let's work for a submission.' He's so damn good at keeping his position or transitioning to a new position if things go awry, it was kind of a no-brainer."

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6. Ronda Rousey: Enough Said

Traditionally, Sonnen's Achilles heel is his submission defense. He just can't seem to escape the triangle or armbar.

Who better to mentor him than Strikeforce women's champion, and armbar savant, Ronda Rousey?

5. Fans of the Absurd Need This to Happen

Chael Sonnen is hilarious. You might disagree. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even awful and humorless people.

But seriously—can you imagine what would happen if Chael were to become champion?

At the very least it would provide him more opportunities to go on air and embarrass sportscasters and guys who use too much product in their hair. And that's a win for everyone.

4. It's Good Publicity for His Book

What better way to promote his book? Sure, Chael will likely sell a trillion copies of his book either way. But the champion of the whole darn world will surely get the prime spot in Barnes & Noble stores he deserves. He's provided a sample of his genius for eager readers:

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Presence. Tenacity. Insight. Omniscience. No need to look these words up. They are defined by yours truly. Who am I? I'm the one who needs no introduction, the walking thesaurus, the UFC's most infamous and feared destroyer of men. I am Chael P. Sonnen, and you want to be just like me.

It's your lucky day. What you are holding in your hands is nothing short of a V.I.P pass to enlightenment.

In the coming pages my humor and tales of heroic adventure will baptize you in superhuman greatness. Allow me to carry you like a frail damsel as I make a nightmarish decent into the bowels of Sao Paulo. Sit before me as a student as I teach you about my plans of creating a Chaelocracy, which translates to "A Better Earth." Shower me with praise as I take you into my manly mitts like a lump of seemingly worthless clay and craft you into something far better than yourself—me.

Like all great men of myth and legend, I strive for the betterment of the human race. Prometheus brought us fire; Dana White brought us the modern day gladiator; and I bring you a step-by-step guide to being just like me. Do you have what it takes? Is there truly a chance that one day you will be able to walk in my shoes? Purchase this book and find out. There is no better day to stop being you and start trying to be me.

You're welcome civilization.

Not convinced? Here is some addition information you will glean from The Voice of Reason: Why Dance Dance Revolution is the national fighting style of Brazil. How vegans are ruining themselves and the world. Why you should never feed carrots to a school bus. Why you don't need an athlete to be your hero. How fighters and fashion models have the exact same job. Why republicans are more compassionate, pioneering, rebellious and generally cooler than any liberal.

Inside this book I offer you my knowledge of physics, politics, linguistics, history and physiology. Unless you are currently standing in the checkout line or speeding home, wanting to save my brilliance for when you are curled up in a recliner sipping on some tea, you have already failed at becoming something similar to me. Chael P. Sonnen knows what he wants and buys it. He doesn't need a dust jacket to tell him a book is good. He can feel it.

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3. Beating Silva in Brazil Is the Ultimate Troll Move

Message board trolls don't know quite what to think about Chael Sonnen. They've spent years mastering cutting remarks, learning the art of back-handed compliments, refusing to respond to any cogent points that disagree with their twisted world views.

Enter Sonnen, the master manipulator. He effortlessly trolled the entire sport, pushing buttons and making fighters and reporters alike dance to his tune. Who could possibly match him?

And what would be better than embarrassing Silva in front of his countrymen and family? Sonnen, of course, didn't just go after Silva—he took on the entire nation. Talking the talk and then backing it up? Brazil would be in an upheaval, and no one would be smiling wider than Sonnen.

2. He Already Has a Title Belt

You may remember Sonnen bringing his own title belt with him to the UFC on Fox press conference. That just makes things a little easier for Dana White.

No need to manufacture a new belt for Sonnen. In today's economy, every little bit helps.

1. Seriously, Did You See the First Fight?

In the record books, Sonnen's title fight with Anderson Silva will go down as a loss. But those who saw the fight live remember how it went down. For four rounds, Sonnen dominated the champion. He tossed him like a rag doll, punched him in the face, and generally made Silva look human.

Silva is without question one of the sport's great champions. Styles, however, make fights. Sonnen might just be his kryptonite. He's fearless, untiring and willing to sacrifice his body to put himself into position to win the fight.

Best of all? He knows he can do it. That mental edge, the benefit of being able to reach into your memory banks and assure yourself that the impossible is possible, may be Sonnen's greatest advantage. Sonnen was almost the man to beat the man. At UFC 147, he will finish what he started.