Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz: Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Spencer Lazara of MMA Interview.TV is reporting that is is more than likely that MMA's favorite bad guy Chael Sonnen will take on "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" at UFC on Fox 2.

As one would expect, the bout would be a title eliminator for the next shot at reigning middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva.

The event scheduled for January 28 at the United Center in Chicago promises another rock-solid main event if matchmaker Joe Silva and UFC President Dana White make this one official.  

Assuming "The Spider" is actually out of action for several more months, this fight makes a ton of sense and is one of the only ones that makes sense for both Sonnen and Munoz.  

Let's take a look how this thing could play out on the FOX network early next year.   

Striking

This one is tough to evaluate a clear advantage. While neither guy is a top-tier striker, both fighters have no problem incorporating stand-up into their game plan. 

Munoz has the advantage as far as throwing for power goes, while Sonnen has more crisp technique that allows him to land effective strikes while taking minimal damage.  

Additionally, both fighters have shown an iron chin throughout their fight career, so a stoppage here is rather unlikely.

Being that Munoz and Sonnen are clearly wrestlers, this one will likely not see a whole lot of time on the feet anyway.

Nevertheless, Sonnen gets the edge here since he is far better at setting up his takedowns with strikes.  

Advantage: Sonnen 

Wrestling

If this evaluation was based solely on collegiate achievements, Munoz would have the advantage, being a Division I National Champion in 2001 and earning All-American honors in 2000 and 2001.

Of course, Sonnen was no slouch in his younger days either, earning Division I All-American Honors twice in 1997 and 1998.

In terms of MMA wrestling, Sonnen indisputably has the advantage, given that he is very seldom taken down and almost always scores off his shot.  

Munoz has a tendency to shoot from far away and has seen his takedowns get stuffed at a fairly regular frequency.  

This one is a no-brainer. 

Advantage: Sonnen

Jiu-Jitsu

This one is fairly simple as well: Munoz has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has never been submitted.  

Chael Sonnen has been submitted in eight of his 11 losses, with his poor defense of a triangle choke being a running joke in the MMA community.  

Prior to his UFC 136 battle with Brian Stann, Sonnen was simply a wrestler with active ground-and-pound. 

Now, it seems that he is finally embracing jiu-jitsu, as he showed slick guard passing, taking the back and eventually finishing the fight with an arm triangle in his most recent outing against the "All-American."

Still, Sonnen will need at least a couple more well-rounded grappling performances before his ground transitions and both submission offense and defense can be taken completely seriously. 

Advantage: Munoz 

Ground-and-Pound

Munoz's claim to fame is his vicious ground and pound, where he has achieved six stoppages (one of which was a submission to strikes).  

Once The Filipino Wrecking Machine establishes top position, it is a foregone conclusion that things are going to get ugly for his opponent.  

Chael Sonnen is also known for being very active from the top, constantly throwing strikes and smothering his adversaries in the Octagon. 

However, the difference is that Uncle Chael has just six finishes via ground-and-pound in 20 professional wins, so it's tough to argue that his ground-and-pound lacks power.  

Munoz is an easy pick here.

Advantage: Munoz 

Conclusion

While one can argue that Munoz will keep this close or ever edge out a win, the difference-maker in this fight will be who gets the takedown.  

Munoz's collegiate wrestling has not fully translated over to the Octagon, while Sonnen has some of the best MMA wrestling in the business.  

The "American Gangster From Oregon" will get his takedowns as usual, and will be active enough on the ground to avoid sweeps and submission attempts.  

Munoz will have the strength, skill and heart to avoid being finished, but he will not have enough weapons in his arsenal to win.  

The former Oklahoma State University Cowboy just does not match up well here.

Winner: Chael Sonnen via unanimous decision