"I have to be careful, he’s a dangerous guy and very strategic, he won’t fall into me, he would fight to defeat me by points. I'm sure he’ll avoid the ground game, I have no doubt about it. I’ll go without much strategy as in other fights, I’ll feel him in the middle of the fight. I know his strengths and I’ve got my head free to do what I feel at the time."
Maia is correct in that Sonnen isn't much of a finisher with over half of his 21 wins going to the judges. It's one thing to fight cautious, but it's another thing to fight not to lose by submission. Which is essentially what Sonnen did in his last outing against a delusional Paulo Filho. Filho was just standing there out of it, and Sonnen still didn't press the action and try to finish him while they were on the feet. He'll have another short stint in the UFC if he continues to fight that way. If this fight goes to the ground, odds are it's going to be a wrap for Sonnen with that shaky sub defense.
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