The Doggy Bag: The Jon and Chael Edition

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Before I go too far, I wanted to see Jon Jones fight Chael Sonnen at UFC 151 and think the fight is great for the UFC. Sonnen doesn't deserve the shot, but this could help Jones' public profile. He is the UFC's only great young star, even if hardcore fans complain about him all the time. However, how do you think UFC President Dana White is going to sell this to the masses? Sonnen hasn't won a fight since Anderson Silva embarrassed him. He isn't going to armbar Jones from the guard. Normally, they say fighters like this "hate each other," but Jones is a terrible trash talker and will probably be awkward on "The Ultimate Fighter." What is White going to be yelling about when he's on ESPN? -- Aundre from Houston

Tristen Critchfield, associate editor: There are a few ways that the UFC boss can attempt to sell the masses on this fight, and since we have approximately six months before Jones and Sonnen square off, expect him to utilize a variety of tactics.

White has already been on his soapbox since the fight was announced, saying that Sonnen was the only man willing to step up and face Jones on short notice in September, while the likes of Lyoto Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua refused a golden opportunity to reclaim 205-pound gold. Conversely, White can also play up the fact -- with Sonnen’s help, of course -- that Jones was not willing to fight Oregon native on eight days’ notice at UFC 151, which ultimately resulted in the cancellation of the entire card. Savvy fight fans know that there was much more to Jones’ decision than fear of Sonnen, but what are mere facts when pay-per-view buys are at stake?

Of course, “The Ultimate Fighter” will serve as the greatest vehicle for promoting the bout. While you mention Jones’ awkward attempts at trash talking as a potential detriment to the show, I actually believe that the contrast in personalities will make for compelling television. Sonnen has already been able to get under Jones’ skin via Twitter, and the face-to-face interactions between the champion, whose own public persona remains a work-in-progress, and the challenger, with his politician-meets-pro-wrestler script, will provide the UFC with plenty of media-friendly clips as their fight nears.

While Sonnen was soundly thrashed in his rematch with Silva, their first meeting at UFC 117 remains his lottery ticket. Expect White to constantly preach that Sonnen has been the only man to have “The Spider” in danger during his reign as middleweight king. Don’t be surprised if White mentions that Sonnen also dominated round one of their second meeting at UFC 148, as well. If the self-proclaimed "Gangster from West Linn" can win the better part of six rounds against the sport’s pound-for-pound best, White will ask, then who’s to say he can’t steal a frame -- or two or three -- from Jones? Again, savvy fight fans know that Jones-Sonnen is a different type of stylistic matchup altogether, and what temporarily flummoxed Silva -- pressure and wrestling -- won’t make Jones blink.

However, White won’t be trying to woo the level-headed when he makes his inevitable tour of the Worldwide Leader. On a network where talking heads scream about the merits of Tim Tebow running shirtless in the rain for 30 minutes at a time, White’s promotion of a No. 1 contender without a viable 205-pound win to speak of will fit right in. We’ll hear about how Sonnen stepped up. We’ll hear about Sonnen talking tough on “TUF.” We’ll hear how Sonnen nearly shocked the world in 2010. Some of us will roll our eyes, while some will be intrigued. In the end, most everyone will watch.

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