Affliction: Disinterest

Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1) is riding a 12-fight winning streak and being hailed as the “next big thing.” At 35-7, Renato “Babalu” Sobral hasn’t been the “next big thing” since he lost to Chuck Liddell the first time. When the two meet at Affliction: Trilogy on August 1 it will be interesting, not the least because Mousasi, an Iranian-born Dutch resident, has a pretty well-rounded game that targets an opponent’s weak points pretty well. For example, against strikers like Mark Hunt and Melvin Manhoef, he takes them to the ground and submits them. Against a submissions guy like Sobral, on the mat is the last place he wants to be and Mousasi has proven more than capable on his feet. But with Josh Barnett gone from the card, this is now the fight I’m most looking forward to.