MMA Link Club: Meet Chael Sonnen, Reflect on B.J. Penn, and Remember Bellator 57

- Introducing Chael Sonnen: One UFC fan's story about the fighter you never knew (MMAMania)

"I took my 11 year old son, Ty, to UFC 136. He is a huge UFC fan and we traveled from NJ to go to the Fan Expo and attend the fight. After Chael's victory, my son approached the security gate to get his autograph. Chael lifted my son over the gate and took him behind the scenes where the other fighters were either recovering from their fight or preparing for an upcoming battle. A security guard brought me back as well, and what followed is a father/son moment that we will both never forget."

- UFC Not the First on Network TV, but Can It Learn From Others' Mistakes? (MMAFighting)

"Before there was the UFC on FOX, there was EliteXC: Primetime. Before Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos agreed to meet for the UFC heavyweight title on network TV, Kimbo Slice and James Thompson introduced America to their own interpretation of MMA on CBS. Like many trailblazing efforts in other fields, this was an imperfect foray into the unknown."

- The Daily Line: Is Velasquez vs. Dos Santos The Best Heavyweight Title Fight Of All Time? (FightLine)

"Strip away the fanfare surrounding the beginning of the UFC's seven-year broadcasting deal with Fox networks, and Velasquez vs. dos Santos may not seem as important or glamorous as it's currently being made out to be. Hell, put it on the top of a pay-per-view and it probably wouldn't outsell Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem, a non-title fight."

- Pat Miletich gives us his expert pick: Cain or JDS? (MiddleEasy)

"Technically, the event this Saturday has one of the greatest preliminary cards in the history of the sport: Guida vs Bendo, the MiddleEasy adorned Damarques Johnson, Chicago's own Ricardo Lamas vs. Cub Swanson...Dustin Poirier, Pablo Garza, Kid Yamamoto and on and on. ... I ran into Pat Miletich at the Pro Elite event last Saturday, so I shoved a camera into his face and asked him the burning question: Cain or JDS?"

- BJ Penn: Reflecting on a Legend's Career (BleacherReport)

"After a rich and storied career, which was contested in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions, BJ Penn has solidified himself as one of the true legends of the sport. The Hawaiian was recently bested in a dominant performance turned in by the surging Nick Diaz, and a frustrated Penn afterwards announced his retirement."

- Bas Rutten on demise of Strikeforce, Fedor, and his dream MMA fight (TheFightNerd)

"Bas Rutten gave his opinion on the state of Strikeforce and says their days are numbered, as well as his opinion on the future of Fedor. Rutten also tells us what his ultimate dream fight would be – Floyd Mayweather VS Jose Aldo! Lastly, Bas tells us some dumb criminal stories that you can look forward to seeing on “Punk Payback!"

- Juanito Ibarra Ordered to Pay CagePotato’s Parent Company $61,075 in Court Costs (CagePotato)

"Cage Potato is pleased to announce that a troubling legal matter has been settled in our favor. After being named as a defendant in a June 2009 defamation lawsuit filed by MMA trainer Juanito Ibarra, we’ve finally been removed from the frivolous suit, and Cage Potato’s parent company has been awarded $61,075 in attorney fees and associated costs."

- Movie Review: ‘Fightville’ (MMAConvert)

"A good documentary captures a particular thing on film, and like trapping lightning in a bottle, unleashes onto the screen that thing captured to electrify the viewers. “Fightville”, by Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein (“How to Fold a Flag”, “Gunnar Palace”), is one such documentary, and the lightning captured is the microcosm of grassroots mixed martial arts."

- A Not So Fox-y Decision (Five Ounces Of Pain)

"In a press conference conducted last week, Dana White confirmed that even should the affair end in the first round, it will remain the only fight on the broadcast, while the rest of the card gets the Facebook treatment. This triggered some backlash among fans and pundits alike, who universally agreed that a potentially highly entertaining bout with title ramifications deserved more eyeballs."

- Forrest Griffin, Joe Paterno, and Penn State child sex scandal (FightOpinion)

"Memo to athletes and media personalities: this is a real sex scandal. Rape and child abuse are not issues to crack jokes about. This is not something to make light of, especially when it involves allegations regarding defenseless or impressionable children. Forrest Griffin, regrettably, didn’t get that memo."

- Bellator 57: MMA’s Other Show on Saturday (5thRound)

"Lost in the hoopla surrounding “UFC on FOX” is the fact Bellator is also holding a pretty big show of their own this Saturday. The Viacom-backed company will host the finals of their Middleweight and Welterweight Tournaments on MTV2 at 9PM ET/PT, which goes head-on with the UFC’s primetime television debut."

- Update on Xyience Chapter 11 Bankruptcy case (MMAPayOut)

"Some interesting movement in the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy case of sport drink manufacturer Xyience. Last week, Forbes reported that Fertitta Enterprises was sanctioned by the Bankruptcy Court in Nevada for failing to provide certain information previously requested by the Bankruptcy trustee."

Photo: Francis Specker