Well, it’s official. Chael Sonnen’s smack talk has officially gotten dangerous for the West Linn, Oregon native outside of Brazil.
While making an appearance on the Dan Le Batard is… Highly Questionable show on ESPN today, complete with a UFC replica belt, “The Gangster from America” reiterated his claim that Mike Tyson was a fraud just like he asserts Anderson Silva is.
“[The first thing I think of when I think of Anderson is] fraud. Phony. Third thing that comes to mind: paint your face up like Mike Tyson, gain a hundred pounds, sit in the second row and talk about when you meant something to the world, ‘cos your time has passed,” Chael quipped. “Welcome to two thousand and Chael.”
Sonnen made a similar statement to the UK Telegraph’s Gareth Davies this week.
“Anderson Silva is as fake as Mike Tyson was. They called him the hardest, ‘the baddest man in the world’ but he wasn’t even the toughest guy in America and we had to sit through and listen to that over and over again as he fought lots of tomato cans,” Sonnen, who also claimed that Steven Seagal pays to be included in Black House’s entourage come fight night explained. “Anderson Silva has no interested in the fight with me and I don’t know what his deal is …”
(Video courtesy of YouTube/DLHQonESPN)
I’m guessing he wouldn’t be as loose-lipped about Tyson’s lack of skills if the former champ was within earshot. Something tells me Mike could still knock out most of us with a jab. Maybe he’ll claim it was a Mexican imposter if “Iron Mike” ever calls him on the snub.
If its any indication, he also claims that even if offered the second shot at Silva that he will instead take a fight with either UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre or light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones instead, so take what he says with a grain of salt.
“If I win this contest on Saturday I will become the number one contender and I intend to fight either GSP or Jon Jones,” Sonnen told Davies. “Don’t ask me whether the GSP fights will be at welterweight – just ask me on Sunday after the Bisping fight and I will answer that question for you then.”
If you can make it through Le Batard’s incessant bellowing and chuckling throughout the interview, it’s worth a watch is simply for its sheer entertainment value with gems like this:
“A lot of guys can be fighters, but only one can be champion. Maybe I’m wired a little bit differently, but that’s the way it goes. I will correct you. You are wrong [about Silva being the champ],” he said straight-faced. “Well whose [belt] do you propose it is? What do you think, I just woke up and went and took it from him? Of course it’s the belt. It says it right on there. You don’t think the belt would lie, do you? It says ‘UFC middleweight champion,’ on there. The real champion sits before you today, undefeated and undisputed.”