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Chael Sonnen: ‘It’s Got to Be from the Heart and It’s Got to Be Real’

Chael Sonnen took the time to speak on his own antics and UFC persona following his victory over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC Fight Night 26 on August 17 in Boston at the TD Garden Arena.
Sonnen fielded questions from Sherdog Radio Network’…

Chael Sonnen took the time to speak on his own antics and UFC persona following his victory over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC Fight Night 26 on August 17 in Boston at the TD Garden Arena.

Sonnen fielded questions from Sherdog Radio Network’s “Rewind” host Jack Encarnacao regarding his perceived bad boy persona and where his inspiration for trash talk comes from. The story’s main talking points were then transcribed into a Sherdog article.

When asked about his inspiration, Sonnen noted two pro-wrestling greats from years past. “You’ve got to understand everybody comes from Billy Graham,” Sonnen said. “So I think my answer was going to be Len Denton, but I’m sure if Len told the truth, he got inspired by Billy too.”

The UFC veteran also noted that his post-fight interview rants are less planned than many likely assume. “Joe Rogan usually talks to me…I don’t know that I’ve planned it out before,” said Sonnen. “I don’t know if that’s an entirely sincere comment, but I can’t remember planning one out.”

When asked if his calling out of Anderson Silva, following Sonnen‘s beating of Brian Stann, was the Oregonian’s best post-fight interview, he replied:

Absolutely. That’s got to be the one. … Charles Barkley came up to me afterwards and he liked that one. Anderson was there, so I got a reaction. That’s really what you’re after. You want to evoke some type of emotion, especially if you’re calling a guy out. That’s the whole point. You want him to respond. That’s how you get a fight going. It’s no different than when you’re kids in school. If one guy says something to another guy and the other guy just sits there, then well, you kind of feel bad for the guy.

When Sonnen was asked whether fighters ought find promotional or media coaches to help better prepare for interviews, he rejected the notion. The veteran stated the reason was because fighters ought to be authentic in their comments.

No, definitely not. It’s got to be from the heart and it’s got to be real. I would never manufacture conflict. That’s a very important statement. When I talk about big brothering guys, that’s probably lesson number one: Do not hype a fight. If you have an issue, if you have a reason and it’s sincere, feel free to speak about it. Do not make it up and don’t just cut something for entertainment. Post-fight’s a little bit different because then you’re not selling anything. If you’re just talking to a crowd, and tickets and pay-per-views aren’t on the line, that’s totally different. … I don’t like anything that’s manufactured. If it’s not real, I’m not buying it.

Sonnen‘s comments are likely to ring untrue for some MMA fans regarding his planning of post-fight comments and sincerity. Many have assumed the “Gangster from West Linn” is more of a pro-wrestling troll than actual instigator. However, as long as Sonnen keeps prompting viewers to tune in, it is likely the UFC brass could not care less how Chael really feels.

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Demian Maia vs. Jake Shields Officially Headlining UFN 29 in Brazil

UFC Fight Night no Combate in São Paulo, Brazil, Oct. 9 now officially has its headliner: Demian Maia vs. Jake Shields.
The No. 4 ranked, 170-pound contender Maia (18-4) will take on former Strikeforce champion Shields (28-6-1) in a five-round b…

UFC Fight Night no Combate in São Paulo, Brazil, Oct. 9 now officially has its headliner: Demian Maia vs. Jake Shields.

The No. 4 ranked, 170-pound contender Maia (18-4) will take on former Strikeforce champion Shields (28-6-1) in a five-round bout to cap off a night of fights that will air on FOX Sports 1 in the United States.

Maia, who is undefeated at welterweight, expressed his pride in representing his country on home soil in an article with UFC.com:

I am very happy and proud to be the main event. I’ve always wanted to fight for the UFC in São Paulo, were I was born and raised. I have a special connection with the Jose Correa arena in Barueri, where I had my first major MMA milestone in 2006. My big goal is to get a title shot and become world champion. I know Jake Shields is a great opponent, with wins over names such as Dan Henderson and Carlos Condit, and beating him is sure to get me within title contention.

In the same article, Shields also spoke on the quality of his opponent as well as Brazilian fans:

The Brazilian audience is intimidating and enthusiastic, and it makes for an excellent atmosphere. But once I get in the Octagon, I’ll be focused and ready. Fighting Demian on his home turf will not be an issue. His strengths are obvious: he’s the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu martial artist in my division. His weakness is his standup. I want to beat him at what he’s best at.

The co-main event of the night will pit two more welterweights contenders against each other, as Erick Silva (15-3) takes on South Korea’s Dong Hyun Kim (17-2-1).

Silva is coming off the Submission of the Night victory in his last outing. Kim has won three-of-four, with the loss coming at the hands of Maia when a freak injury during a scramble forced him to tap out.

Both the main and co-main events promise to be tactical smorgasbords. Maia and Shields are among the best at control grappling in MMA, while Kim has not found an opponent he can’t take down during his UFC stint.

The young Brazilian, Silva, has his own explosive ground game, with two of his three UFC victories coming by way of first-round submission.

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Shogun Releases Statement: ‘I Still Want to Be World Champion Again’

Following his disappointing loss to Chael Sonnen at the UFC Fight Night 26 main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has said he is not interested in leaving the sport.
In a press release picked up by MMA Fight…

In a press release picked up by MMA Fighting, Rua stated:

I have 11 years in MMA and Vale Tudo, I won everything I always wanted. I achieved everything I dreamed, but I want to do that again. I still want many victories; I still want to become the world champion again. Who decides when I will stop (fighting) or not is myself, no one else. Thank God I’m financially stable, and I keep fighting because I love it.

The loss to Sonnen gave Rua his first losing streak of his professional career. It also marked his first first-round submission loss since turning pro. Despite the setback and just how underwhelming his performance was, Rua‘s team seemed confident that his training was adequate leading up to the bout.

Leonardo Salomao, Rua’s manager, stated in the release:

Mauricio invested a lot in this camp, trained with the best, went to the United States to learn new techniques, so we decided to maintain the same team. He trained with Freddie Roach in the US, took Jacob Harman to Curitiba, had the support of Glaube Feitosa, Roberto Gordo and Renato Babalu on his corner. He was really well prepared, but Sonnen was better. Mauricio is a winner and I’m sure he will be back.

While cardio has been pointed to by Rua defenders on the various forum boards across the internet following losses, there was no opportunity for an excuse against Sonnen. The fight was only reaching the end of the first round by the time Rua was forced to tap.

The Brazilian stuck to his guns regarding his own future, emphasizing that a loss is no reason to consider a career a failure as a whole:

I’m a big fan of Ayrton Senna, but I didn’t think he was bad when he lost. I was a true fan, I admired him for what he did, winning or losing. His name is in history now and I believe mine will be in the history of MMA. I thank the fans for their words on social media, you are very important for me.

Despite Shogun’s assertion that he did his best to prepare for the fight, brother and former cornerman Murilo Rua voiced his own concerns following his brother’s loss. In a story from MMA Fighting, “Ninja” stated that his brother “Has a lot of shady persons around him, people trying to take advantage of him.”

People from his camp said I wasn’t good for Mauricio because I made him nervous when I was on his corner, and he listened to that, so I decided to leave. If something is wrong I would point it out, I wouldn’t just lie to please him.

Time will tell whether a change of camps, the reintroduction of his brother, or a whole new outlook on fighting can give Rua one last run at the title. For now, the bad taste left from the bitter loss will have to be burdened by Rua‘s fans and team, as each tries to figure out if there is anything left to salvage from a sinking career.

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Boston City Council President Says UFC Stars Promote Violence Against Women

Not all Bostonians are excited to have the UFC Fight Night 26: Mauricio Rua vs. Chael Sonnen in their city, especially when it comes to the children having access to the event. Boston City Council President Stephen Murphy made it clear he is not …

The councilman recently sponsored a citywide petition that would ban minors from attending mixed martial arts events within Boston. The ban would keep children from the event even if parents or guardians over the age of 18 accompanied them.

On NECN’s “The Morning Show,” Murphy made his feelings on the combat sport clear:

I filed a resolution not so much for the behavior in the cage, as the behavior outside of the ring of some of the stars of the UFC and there haven’t been sanctions. They are all over YouTube and the internet which is a great source of information for kids. They are promoting violence against women, teaching kids how to rape and stuff that is way over the top, the behavior. There has been no official sanction from UFC, the governing body that employs all these guys.

The YouTube video the councilman implicated in his statement was one made by former light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson. The former champ made a tongue-in-cheek video regarding how to pick up women wherein he mockingly used chloroform. Jackson later admitted the piece was made to try and get himself fired from the UFC.

Subsequent rape-related, or otherwise insensitive, remarks made by UFC fighters have come with suspensions, firings and/or fines from the company. Such comments include a television reference involving a rape van made by former bantamweight contender Miguel Torres and abusive comments against a transgender individual made by heavyweight Matt Mitrione.

The petition pushed by Murphy is backed by the Culinary Union, the same group fighting to keep the UFC out of New York. Dana White has already dismissed the social concerns of individuals like Councilman Murphy, as there appear to be no concerns over other violent sports such as boxing or football within the city or state.

While the comments are sure to rile up some UFC/MMA fans, the councilman is not wholly ignorant to the positive aspects of the sport as well.

“It’s great for discipline, physical training and these guys are athletes. On one level, it’s really professional. It’s the level that I’m talking about, the social behavior, the anti-social behavior.”

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Dana White Believes Chael Sonnen Is Still Top Middleweight Contender

It was a statement that likely perplexed fans and probably gave Vitor Belfort a brain aneurysm, but Dana White made it clear he felt Chael Sonnen was the top dog in the UFC middleweight division.
The assertion came during an interview with Boston.com’s…

It was a statement that likely perplexed fans and probably gave Vitor Belfort a brain aneurysm, but Dana White made it clear he felt Chael Sonnen was the top dog in the UFC middleweight division.

The assertion came during an interview with Boston.com’s Steve Silva at the Boston Sports Live studios. White spoke on the upcoming Sonnen vs. Mauricio Rua bout at UFC Fight Night 26 on August 17, and responded to the notion that some fans questioned Sonnen getting a marquee fight following two consecutive losses.

“First of all, people are ridiculous,” White said in his standard blunt fashion.

“Chael Sonnen‘s two losses are to the two best pound-for-pound [fighters]. When you lose, not to just champions, but to two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world… In my opinion [Chael] is still the number-one contender at 185 pounds.”

Perhaps it was simply a matter of marketing the upcoming fight, or maybe it was a statement tailored to keep a marketable fighter on the radar. Whatever the case, it is an opinion that surely does not ring true for most UFC fans.

What is likely worrisome to those who disagree with White’s opinion is that there is no true objective ranking system in the UFC, and so the president’s opinion may matter greatly. While White’s qualification “In my opinion,” may lead some to disregard his statement prima facie, in the end White likely has significant control of who receives a title shot.

While it may send shutters down the spines of many purists and hardcore fans, Dana thinking Chael is the top contender (and continued marketable commodity) could equal another middleweight title shot for the “Gangster from West Linn, Oregon.”

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Anderson Silva Wants Chuck Norris for His UFC 168 Training Camp

According to Fighters Only Magazine, Anderson Silva has decided to add a new coach to his camp for his rematch with Chris Weidman: Chuck Norris.
“I had a nightmare with Weidman, but I don’t fear him. He is determined, but has two arms …

According to Fighters Only Magazine, Anderson Silva has decided to add a new coach to his camp for his rematch with Chris Weidman: Chuck Norris.

“I had a nightmare with Weidman, but I don’t fear him. He is determined, but has two arms and two legs just like me,” Silva said. “Now I’ll bring Chuck Norris [to my camp]. I’ll bring both, Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal.”

It is a curious move in light of Silva’s recent loss at UFC 162. One would have assumed he would want to bring in an Olympic wrestler or otherwise-qualified ground fighter. Instead, Silva has chosen another celebrity martial artist to complement his use of Steven Seagal.

BloodyElbow.com quoted Damian Maia in a July interview on Brazilian television, as the former contender stated that he and others in the MMA community saw the Seagal and Silva connection as a sort of publicity stunt.

It’s a lie. It’s marketing. Like every actor from Hollywood, when Seagal saw Anderson’s success, he glued himself to him. He was down on his career and made it up again. It worked because he appeared in the media again. He never taught Silva anything … For everyone who knows about it, it’s a joke.

If Maia is correct, then Silva appears to be doubling down on the joke.

To be fair, Norris is accomplished in his own martial arts career. In 1968 he defeated Louis Delgado to win the Professional Middleweight Karate title. Norris held the title for six years. He is also the first Westerner to hold an eighth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Silva utilizes the style in his fights, so it is possible Norris will be able to assist the middleweight in his already extensive striking game.

Time will tell if Silva’s interest is genuine. For now, the move will likely perplex MMA fans more than endear Silva to them.

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