Chael Sonnen’s routine of taunting Anderson Silva and calling himself the “People’s Champ” is growing old with Ed Soares.
Since being submitted by Silva in August 2010 at UFC 117 in Oakland, Sonnen has thrown countless verbal jabs at the UFC middleweight champion.
For the most part, Silva has remained quiet in an attempt to avoid useless back and forth banter. He feels there’s nothing left to prove. Sonnen’s name is already in his win column—why is he still talking?
While Silva may have walked away with the victory, Sonnen feels like Silva didn’t actually win the fight, which is understandable considering the Oregon native dominated the proposed pound-for-pound king for four-and-a-half rounds.
“In some parallel universe, you can hit a man 300 times, he wraps his legs around your head for eight seconds, and they call him the winner,” Sonnen said in the post-fight press conference at UFC 136.
“On the streets of Westland, Ore., that is not the rules. I am the middleweight champion. I defended my championship tonight for the first time, and I am willing to give Anderson a shot at the true belt, the linear belt, the people’s belt from the best damn middleweight there’s ever been.”
After over a year hiatus, Sonnen was successful in his UFC return against rising contender Brian Stann. He put on a wrestling clinic and submitted the former U.S. Marine in the second round with an arm-triangle choke.
Immediately after the fight, Sonnen called out Silva for a rematch for the middleweight title.
“Well, I think Chael’s delusional man,” Silva’s manager Soares stated in an appearance on InsideMMA. “What is he talking about? At the end of the day, he tapped, he quit, he gave up. Take a number and get to the back of the line man. You had your opportunity.”
It doesn’t look like Sonnen will have to wait long for another opportunity. UFC president Dana White has already stated that Sonnen will likely be Silva’s next opponent on an undecided date.
Will the proposed “People’s Champ” enter the Octagon with a foam replica of the middleweight title?
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