Never one to refrain from speaking his mind when asked to give his
opinion, MMA manger Ed Soares has been frequently criticized as of late
for trying to manipulate the UFC’s matchmaking process or hand-select
opponents for his clients, such as UFC middleweight champ Anderson
Silva.
Soares once again became a focal point of attention this past week when
he suggested middleweight contender Chael Sonnen needed to avenge his
February 2009 loss to Demian Maia before being considered for a title
shot.
When Silva’s UFC 112 opponent, Vitor Belfort, was forced to withdraw
from the contest. Maia was named as the replacement. Several observers
cried, “Foul,” but Soares insists he had nothing to do with the
replacement choice.