One day after UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva threatened to break No. 1 contender Chael Sonnen’s teeth, arms and legs, “The Gangster from Oregon” has fired back (to the surprise of no one).
“‘He says he’s going to knock out my teeth and break my jaw and break my head and all this,'” Sonnen told ESPN. “‘He acts like I’ve never been to the orthodontist.'”
Sonnen, a 49-fight veteran, also made note that he has had his jaw set and his head stapled in the emergency room after grueling battles inside the cage.
As a matter fact, the former All-American collegiate wrestler expects nothing less on fight night.
“Who gives a damn? He can do all those things[,]” he added. “But one thing he didn’t say is that he’s going to beat me. One thing he didn’t say he’d break is my will. One thing he didn’t say he’d do is win this fight. We’ll be in the middle of a cage stupid; I’d expect you to do those things.”
Ever since it was announced he would battle Silva for UFC middleweight supremacy back at UFC 117, the Team Quest standout has taunted Silva every chance he’s gotten, holding nothing back.
Until Monday, “The Spider” essentially reserved comment and chose not to engage in the war of words with his American adversary.
Nevertheless, Sonnen says he doesn’t care that he finally got the champion to sling some mud, though it says something about his character.
“‘I don’t care where he’s at (mentally),’ Sonnen said. ‘There’s no gamesmanship or anything else. I simply don’t care where he’s at. I focus purely on myself.
“‘Anderson’s a (jerk) and he always has been,’ he said. ‘And it came out (Monday); that was nice to see.'”
Sonnen and Silva meet for the second time at UFC 148, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 7th.
Will Sonnen be able to finish what he started two years ago, or will Silva prove that he is a cut above the rest at 185 pounds?
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