Even though UFC fan favorite Wanderlei Silva seemingly wrote off a grudge match with Chael Sonnen days ago, he was singing a different tune in an interview with BJPenn.com yesterday.
When asked if he would fight Sonnen if countryman Mauricio Rua doesn’t retire him at UFC Fight Night 26 next month, the Brazilian brawler said he would consider.
It’s a good fight, he’s (Sonnen) a good fighter. (It’s) interesting for the public, interesting (for) the UFC .. I’m not the type to say ‘I’m gonna fight this guy.’ I take the guys offered to me, so if he’s offered to me, then sure … We can’t discriminate the guy because he has a style, a great promotional, he promote his name very well … Some things he say … I don’t believe the things he’s saying are true … He’s a joker guy, he’s fun like a clown. You can’t say he’s serious, for a clown, he just needs just the red nose, man. Because all the things that he do, he makes these guys laugh.
After a sensational nearly seven-year run inside the PRIDE ring, “The Axe Murderer” lost five of his six bouts between September 2006 and June 2009.
While Silva may not ever be a title contender again, he has won three of his past five fights since then, most recently scoring a brutal vintage knockout over Brian Stann at UFC on FUEL 8 in March.
After a one-sided TKO loss to light heavyweight champion Jon Jones at UFC 159 in April, Sonnen vs. Wanderlei was heavily speculated to headline the UFC’s first show on UFC FOX Sports 1 on August 17.
For whatever reason, that bout never came to fruition and Sonnen instead faces a former divisional champ in Rua, who has also become quite inconsistent ever since transitioning from PRIDE to the UFC.
“The American Gangster” announced on Tuesday’s edition of UFC Tonight that he has signed a new five-fight deal with the UFC and will return to the middleweight division after his matchup with Rua.
That, coupled with the fact that Silva wants to get back into the title picture at 185 pounds (via MMA Fighting), could mean a long-awaited Sonnen vs. Silva showdown could happen somewhere down the line.
Is Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva a battle the fans still want to see, or has the expiration date on this feud come and gone?
John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.
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