Chael Sonnen may sound like a broken record at times, but the song won’t stop playing until Anderson Silva steps up and accepts the proposed rematch. The former middleweight title contender spoke with Karyn Bryant of MMA H.E.A…
Chael Sonnen may sound like a broken record at times, but the song won’t stop playing until Anderson Silva steps up and accepts the proposed rematch.
The former middleweight title contender spoke with Karyn Bryant of MMA H.E.A.T. about Silva ducking and Vitor Belfort’s challenge.
Coming off a submission win over Brian Stann at UFC 136, Sonnen has turned up the heat in his verbal warfare with Silva. The talk is an attempt to rile Silva and get him fired about a possible rematch of the memorable UFC 117 clash, where Sonnen was submitted in the final round after dominating the entire bout.
“I know he’s ducking and running,” Sonnen said. “I call him out, he stays in his seat. Look, he’s not from a culture that does that. You challenge a Brazilian to a fight, you’re going to be fighting him. It’s much like me. You challenge me to a fight, you’re not going to do it twice because we will be fighting right now.”
“I call him out, and he covers his mouth like a little fancy boy. I mean what is that? If Joe Rogan hadn’t taken the mic out of my hand, what I would’ve said is, ‘Anderson, I want your answer. If you accept my terms, I’ll wait until February, and if you don’t, I’m going to whip your ass right here in Houston right now.'”
Silva will face Sonnen, but he feels he shouldn’t have to fight someone so “disrespectful.” He even had a discussion about Sonnen’s antics with UFC President Dana White, who basically suggested the middleweight champion get in the cage and do something about it.
“I say stuff about Anderson in an attempt to pick a fight, and he goes and tattles on me! He calls Dana and tattles on me and says, ‘This is what Chael just said. Can you believe it?’ I think Dana is in the same spot as me going, ‘Well Anderson, we can do something about that. If you’ve got a problem with this guy, as it turns out in this industry, I can help you do something about that,'” Sonnen said.
“He called out Michael Bisping. When you’re the champion, you don’t call people out. You get called out. When you’re the champion, you take on all comers. You don’t point your finger like this is a Don King promotion, and we’re trying to protect guys.”
With the Silva fight up in the air, Belfort has called out Sonnen for a potential middleweight showdown to ultimately prove the rightful No. 1 contender for the UFC title. The possibility of this fight going down is currently dead in the water with Belfort accepting a UFC 142 bout against Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
Still, Sonnen is definitely up for the challenge if Belfort wants to meet somewhere down the line.
“Unlike Anderson, I will fight you Vitor,” Sonnen said. “If you want a piece of me, it’s as simple as just say my name. I’m like Destiny’s Child. Say my name baby, just say my name. I’ll be there.”
Perhaps the insane weight-cutting has finally gotten to Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. We learned today that the world’s largest welterweight will be taking a step that few fighters do in today’s MMA by actually moving up in weight t…
Perhaps the insane weight-cutting has finally gotten to Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. We learned today that the world’s largest welterweight will be taking a step that few fighters do in today’s MMA by actually moving up in weight to join the UFC’s 185-pound middleweight division.
Johnson, who recently knocked out Charlie Brenneman on Oct. 1, is well-known for making one of the most dramatic weight-cuts in the sport as he starts as high as 225-pounds, leaving him with a 55-pound drop down to the 170-pound welterweight division.
Some have questioned the health aspects of making this kind of dramatic weight-cut prior to competing in such an intense sport, something which he and his camp have addressed in the past.
Now it appears that they have made the decision that their fighter would be better suited to compete at 185, where he will still be one of the largest athletes in the division.
There are quite a few other fighters who have moved down in weight classes in the past in order to take advantage of their larger physiques, but Johnson is going in the opposite direction. He shouldn’t be alone, either. In fact, there are quite a few MMA fighters right now who should seriously consider a move up in weight classes.
In this slideshow, we’ll take a look at seven current fighters who should join Anthony Johnson in moving up a weight class.
Ever since he was defeated by Anderson Silva in the fifth and final round at UFC 117, Chael Sonnen has become arguably the most popular man in all of sports. In fact, Sonnen’s been seen just about everywhere calling out Silva for a potential rematch. H…
Ever since he was defeated by Anderson Silva in the fifth and final round at UFC 117, Chael Sonnen has become arguably the most popular man in all of sports.
In fact, Sonnen’s been seen just about everywhere calling out Silva for a potential rematch.
His Twitter, The Jim Rome Show and even National pay-per-view television have all been platforms for his opinions.
One thing’s for sure: Sonnen’s put forth his best effort in doing everything he can possibly do to make the rematch happen.
And, while Sonnen may be at the top of the trash talking totem pole, he recently had some competition approach his thrown.
Diaz, who’s always been considered one of the top trash talkers in sport of mixed martial arts, took it to a whole new level following his win against BJ Penn at UFC 137.
In his post fight interview Diaz addressed the highly talked about knee injury that George St-Pierre endured in training leading up to his bout at UFC 137.
Diaz stated,
“I don’t think Georges is hurt. I think he’s scared.”
Diaz went on to add,
“He’s scared to fight everyone right now.”
After trash talking one of the greatest fighters of all time, fans across the UFC began to compare Diaz with Sonnen.
Which leads us to one question, who is the better trash talker?
In order to determine this we broke the trash talking down into three main categories.
Length of trash talking
While Sonnen’s made it known to the world how he feels about Silva since his loss at UFC 117, Diaz has been trash talking for a long time, despite flying under the radar for most of it.
Advantage: Diaz
More humorous
While some UFC fans may find Diaz quite funny, it’s hard to compare to the remarks made by Sonnen. Not only are Sonnen’s statements down right hilarious, he says them with a straight face.
Advantage: Sonnen
Makes it personal
There’s no denying that St-Pierre probably took Diaz’s comments to heart in his post fight interview at UFC 137. But, it’s hard to compare Diaz’s statements to that of Sonnen’s, as he’s gone as far to insult Silva’s wife.
Advantage:Sonnen
And the winner by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) and still the greatest trash talker of all time, Chael Sonnen .
UFC middleweight Chris Leben has come along way since his days as a hard-partying, heavy drinking, out of control contestant on season one of The Ultimate Fighter way back in 2005. “The Crippler” has grown up as a man and a mixed martial ar…
UFC middleweight Chris Leben has come along way since his days as a hard-partying, heavy drinking, out of control contestant on season one of The Ultimate Fighter way back in 2005.
“The Crippler” has grown up as a man and a mixed martial artist right before our very eyes. That’s not to say he hasn’t had his ups and downs, but how many of us haven’t gone through our own peaks and valleys?
Most of us are allowed to mature without the pressure of having our every move ridiculed by members of an ever growing media, and a boss who does not like to see the sport or the organization embarrassed in any way.
Leben has stepped his game up in a big way over the past 18 months. He is now preparing to headline UFC 138 against surging contender Mark Munoz on November 5 in Birmingham, England.
The last time Leben fought in the UK he lost a unanimous decision to Michael Bisping at UFC 89 back in October of 2008. After the bout Leben tested positive for steroids and received a nine month suspension. He returned at UFC 101 where he was choked out by Jake Rosholt.
Something must have happened when Leben woke up after the fight with Rosholt because since then he has gone 4-1 with wins over Jay Silva, Wanderlei Silva, Aaron Simpson and Yoshihiro Akiyama. The UFC is so happy with Leben that they have chosen him to be part of the first non-title fight that is scheduled for five rounds when he faces Munoz.
“I think it’s awesome to be part of this fight,” Leben told Bleacher Report. “It’s a good thing all-around, not just for the fighters, but for the fans as well. I’m prepared to go five rounds. This is going to be a huge point of separation for the main event guys in headline bouts.”
Leben is taking this opportunity extremely serious and is working as hard as ever. Leben only knows one speed and that’s straight ahead as witnessed in his wars, especially his Fight of the Night against Akiyama at UFC 116. He will need to pace himself better against Munoz or risk losing steam in the championship rounds.
“We’ve been training for a few weeks now, but we are really starting to pick up some steam,” Leben said. “Everything is going really good so far and now is the time where we can start to formulate a game plan.”
Munoz is about as tough as they come. He has power in both hands and uses his amateur wrestling background to try and take his opponents down where he can beat them with his savage ground and pound. Ever since making the drop to middleweight back in August of 2009, he has amassed a 6-1 record.
“We are going to bring in some guys in from outside of our camp, fighters like Ed Herman who I used to train with at Team Quest,” Leben admitted. “Most likely I will bring in some of my coaches from Oregon, like Greg Thompson. The key is having guys here who are familiar with me and can help me prepare for Munoz’s style of fighting. I know we are going to bring a few wrestlers in as well.”
The only loss Munoz has had since he began fighting at 185 came against former No. 1 contender Yushin Okami. His growth and maturity have shone through in wins against Kendall Grove, C.B. Dolloway and, most recently, Demian Maia.
“Munoz has been very impressive and has come along way since he began in this sport,” Leben explained. “He started off like many of the other guys who have similar backgrounds, as just a wrestler. He has really grown into a well rounded fighter, but what impresses me most is his heart.”
On top of preparing for a five round fight, Leben has to deal with the flight overseas, the time change and other obstacles that come along with fighting in England. Then there is the memory of losing to Bisping and the subsequent suspension that can now be looked at as a blessing in disguise.
“I actually love being over there, I get real pumped to fight in the U.K.,” Leben said excitedly. “The fans and the atmosphere are great. The one thing that really bothers me is the food. It really sucks. Here I am trying to eat healthy and cut weight, yet all they bring you to eat are these sandwiches. All I can say is it’s not as bad as being in France.”
The biggest news in the sport has been the deal made between the UFC and Fox. Fans will now be treated to four cards shown on the main Fox channel, while FX & Fuel TV will now carry The Ultimate Fighter and all of the UFC Unleashed shows. It can only be seen as a positive from the fans point of view, what really matters are how the fighters feel about it.
“I mean I guess we’re supposed to be happy about it,” Leben said. “Everyone seems to be all excited about and maybe I will be too, but my focus right now is on my fight with Munoz. I can’t allow outside distractions to take me away from preparing for this bout. My one and only priority right now is to train for Mark Munoz.”
Leben is the main coach at ICON Fitness MMA Gym in Hawaii, something that he has always said he thoroughly enjoys. He also opened up a gym with Steven Saito in Oahu back in January. With his outgoing personality and love for coaching, it would make perfect sense to see Leben as a coach on an upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.
“I would love to get an opportunity to coach on the show,” Leben said. “It would give me an opportunity to maybe work with a fighter who has the talent, but needs to harness it, maybe someone like myself when I was on the show. If the timing and the situation was right, I would jump all over it.”
Most fans can appreciate the turnaround Leben has done since coming off his suspension and loss to Rosholt. It was a never a question of Leben’s talent or his heart, but many wondered where his head was at. He has had some arrests for drunk driving, but, for whatever reason, he has done a complete 180 and given all of us some of the most exciting fights we have seen over the past 18 months.
“For me I always knew what type of fighter I could be,” offered Leben. “I knew I had the physical tools and the heart, but truthfully my biggest enemy has always been me. When I am right and focused I don’t see anyone beating me. The biggest difference has to be doing the right thing. It has to do with more of a focus on training and taking better care of myself.”
In Leben’s last fight, he knocked out MMA legend Wanderlei Silva in just 27 seconds. It was a vicious knockout that saw “The Axe Murderer” fall face first onto the canvas. Afterwards, White suggested that it was maybe time for Silva to call it a career. Being such a huge fan of Silva for so many years, Leben had his own take on that situation.
“I feel like it should be the fighter’s call and that they themselves should know when it’s time to hang up the gloves,” Leben explained. “Wanderlei Silva has done so much for this sport. I think he still has some good fights left in him. Anyone would have gone down if they were hit as hard as I hit him. If Silva wants another fight I believe Dana owes it to him.”
Now that Leben has his life and career surging full steam ahead, has he given any thought on how and when he would like to end his career? He just turned 31 this past July, but he has been in his share of battles. Since beginning his career in 2002, Leben is now preparing for his 30th career fight.
“I am going to take a wait and see approach to that question,” Leben offered. “As long as I am healthy, I’d like to think I can compete for another four or five years. As long as I can be competitive and enjoying myself then we’ll see where this ride takes me.”
It was arguably the greatest comeback in UFC history when the world’s greatest fighter found himself on his back with just under two minutes remaining in the fifth and final round.Anderson Silva had been dominated the entire fight by Chael Sonnen an…
It was arguably the greatest comeback in UFC history when the world’s greatest fighter found himself on his back with just under two minutes remaining in the fifth and final round.
Anderson Silva had been dominated the entire fight by Chael Sonnen and was in dire need of a finish as time quickly ticked away.
Then, out of no where, Silva connected on a Triangle Armbar that allowed him to remain the UFC Middleweight champion.
Now, Sonnen is demanding a rematch, but Silva hasn’t been too quick to accept his offer.
So, the following slides display five reasons why Anderson Silva must give Chael Sonnen his rematch.
Anderson Silva has quietly avoided Chael Sonnen since their last encounter at UFC 117 last year, despite Sonnen’s attempts to force a rematch out of the middleweight champion. While appearing on a Brazilian talk show, De Frente Com Gabi, Silva&nbs…
Anderson Silva has quietly avoided Chael Sonnen since their last encounter at UFC 117 last year, despite Sonnen’s attempts to force a rematch out of the middleweight champion.
While appearing on a Brazilian talk show, De Frente Com Gabi, Silva finally broke his silence on the outspoken middleweight and said Sonnen’s verbal assault will not reward him a title shot.
“He does not deserve to fight me,” Silva said. “I didn’t get where I am by being arrogant or teasing someone. In this business, there is no room for it.”
Although Sonnen’s actions towards the Brazilian have been quite offensive, and rather personal, he nearly defeated Silva during their title bout and has been the only challenger to come close to posing a legitimate threat to the middleweight champion in a long time.
Silva, who has held onto the middleweight crown for five years, said Sonnen’s antics and approach to promoting a bout are unprofessional and there should be no tolerance for it.
“He just tarnishes the image of the sport with his provocative ways,” he said. “I do not think he should be in this sport because he doesn’t have any emotional control.”
Following his win over Brian Stann at UFC 136, Sonnen earned the opportunity to challenge Silva once again. Only this time, however, he called out the champion and he requested a rematch to be scheduled for Superbowl weekend, traditionally one of the company’s biggest cards.
Chael Sonnen may sound like a broken record at times, but the song won’t stop playing until Anderson Silva steps up and accepts the proposed rematch.