Tag: UFC 168

Chael Sonnen Not Expecting to Be Approved to Ref Weidman vs Silva 2

Can you imagine Chael Sonnen refereeing a UFC fight this year?
Of course you can, we all could. That’s exactly what Sonnen has set out to do. And not just any fight, he wants to oversee the Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva rematch on December 28 at UFC…

Can you imagine Chael Sonnen refereeing a UFC fight this year?

Of course you can, we all could. That’s exactly what Sonnen has set out to do. And not just any fight, he wants to oversee the Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva rematch on December 28 at UFC 168 in Las Vegas.

Sonnen told Sherdog Radio that he intends to apply to referee the fight, but isn’t holding out much hope that he’d be called upon to do so.

“I don’t think they’re going to put me in, but it’s an application,” Sonnen told Sherdog. “It’s 25 bucks. I’ve done a lot of officiating.”

This may very well be another bit by Sonnen to get some intrigue and laughter from his fans. I nearly spit my drink on the keyboard when I read he was considering doing this, and perhaps I’m late to the party, but I don’t know where “The Bad Guy” has been spending his time reffing.

Sonnen has stated he has refereed in other jurisdictions, although my research (as brief as it may have been) couldn’t lead me to even one fight in which he was listed as the referee. That’s not to say he hasn’t done it, it just appears that the fights must be for “jurisdictions” flying completely under the radar.

Of course, the chances of an active fighter being able to referee a major event such as UFC 168 aren’t great. In fact, I’d be very surprised if being an active fighter within the promotion didn’t exclude one from refereeing a fight within that same organization. The conflict of interest would be too great.

While we probably won’t see Chael taking turns with Herb Dean inside the Octagon this year, we can still hold out some hope that he’ll find a way in there after he’s done fighting.

It seems like everything Sonnen touches turns to gold.

 

 

Joe Chacon is a MMA Columnist for Bleacher Report and The MMA Corner. You can follow him on Twitter @JoeChacon.

 

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Dana White: There’s No Way Chael Sonnen Refs Weidman vs. Silva II at UFC 168

Looks like the UFC 168 middleweight title rematch between Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva won’t have a special guest referee. 
During a face-to-face interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, UFC president Dana White said that Chael Sonnen was …

Looks like the UFC 168 middleweight title rematch between Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva won’t have a special guest referee. 

During a face-to-face interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, UFC president Dana White said that Chael Sonnen was “delusional” if he really thought he had a chance to referee the blockbuster rematch at the UFC’s annual year-end pay-per-view.

Here’s White’s reaction when asked if he’d be OK with “The American Gangster” officiating the matchup:

“No,” White said after a brief chuckle. “If he thinks that (Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director) Keith Kizer will license him as a referee, he’s more delusional than I thought he was.”

Helwani spoke with Sonnen on Tuesday about his UFC Fight Night 26 headlining bout with Mauricio Rua this weekend, where “Uncle Chael” expressed his interest in refereeing the upcoming middleweight championship fight (via MMA Fighting):  

I’m unbiased as a journalist. I mean, you’re the insider you probably know, but I’m putting in an application. I’m gonna try to get my referee’s license and I’m hoping to officiate that match. Whether they’ll assign me to it or not, I’ve reffed plenty of matches in other jurisdictions and I’m applying for that one in Nevada.

In all fairness, the newest member of the Team Reign Training Center also acknowledged that unless he works a “show or two” in Nevada before Dec. 28, it is unlikely he’d get the opportunity to ref the Weidman-Silva rematch.

Sonnen enters Saturday evening’s event, the company’s debut on the Fox Sports 1 network, after losing back-to-back title fights to Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, respectively.

However, Sonnen boasts a 7-1 record in his last eight nontitle matchups.  

Meanwhile, “Shogun” is just 5-5 inside the Octagon, though he has never lost consecutive bouts in the UFC and most recently came up short against upcoming title challenger Alexander Gustafsson at UFC on Fox 5 in December. 

 

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com. 

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Ray Longo: Fluke Talk May Push Chris Weidman to Seriously Hurt Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva wouldn’t like Chris Weidman when he’s angry.
For months, MMA experts have been lining up to sing Weidman’s praises. During an official promo for UFC 162, lightweight contender Gray Maynard called Weidman “a b…

Anderson Silva wouldn’t like Chris Weidman when he’s angry.

For months, MMA experts have been lining up to sing Weidman’s praises. During an official promo for UFC 162, lightweight contender Gray Maynard called Weidman “a beast.” Commentator Joe Rogan labeled him as the “perfect fighter to defeat Anderson Silva.” UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre predicted he would be the “next middleweight champion.”

They were all right.

When the spotlight shined brightest, Weidman proved he was a cut above all the rest by dethroning the greatest champion in UFC history, Anderson Silva. Ray Longo, Weidman’s trainer, told Ring Fever he wasn’t the least bit surprised:

“What I love about [Weidman] is that he talks the talk and he walks the walk. I think he backed up everything he said. I think he did it the old-fashioned way—hard work. He wasn’t looking for a TRT exemption. This is a kid who I think stands for the right things. I think that’s what makes the victory special to me is because he really backed up everything he said when people took it as he was kind of cocky.”

The fight looked similar to most of Silva’s other performances.

In an attempt to bait Weidman into keeping the fight standing, Silva dropped his hands and openly taunted him, daring him to continue pushing forward with strikes. We’ve all seen this sequence before. As if caught in a spider’s web, opponents take the bait and opt to stand and trade with the most feared striker in MMA history.

Weidman was no different in that regard. Angered by Silva’s mind games, the young contender chose to keep the fight standing and look for the knockout.

It didn’t take Silva long to realize that while Weidman adopted a similar strategy as past opponents, he could do things they couldn’t.

Weidman challenged the champ on the feet by holding his own in the exchanges. He even dropped his hands at one point to reciprocate some of the mind games.

In the waning moments of the second round, Weidman went for broke and caught Silva mid-taunt with a left hook that sent him crashing to the canvas and closed the curtain on a seven-year UFC title reign.

It has been over a month since the knockout, and the talk around the MMA community has been muddled with excuses and conspiracy theories. A plethora of fans seem to either believe Silva threw the fight purposely or Weidman landed a lucky punch, a pair of common excuses that make absolutely no sense to Longo:

“Any time you have a guy that’s considered unbeatable, the aftermath, especially right after there, people were confused. The Brazilians, they didn’t know what to do. [Silva showboated] with Forrest [Griffin], he did it with [Stephan] Bonnar. Weidman does it, and it’s not acceptable. If he would have missed with that left hook, Silva comes back with a right hand and drops him, he’s a hero. I think anybody who’s in the know doesn’t pay any attention to that. Nobody’s taking that victory away. We all know what happened, and anybody who’s worked out with [Weidman], sparring or wrestling, they know he’s going to do it again. If they motivate him by saying this was a fluke, he might kill a guy, yeah, he’ll hurt him.”

The two middleweights are slated to meet again at UFC 168 on December 28. It will be a historic clash between a motivated Silva and a more confident, equally determined Weidman. There is no such thing as shocking the world twice.

If Weidman defeats Silva again, the MMA world will have no choice but to pay attention.

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Chael Sonnen Applying for License to Referee Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva 2

Anderson Silva, Chris Weidman and Chael Sonnen may all be in the Octagon at the same time on December 28 in one of the most anticipated rematches in UFC history.
During an interview with MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani, Sonnen announced he was applyi…

Anderson Silva, Chris Weidman and Chael Sonnen may all be in the Octagon at the same time on December 28 in one of the most anticipated rematches in UFC history.

During an interview with MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani, Sonnen announced he was applying for a referee license with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which would give him an opportunity to officiate the middleweight title bout at UFC 168 between Silva and Weidman:

I’m putting in an application. I’m going to try to get my referee’s license, and I’m hoping to officiate [Weidman vs. Silva]. Whether they assign me to it, I’ve reffed plenty of matches in other jurisdictions, and I’m applying for that one in Nevada.

The professional wrestling gods must be smiling down heavily on the UFC.

Sonnen serving as an official for a Silva fight is like Vince McMahon reffing a wrestling match for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

The historic feud and venomous exchanges shared between Sonnen and Silva is packed with enough drama to serve as its own Hollywood biopic.

In fact, it has only been a few days since Sonnen told reporters during the media conference call for UFC on Fox Sports 1 that he wanted to fight Silva for a third time. Whether Sonnen gets licensed or not, the Silva camp would likely appeal any such notion of him actually officiating the middleweight title bout.

Just ask yourself: Would you be comfortable with your most bitter rival, whom you’ve already defeated twice, refereeing your UFC title bout?

Sonnen isn’t holding his breath on the commission offering him the main event bout. He told Helwani he knows it’s a long shot, but it’s hard to pass up on an opportunity to be a part of history:

To get the main event, no, it’ll be tough unless I can work a show or two in before then in Nevada. I actually don’t know what the schedule is there. I don’t want to make a pitch to [NSAC executive director Keith Kizer]. He makes expert opinions. He knows exactly what he’s doing. There’s great refs out there, but you brought it up, I want to ref it. I’m sure every other ref does too, but I’m putting my name in.

People always talk about the overwhelming odds of traveling to Brazil and defeating Silva in front of his hometown fans. In December, Silva might very well compete against the only man to ever defeat him in the UFC with his longtime rival calling the fight.

Imagine those odds.

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Freddie Roach: Weidman KO’ed Silva Since He Was ‘Lazy and Playing Around’

World-renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach says he wasn’t all that surprised when long-reigning UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was brutally knocked out by Chris Weidman at UFC 162 last month. 
Here are some of his comments from Monday’s…

World-renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach says he wasn’t all that surprised when long-reigning UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was brutally knocked out by Chris Weidman at UFC 162 last month. 

Here are some of his comments from Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour:

“I definitely saw him get knocked out,” Roach told host Ariel Helwani. “My thought on that is that he just plays around too much. I think it’s too easy for him sometimes. He just got caught playing around. In this sport, one punch can change things, and this isn’t a sport you should actually play [around] … 

The thing is, I think he gets a little bored in there because he’s talented, and he seems like he’s more talented than a lot of the guys. He is one of the best I’ve ever worked with. He understands timing and distance really well. I think he could’ve avoided taking those shots, but again, I’m not sure what his thought process was. I think he was just a little bit lazy and playing around too much.”

Heading into another pay-per-view title bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 6, Silva boasted an incredible 16-0 UFC record, including 10 successful middleweight title defense. 

Furthermore, the last time “The Spider” had lost, it was a controversial disqualification against perennial contender Yushin Okami back in January 2006, with the Brazilian destroying “Thunder” in a rematch at UFC 134. 

Despite his very impressive resume, many fighters, analysts and fans alike gave the undefeated Weidman a decent shot to pull off the upset, given his impressive grappling pedigree.

While Weidman, a four-time All-American Division I wrestler at Hofstra University and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, was able to take the fight to the ground in the opening frame, it was his underrated striking that ended Silva’s night early. 

Although he ended the bout decisively, naysayers question whether or not “The All-American” can do it again, attributing his victory mostly to Silva’s showboating and taunting.

Roach, however, isn’t buying into any excuses for the loss. 

“It’s part of his career, it’s part of his life, so we can’t say, ‘Well, he wasn’t ready for that one,’ or, ‘He didn’t train for that one.’ It is going to be part of his legacy and I think he needs to come back and come back well.”

The rematch is still at ways off, set for UFC 168 on December 28, once again taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. 

Will a more serious and focused Silva be impossible for Weidman to beat or will the new champion prove he has Silva’s number once and for all?

 

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com. 

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Anderson Silva Wants Chuck Norris for His UFC 168 Training Camp

According to Fighters Only Magazine, Anderson Silva has decided to add a new coach to his camp for his rematch with Chris Weidman: Chuck Norris.
“I had a nightmare with Weidman, but I don’t fear him. He is determined, but has two arms …

According to Fighters Only Magazine, Anderson Silva has decided to add a new coach to his camp for his rematch with Chris Weidman: Chuck Norris.

“I had a nightmare with Weidman, but I don’t fear him. He is determined, but has two arms and two legs just like me,” Silva said. “Now I’ll bring Chuck Norris [to my camp]. I’ll bring both, Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal.”

It is a curious move in light of Silva’s recent loss at UFC 162. One would have assumed he would want to bring in an Olympic wrestler or otherwise-qualified ground fighter. Instead, Silva has chosen another celebrity martial artist to complement his use of Steven Seagal.

BloodyElbow.com quoted Damian Maia in a July interview on Brazilian television, as the former contender stated that he and others in the MMA community saw the Seagal and Silva connection as a sort of publicity stunt.

It’s a lie. It’s marketing. Like every actor from Hollywood, when Seagal saw Anderson’s success, he glued himself to him. He was down on his career and made it up again. It worked because he appeared in the media again. He never taught Silva anything … For everyone who knows about it, it’s a joke.

If Maia is correct, then Silva appears to be doubling down on the joke.

To be fair, Norris is accomplished in his own martial arts career. In 1968 he defeated Louis Delgado to win the Professional Middleweight Karate title. Norris held the title for six years. He is also the first Westerner to hold an eighth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Silva utilizes the style in his fights, so it is possible Norris will be able to assist the middleweight in his already extensive striking game.

Time will tell if Silva’s interest is genuine. For now, the move will likely perplex MMA fans more than endear Silva to them. 

 

 

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