Sonnen Says Anderson Ducking Him, Not Injured

Sonnen Says Anderson Ducking Him, Not Injured
MMAWeekly.com

Ever since losing to UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva via a fifth-round submission at UFC 117, Chael Sonnen has been pushing the Brazilian’s buttons in an attempt to get him back in the Octagon.

Sonnen pounded on Silva for the better part of the first four rounds before succumbing to a triangle choke/armbar combination midway through the final round of the fight. It hasn’t sat well with him. At every turn, Sonnen has proclaimed himself the true champion trying to goad Silva into a rematch.

“As far as I’m concerned, that belt is worth nothing more than a piece of tin when it’s around (Silva’s) waist,” Sonnen said after defeating Brian Stann at UFC 136. “I am the true middleweight champion.”

Sonnen nearly had the rematch he’s been angling for. The UFC tried to put the fight together for UFC 143 on Super Bowl weekend. That was until Silva revealed a shoulder injury that will keep him out of action for the next several months.

“Anderson should be ready by summer,” said UFC president Dana White on Wednesday, confirming that Sonnen would be facing his friend, Mark Munoz, for the No. 1 contender slot when they fight at UFC on Fox 2 on Jan. 28 in Chicago.


“I’m not gonna change my schedule around just to kick his ass. I’m not waiting for him or anybody else,” Sonnen said on Wednesday about accepting the fight with Munoz inside of trying to wait out Silva’s recovery. “If I’m not the best guy and Mark is, then God bless him and he can go have the shot.

“But Anderson is not going to fight me in America, Brazil, in Antarctica, in his kitchen while I’m trying to get a decent Brazilian steak. He is not going to fight me and don’t fall for the hype that he is.”

If that sounds like Sonnen believes that Silva is ducking a second fight between the two, you’d be dead on.

“I don’t believe Anderson is hurt. I know he says he’s hurt then he’s at training camp with Wanderlei; they got caught on tape. He just got done working out with Machida; they got caught on tape,” commented Sonnen.

“Yeah, I think he’s ducking me. I think he’s ducking Dan Henderson. I don’t know that he’d be eager to fight Bisping… but no, I don’t think he’s hurt.”