Getty Images - Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
(Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
With the UFC on Fox 2 card shuffling came word that the winner of the bout between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping would get a shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Sonnen, of course, already fought Silva once and came within moments of getting a decision win before being submitted.
Chael has been posturing for a rematch since that meeting and has yet to be granted the shot. That has him saying that, no matter what, Silva would never fight him again. Something that UFC president Dana White denies.
"I can guarantee you, Anderson Silva and I will never cross paths again," he said.
But Friday night brought another guarantee, this one from UFC president Dana White, who tends to get the final word on such matters. When asked about Sonnen's comments in a UFC on FX 1 post-fight interview with FUEL TV's Ariel Helwani, White offered a very different opinion of what would happen if Sonnen emerges victorious in his bout with Michael Bisping.
"I, 100 percent, right here and now, guarantee you that if Chael Sonnen wins that fight, Anderson Silva will fight Chael Sonnen this summer," he said.
White also said that a rematch would probably happen in Brazil. Something that everyone thought would never happen due to some sort of security concern because of Sonnen's repeated mocking of Brazilian fighters.
0 recs | 78 comments
SIlva needs to hurry up and get reinjured
XD I think sonnen takes this fight if only he works his bjj, he helped shields for the gsp fight so now its time for shields to return the favor for the anderson fight.
mikeI981j - January 21, 2012
Sonnen already looks to have improved his BJJ
When was the last time Sonnen went for the guard passes and submission attempts that we saw in his fight against Stann? IMO it’s pretty clear that Sonnen finally saw the value in BJJ.
It may be a case of too little, too late, though. Silva was caught off guard by Sonnen, never facing a guy with strong takedowns and the knowledge of how to mix striking in effectively. That was Sonnen’s chance of becoming champ. I think Silva will be more prepared this time.
paythefighters - January 21, 2012
To be fair
Brian Stann isn’t some excellent BJJ practitioner, either. He got subbed by K-Sos two years prior.
Looking up Sonnen’s record apparently he won vs. Tim McKenzie via Brabo Choke. I think he has some offensive grappling in him it’s just he stubbornly refuses to finish fights.
SSreporters - January 21, 2012
I don't recall K-Sos being a chump in the grappling department
And hasn’t Sonnen fought a lot of decent-chinned competition throughout his career? I believe Marqie Marqs and Yushin are especially tough guys. Do correct if I’m wrong, though.
dajulzta - January 21, 2012 via Android app
Sonnen pulled a sweet d'Arce on Tim McKenzie (I think it was) in Bodog about 5 years ago
He knows fare more jiu-jitsu than he lets on.
VenusBlue - January 21, 2012
Yep
such good jits, he got triangled by a dude who got triangled by a Japanese dude in Pride.
juanchoD - January 21, 2012
You think Anderson is a poor grappler?
I’m just going to laugh at you if that’s the case.
Jeremiah Johnson. - January 21, 2012
Of course not
just making a joke. Although you do have to admit, Anderson’s stint in Pride was a little embarrassing.
juanchoD - January 21, 2012
no
SentientAndroid - January 22, 2012
Well according to Sonnen
His crappy guard posture/submission defense is more mental than anything. In any case, my point was not that he’s a Mundials champ in waiting but that his “I’m a Republican, we don’t do BJJ” pose is just that.
VenusBlue - January 21, 2012
You know how we talked about fighters who don't fix their crippling flaws
Always falter like Guillard did last night?
Just do the same with Chael Sonnen and that’s the outcome of this rematch…but quicker. And I hope no one tells me Sonnen has powerful ground-and-pound.
SSreporters - January 21, 2012
No sir he doesn't, Sonnen has annoying pitter patter ground and pound.
Basically enough to give him the round.
Meek Mill - January 21, 2012
sonnen doesn’t have powerful ground and pound like diaz doesn’t have powerful striking. But they make it work.
mikeI981j - January 21, 2012
Nick or Nate?
Because Nick has some powerful shots in volume.
SSreporters - January 21, 2012
Sonnen is a boring point fighter though, Diaz, not so much.
Meek Mill - January 21, 2012
chael sonnen a boring fighter?
Take up bowling pal, because MMA clearly isn’t for you
Silvio Dante - January 21, 2012 via mobile
Don’t get his promo cutting confused with his fighting style, he is boring. If you like another man laying on top of another man not doing much for 15 or 25 minutes than cool for you.
Meek Mill - January 22, 2012
So you think the Marquardt and Silva fights were boring?
lol no
Rob Young - January 22, 2012 via mobile
The Marquardt one was awful
Apart from the only effective strikes thrown (from Marquardt on bottom) and the guillotine.
YPG - January 22, 2012
the silva fight is only exciting because of who Silva was, and his history of dominance. Without that historical significance… if say Silva-Sonnen was the ME on an MFC card? No one would have said it was an exciting match. Unless you get off on watching one dude “grind” his opponent out.
The Lethal Haze - January 22, 2012
Diaz finishes people through an accumulation of his strikes
Sonnen’s pitter patter GnP just keeps the ref from standing the fight up.
YPG - January 21, 2012
Diaz stops guys by pure volume, kinda the same way Frankie stopped Maynard. If Diaz can’t land a ton of shots on a guy he is in trouble.
Riley_96 - January 21, 2012
yeah all he would have left is his bjj which is elementary lol.
mikeI981j - January 21, 2012
Oh sorry i had to point out “in trouble on the feet”.
Riley_96 - January 21, 2012
I cant remember the last time diaz was out of his element on his feet, zuromskis dropped him, daley dropped him, but other than those shots he always been able to outpoint all his opponents. Maybe it was noons vs diaz 1?
mikeI981j - January 21, 2012
He was getting lit up pretty good in the first round of the Penn fight.
Cyborg was wrecking his leg in there fight as well. Diaz’s striking is highly dependent on landing a lot of blows or creating a pace that the other guy cannot keep up with. When he does not control pace he does not do well, when he does not pin a guy and land a lot he does not do well. Penn was beating him in the first round, but Diaz is a more complete fighter and was able to take over the fight.
Riley_96 - January 21, 2012
Some of the the shots Sonnen landed on Marquardt and Silva were far from pitter-patter. He bounced their heads off the canvas on multiple occasions.
MMAussie - January 21, 2012
Fighters get to a point in there career(normally after the first 2 years or so) and then just stay the same more or less for the rest of there career. Its very rare to see somehow like Megareem do what he has done, at this point in his career.
Kefka - January 21, 2012
or he can drop silva again
I for one can’t wait for this rematch
Thorpey - January 21, 2012 via iPhone app
he staggered him
He never dropped him. Silva proceeded to take multiple flush shots and didn’t even budge.
I can’t wait for the rematch either. It’ll be another choke stoppage.
SSreporters - January 21, 2012
U mad bro?
Afrotikiman - January 21, 2012 via mobile
i see it ending from the standup
Cunny - January 21, 2012
This
Rewatch the start of the 4th round to see what an uninjured Silva who isn’t determined to sub Sonnen will do.
PeteJ - January 21, 2012
Watch rounds 1-3 and most of Round 4 in order to see what a Sonnen with reasonable sub-defense will do to Silva.
Gugabe - January 22, 2012
Yep chael sonnen
Known for all his power in the stand up dropped silva, a man who couldn’t be dropped by the likes of Dan Henderson after eating dan’s money shots from both hands. Chael just has more power in his hands then henderson, or he just hit him right on the button……or the less agreed upon no it can’t be… option number 3.
cager - January 22, 2012
well yeah you know what I meant! lol
Think chael needs to bring in a high lvl bjj guy bigger then him an drill cause if he can do this I don’t see how silva can beat him!
Unless ofcourse he can stop the TD which is also a possibility in itself, but I see a repeat of the first fight here
Thorpey - January 21, 2012 via iPhone app
Anderson Silva already beat him once
Also, you know that Andy took Sonnen down twice (once?) in that fight, right?
SSreporters - January 21, 2012
you do know that Sonnen quickly swept him right?
Riley_96 - January 21, 2012
Yes
Sonnen is by far the better wrestler but he’s not impenetrable.
SSreporters - January 21, 2012
I was going to say that but didn’t want to be a dick =)
mikeI981j - January 21, 2012
Sonnen not only needs to work BJJ he needs to learn to put position first. Much of his ground work is based on throwing a high volume of strikes and regaining his base later. Sonnen is comfortable enough with his wrestling he does not mind giving up position to throw strikes.
If he is to win a rematch he needs to keep up the same work rate, but watch the positions he is putting himself in. Guard passes in this fight would be nice.
Riley_96 - January 21, 2012
Sonnen possibly fighting where there is no AC?
Oh good, he can juice all he wants and the UFC can ‘test’ him and say hes clean
Ricardo Arguello - January 21, 2012
put your tin foil hat back on, your crazy is showing.
mikeI981j - January 21, 2012
Or, UFC knows there’s no AC, one of their employees is the “regulator”, the fight is in Silva’s home territory, they implement instant replay, and there’s a “controversial” ending to the fight. High drama, disputed outcome, etc. Anyone who trusts UFC fight results in countries where the promoter is the de facto athletic commission is kidding themselves. Want to bet that Tan Dan is the ref for the fight?
( . Y . ) - January 21, 2012
You just took the bat shit crazy to a whole new level
Hendo_One-Shot - January 21, 2012
I love how suggesting any foul play
In an event thats sole purpose when it all comes down to it is to take your money, is considered bat shit crazy. I love mma as much as the next guy, but flirting with the idea that bullshit happens in mma behind the scenes isn’t crazy, just merely being aware. Being aware is considered being crazy in todays world. That’s how THEY get ya. :)
cager - January 22, 2012
suggesting that there is a "THEY"
is bat shit crazy.
UncleMax - January 22, 2012
what?
the “they” in his situation is the UFC.
Does suggesting any malfeasance on the UFC’s part automatically make someone crazy?
The Lethal Haze - January 22, 2012
Didn't this just happen
on the last Rio card that just went by? ;P
TorQus - January 21, 2012
I don’t trust judges and refs appointed by the commissions half the time as it is.
Kefka - January 21, 2012
I’ve got a gut feeling that Silva is going to do to sonnen what he was expected to do in the first match.
Hendo_One-Shot - January 21, 2012
Let's hope so.
775assassin - January 21, 2012 via mobile
WEC NEVER DIE!!!!
Garbanzo - January 21, 2012
Garbanzo - January 21, 2012
Garbanzo - January 21, 2012
That's disturbs me to the core.
UncleMax - January 21, 2012
Same. I won’t be able to look at Bieber the same way ever again, hanging out with that loser Anderson Silva.
Hendo_One-Shot - January 21, 2012
Nietzsche was right...
… :(
menckenstein - January 21, 2012
I am going to go have nightmares
I want to bore my eyes out after seeing this…
Andy Anderson - January 21, 2012
legit lol, woke up my newborn.
cager - January 22, 2012
Guarantees are like a$$holes..
Everyone has one.
kinghaze - January 21, 2012 via mobile
Sonnen will get smashed!!!
I gurantee that if they rematch Sonnen gets finished in the first RD he’s not as big a threat as people think Anderson is P4P king deal wit it!!!
http://www.mrvons-universe.com/sports/nfl-conference-championship-preview/
Vaughn MrVon Maurice - January 21, 2012
see above post
mikeI981j - January 21, 2012
Did you just... Seriously?
Zachary Kater - January 21, 2012
Can you back that up with anything?
Anderson is not a good wrestler, prone to takedowns, and isn’t great at getting back up once taken down.
Riley_96 - January 21, 2012
Silva is prone to TD’s? He has good TDD, only the very best like Sonnen can get him down with any consistency.
Kefka - January 21, 2012
just watch bisping upset sonnen and make all these comments null and void lol
mattsterguy - January 21, 2012
half of BE would spontaneously combust if Bisping beat Sonnen
The Lethal Haze - January 21, 2012
this is true
we will see the return of mmaintellegence, or psychobrit will come to be
Andy Anderson - January 21, 2012
hell I know I will.
Rob Young - January 22, 2012 via mobile
God I can't wait
I would cream in my cheese
cager - January 22, 2012
@mattsterguy
it would be great but realistically not gonna happen, silva sonnen happening again! bisping only chance is in the scramble, if he catches sonnen w/ a couple of flush knees, powerful rights and a choke, and all that would have to happen consecutively, otherwise sonnen will decision and possibly submit him w/ his improved bjj positioning and submissions/ boy will we never here the end of that!!! sonnen submitting bisping…
rjohnson2842 - January 21, 2012
I hope this happens
Also, this photo has been one of my favorites when I first saw it, exhibits the badassery of both these guys :)
dajulzta - January 21, 2012 via Android app
I'd rather see Sonnen vs. Jones.
I’d take seeing Chael get his skull broken over getting triangled any day?
kreally - January 21, 2012
Fuck...
That question mark shouldn’t be there.
kreally - January 21, 2012
MicahtheCynic - January 21, 2012
Om nom nom nom
Should be the caption
cager - January 22, 2012
A motivated Spider...
…. let alone one who is NOT hurt and NOT fighting a ’roided up, pillow-fisted $# means said $# is getting his @#*& kicked from beyond the 7th dimension, and it WILL be sweet.
kuboa - January 22, 2012
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