Anderson Silva answers war of words with Chael Sonnen
Anderson Silva set aside his polite, subdued mannerisms Monday on a conference call to hype his anticipated July 7 Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight-title rematch against boastful Chael Sonnen.
“I’m going to break his face and every tooth in his mouth,” Silva said of Sonnen through his interpreter and manager Ed Soares. “Playtime is over. There’s no more talking. I’m going to beat him out of the UFC.”
Sonnen nearly upset Silva in their August 2010 fight in Oakland, with only a fifth-round submission by the mobile champion saving him from a loss by decision as Sonnen out-struck Silva and maintained a superior position atop the Brazilian.
Even a UFC spokesman said it’s the only time Silva has been seriously in trouble in the UFC.
“To walk into a fist fight with his hands down … he’s an amateur fighter,” Sonnen said of Silva, who has been middleweight champion since 2006.
Silva has heard things like this from Sonnen before, with the disparaging comments aimed not only at Silva but his home country and wife.
Monday, Silva finally fired back in the verbal campaign.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m on the bottom, side or top, Chael Sonnen is going to get his” rear “kicked like never before. I’m going to make sure his arms and legs are broken. The game’s over. No more … talking. It’s on now.
“I’m going to make him pay for everything he’s said about me, my family, my country. I’m going to beat him maybe like his parents should have to teach him some manners. I’ll teach him that myself.”
UFC President Dana White seemed a bit caught off guard by Silva moving out of the soft-spoken character to the violent tone.
“What makes this crazy is I’ve never heard Anderson Silva speak anything remotely like this,” White said.
White said he expects that UFC 148, which includes a third fight between retiring former light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and ex-champion Forrest Griffin, should surpass 1 million pay-per-view buys.
ALSO:
Spurs’ Tony Parker still recovering
Chris Brown, Drake reportedly brawl in New York City nightclub
When digital beef gets real: What Drake, Chris Brown, Meek Mill can learn
Twitter.com/latimespugmire
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
