Sonnen not hopeful of rematch vs. Silva
While the winner of Saturday’s middleweight contender bout between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping is essentially guaranteed a shot at the belt, Sonnen says he will never get to claim the reward, no matter the outcome.
Sonnen, who in August 2010 famously dominated longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Anderson Silva for 4½ rounds, only to lose by submission in the closing minutes, says there is no way Silva will fight him again.
Sonnen was due to fight Mark Munoz on Saturday night’s UFC on Fox 2 card in Chicago, but will fight Bisping instead after Munoz was forced to withdraw with an elbow injury. Sonnen refuses to believe he will ever get his rematch with Silva, even if he defeats Bisping.
“I can guarantee you — Anderson Silva and I will never cross paths again,” he said on a conference call. “I know Anderson’s not going to fight. The folks at the UFC know he’s not going to fight. I’m all for promoting and marketing and all that good stuff. I don’t want to throw water on a perfectly hot flame, but Anderson Silva’s not going to fight anybody.”
Silva is out of action with an injured shoulder, which Sonnen referred to as “fugazi,” but is expected to return in the summer for a possible stadium show in Brazil. UFC president Dana White said the fight will definitely happen should Sonnen defeat Bisping.
Sonnen is a master marketer and this all seems to be one more trick in his promotional bag.
First things first. He needs to get by Bisping on a card that features a main event light heavyweight top contender bout between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis. The card airs live on Fox (Cable 5) at 5 p.m.
■ UFC WEBSITE HACKED — Just hours after an editorial penned by UFC general counsel Lawrence Epstein supporting the Stop Online Piracy Act appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Sunday, UFC.com was hacked by the “Underground Nazi” hacker group.
For a brief time, visitors to UFC.com were redirected to the hackers’ site, UGNazi.com.
White brushed off the cyber attack on Twitter.
“I’m in the fight biz not the website biz. Who gives a (expletive)?” he posted.
The UFC’s site was back in operation later in the day.
■ SILVA DQ UPHELD — UFC vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner said the disqualification of Erick Silva in his UFC 142 welterweight bout against Carlo Prater in Rio de Janeiro will stand.
Silva thought he had knocked out Prater, but referee Mario Yamasaki instead ruled he delivered illegal blows to the back of Prater’s head.
“Based on the referee’s verbal warnings and his determination that the blows were intentional and a disqualifying foul, this is not the type of decision that can be reviewed,” Ratner said in a statement. “Therefore, the decision stands.”
The organization typically self-regulates international events that aren’t explicitly governed by a local commission, as was the case in Brazil.
■ STRIKEFORCE ADDS FIGHTS — Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi will take on Mike Kyle in the co-main event of the organization’s March 3 card at Columbus, Ohio.
Kyle broke the news Monday afternoon on Twitter.
Though the vacant light heavyweight title will not be up for grabs, the bout will have a significant impact on the future of that belt.
Mousasi lost the title to Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal in April 2010, but hasn’t lost in five fights since. In fact, it was the only loss Mousasi has suffered since 2006. Kyle, who has bounced back and forth between light heavyweight and heavyweight, has not lost a fight at 205 pounds.
Dan Henderson abandoned the light heavyweight belt when he made the move back to the UFC. Former champion Rafael Cavalcante is also in the mix.
A lightweight bout between Conor Heun and Las Vegan Ryan Couture will also take place at the event, which is headlined by a women’s 135-pound title fight between Ronda Rousey and champion Miesha Tate.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter @AdamHillLVRJ
