Chael Sonnen is saying all the right things about his UFC 109 opponent Nate Marquardt. But the plainspoken middleweight contender doesn’t mince words on the subjects of Anderson Silva, Demian Maia, or the A-Team.
On the current UFC Middleweight Champion:
• “Anderson Silva is the only champion in any division—he’s the only guy that even gets discussed as the pound for pound best who not only has never beat a wrestler. He’s never even fought one. Not even on the dirty streets of Brazil when he was a kid has Anderson fought a wrestler let alone beat one.” [ed. note – Silva defeated Team Quest co-founder and noted wrestler Dan Henderson at UFC 82]
• “He went up to light heavyweight and beat up a couple of slow, unathletic guys. He beat up every bum that could get a plane ticket to Ohio. He beat up a one-legged Canadian. He beat a teammate of mine who was drunk when he got in the ring. I don’t understand what the hype around Anderson is.”
• “If he wants to fight a wrestler—me or anyone else—there’s plenty of wrestlers that’ll be happy to blast him right through the cage and beat a hole in his face. If I’m the guy whose name comes out of the hat, believe me when that music hits those speakers, I’ll put my mouth piece in and make that walk.”
On Demian Maia, the man who submitted him at UFC 95:
• “Maia and I will meet up again. It’ll be for the title when we do,” said Sonnen. “I’ll tell ya, I’m gonna blast him with a double leg, put him on his back and beat a hole in his face. I’m not gonna stand-up and dance around because I’m afraid of being in his guard.”
On Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s involvement in The A-Team movie:
• “That actually ruined it for me. I’ve been waiting for them to do an A-Team [movie]. I heard rumblings out of Hollywood they were coming up with one. I’d been excited for years. And when the cast Rampage, I probably won’t even go see it now,” said Sonnen, who added that he thinks Jackson will do an “outstanding” job in the film…but he still won’t go see it.
Sonnen will face Marquardt at UFC 109 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev. on Feb. 6. Read more about Sonnen in the Feb. issue of FIGHT! Magazine, on newsstands now!
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