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Classic Chael Sonnen back at 'Bellator: NYC' press conference, compares Wanderlei Silva to shoe

NEW YORK – A whole different side of Chael Sonnen comes out when he has something to sell, and today’s performance at the first “Bellator: NYC” news conference was proof he’s as capable as ever.

Sonnen (28-15-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) will have his long-awaited grudge match with Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in the main event of the June 24 fight card at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event marks just the second foray into pay-per-view for the organization, and with hopes of reaching the 200,000 buy mark set out by Bellator President Scott Coker, Sonnen was on point to kick off promotion for the event.

He did have plenty of ammunition to work with, though, starting with the fact Silva did not attend the news conference in person. Instead, the former PRIDE champ was brought in by satellite to interact with Sonnen and take questions from the media.

Silva said he stayed in his native Brazil so he could train for the fight without interruption, and that did not sit well with Sonnen.

“It annoys me because I feel like Wanderlei got his way,” Sonnen told reporters. “It looks like he found a bathroom as a backdrop in the men’s shelter he’s living in in Rio and got somebody to point a cellphone at his face. I find it a little bit weird. … You understand we’re beaming him in via satellite. We could have used that satellite technology to point it somewhere else to predict weather patterns and protect people’s lives. Instead, we’ve got Wanderlei Silva coming to us through a men’s shelter bathroom in Brazil.”

Sonnen and Silva have a history that dates back more than five years. The pair first butted heads during a media tour in 2011 when “The Axe Murderer” confronted Sonnen about the many negative comments he had made about his countryman, Anderson Silva, as well as the culture in Brazil. That spilled over into a stint as opposing coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” at which the two engaged in a full-on brawl during filming of the show.

They were supposed to fight at UFC 175 in July 2014, but the bout fell apart when both men encountered drug testing issues from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), which led to individual suspensions. Silva hasn’t fought since, and Sonnen just made his return to competition in January, when he suffered a first-round submission loss to Tito Ortiz at Bellator 170.

Despite all the time that’s, passed there’s still a palpable hostility between the athletes. But Sonnen said he’s the only one who has backed up any of his statements so far.

“I told the press three weeks ago, ‘The next time I see Wanderlei Silva, I’m going to be fighting Wanderlei Silva,’ and he stayed at home in Brazil,” Sonnen said. “That’s just the reality. The last time I saw Wanderlei Silva, I fought Wanderlei Silva on the streets of Brazil. So yes, my words matter. We are back on pay-per-view, and daddy is the king of pay-per-view. I’m not coming into the men’s bathroom at the homeless shelter, Wanderlei. You can call me out all you want. I told you I would be in New York and I’ll be in New York on June 24, one place you are not.”

Silva didn’t receive the entirety of Sonnen’s attention during the news conference. The three-time UFC title challenger also took aim at another former PRIDE champion in Fedor Emelianenko (36-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who fights Matt Mitrione (11-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) in the heavyweight co-headliner of Bellator’s debut event in New York.

Sonnen has chastised Emelianenko countless times over the years for participating in alleged “fake fights” in Japan which helped build his status as arguably the greatest heavyweight in MMA history. Sonnen was seated directly beside Emelianenko during the news conference and didn’t skip the opportunity to poke fun at the Russian.

“Fedor Emelianenko, in his crowning moment, is going to jerk the curtain before the bad guy himself walks,” Sonnen said. “Could you imagine being Fedor Emelianenko, getting that call, and told, ‘You’re coming to MSG – you’re going to pull the curtain back for Chael Sonnen to make the walk?’ While Wanderlei hides out in the bathroom in Rio, when all is said and done I will promise you this: It’s going to be one more in the win column, one more for the highlight reel, and one more for the bad guy.

“Could you imagine the excitement that Fedor must have right now? Could you imagine how bad he wants to reach out and touch the largest arm in West Linn, Ore., that’s sitting right next to him?”

The focus ultimately turned back to Silva, though, and Sonnen was clearly unimpressed with his level of participation. Silva only gave short answers to the few questions he was asked, and Sonnen called him out for it.

“You want to hear from Wanderlei Silva? You know where you can get as much tantalizing conversation as Wanderlei Silva? Just talk to my shoe,” Sonnen said. “Just ask the shoe, ‘What’s it going to be like, shoe? What’s it going to be like to walk into Madison Square Garden in front of a sold out arena with the biggest box office in history because Bellator called the king?’ You know what Wanderlei is going to say? ‘Garble, garble, garble.’ It’s ‘Garble, garble, garble, Mr. Sonnen.'”

With the fight less than three months away, Sonnen did manage to fit one serious note into the news conference. He explained the difficulty in losing to Ortiz in his comeback fight earlier this year and wants to make good on it with a triumphant performance in his sophomore Bellator effort. Silva will be coming back from a more than five-year layoff, however, and Sonnen said he anticipated his rival to face some of the same challenges he dealt with after his long break.

“They talk about ring rust – I didn’t think it was a real thing,” Sonnen said. “I can tell you for me, it was a real thing. I imagine that he will stumble a little bit. If I was to give him some friendly advice, a lot of it is just in speed. It’s like in sparring – it’s just a little bit of speed. I’ve been around Wanderlei. I did ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ with Wanderlei. I watched him train every single day. I can only speak for myself, but I can tell you it was for real.”

For more on “Bellator NYC” and Bellator 180, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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