QUOTABLES: Chael Sonnen reneges on stipulations for second Anderson Silva bout, "needs to come up with a new offer"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"That was a spur of the moment type of thing. I'm trying to pick a fight with this guy. This is the most confusing thing I've ever been part of in this sport. You've got an alleged champion letting me talk to him that way while he sits fifteen feet away ... with his head down. You've got a guy like me sticking his finger in his chest day after day, hour after hour, and he can't say a word. The one time he finally speaks up is to say 'I don't want the rematch. I don't want to fight you.' I don't understand how we can call this guy champion.

Last check he's ducked every tough fight that's come his way. Last check I've been calling him out for six years. I've beat every champion of every company there's ever been. I've beaten more world champions than he's ever even been in the ring with. And they're calling him the king of the division?

That offer was good when I made it, but it's like any offer, you know, they've got to expire. Apparently, that didn't work. I'm doing anything I can to lure him out, and yes, I would have absolutely done that. I'd have done a winner-takes-all, I'd have done any stipulation he wanted. All he needed to do was stand up and give me a thumbs up. He wanted to accept that offer, all he needed to do was nod to me, or have one of his handlers come into the back and says 'Anderson accepts.' He did the exact opposite. He went to the media and said 'I do not want to fight that guy.' So what can I do? Now I have to come up with a new offer."

-Chael Sonnen reneges on his UFC 136 call-out terms of Anderson Silva in an interview with Jim Rome (transcribed by MMANation.com).

Penick's Analysis: The stipulation was never serious; it was a something said to garner a reaction, and he succeeded in getting just that. Silva isn't ducking a thing, and hasn't himself said anything to anyone. It was Ed Soares giving his opinion that Sonnen shouldn't be next in line, but if the UFC comes to Silva with that fight he'll take that fight next. Sonnen is as ridiculous as he's always been, and it's not going to slow down anytime soon. With the highly impressive win over Brian Stann now in the rear view, he's gotten back his platform to spout off, and he'll continue to do so. I don't even think a second loss to Silva would halt him at this point, as it's become ingrained into his public persona, and we're sure to see and hear many more interviews like this one over the next six months.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_10919.shtml

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