The historic battle between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva, in August 2010 / Photo: Josh Hedges
Relentless and skilled in the art of pushing Anderson Silva’s buttons, Chael Sonnen unleashed another barrage of diatribes this Sunday. Over Twitter, Sonnen criticized the construction of Itaquerão stadium as the home field for team Corinthians, the club sponsoring his nemesis.
“I’d like to see them building schools, not a stadium for Corinthians. If they build a stadium, that’s where I’ll take Anderson out,” posted Sonnen just days after he was filmed sporting a team Palmeiras jersey.
Spouting both tasteful and distasteful tirades, the big talker is held in high regard by UFC president Dana White. “[I’ve never seen] even anywhere near him. Seriously – and everybody’s going to go crazy over this – but I’ve never seen anyone who can talk like this guy can since Muhammad Ali. The stuff that just comes right off the top of his head, and is hilarious. And you don’t know what’s real and what’s not real.”” White is quoted as saying on the HeavyMMA website.
On the possibility of a Sonnen-Silva rematch at Morumbi stadium in May, Dana expressed concern for the American’s safety. “We’ve already started worrying about security for him.We will have presidential-type security down there for him. The biggest fear would be should Chael win that night, we’d have to dig a tunnel underneath the Octagon [to get him out].”
Before facing Anderson for the title, though, Chael Sonnen has to get past Mark Muñoz at the January 28 UFC on Fox show in Chicago. Check out the card for the event:
UFC on FOX 2
Chicago, Illinois, USA
January 28, 2012
Phil Davis vs Rashad Evans
Chael Sonnen vs Mark Muñoz
Demetrious Johnson vs Eddie Wineland
Evan Dunham vs Paul Sass
Jon Olav Einemo vs Mike Russow
Cody McKenzie vs Michael Johnson
Cub Swanson vs George Roop
Chris Camozzi vs Dustin Jacoby