UFC 117 Conference Call Wrap

UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen Conference Call Highlights

Not that this will come as any surprise, but Chael Sonnen was star of the UFC 117 conference call. Anderson Silva, well, he was full of “yes” and “no” answers. The champ seemed indifferent on the call and almost distracted. Sonnen, on the other hand, was full of gems and seemed quite intense. Just another example of the drastic difference in personalities of these two fighters. Highlights below…

Sonnen: “Anderson has a lot of tools. I don’t see a major glaring weakness anywhere.”

Sonnen: “I’m the toughest guy in the company. There’s never been a guy with earrings that can out tough me and he’s not going to be the first.”

Sonnen “I’m a partner with the UFC and Anderson is an employee. That’s why all the questions are coming to me. I give a clear and coherant answer while he sits on a speakerphone in a car somewhere giving yes and no answers.”

Sonnen: “I’m gonna be standing, he’s gonna be flat on his back.”

Silva: “He can say what he wants to say.” – in response to Dana White saying he could cut the champ after another bad performance

Sonnen: “I believe Vitor is in line next, but he’s not the guy I really want to fight. I have a guy in mind and I’ll challenge him on the night of the 7th.”

Sonnen: “He has the right to employ anything that he feels will get his hand raised at the end of the night. I just dont like him. I dont wish him a bad life. I’m gonna take his belt on August 7th and Dana’s gonna fight him on August 8th.”

Sonnen: “I’ve never said anything bad about Ed [Soares]. I’d say I’m pretty close to calling Ed a friend.”

Sonnen: “American fans aren’t biased against Brazilians. We just like who we like.”

Sonnen: “I don’t think Anderson has any fans. Nobody wants to dress like him, act like him, or be like him.”

Silva: “A lot of times, fan are cheering you one minute and booing you the next. Fans are great, but I think that a lot of time they don’t always know exactly what’s going on. I don’t blame fans for reacting the way they react.”

Silva: “I think it’s funny.” -on if what Sonnen says is bothering him

Sonnen: “Of course I’m promoting this fight myself. Who cares what Anderson has to say. You guys [the media] are his only fans. I’m the guy people want to see. I dont even know why he’s here.”

Silva: “I haven’t gotten bored. I like my sport and I like the weight division I fight in. I want to retire fighting in my weight category.” -on whether he’s grown bored with the middleweight division

Sonnen: “I don’t know what hype means. You guys come to me with questions and I answer them. I don’t go cut promos. I could drag Anderson Silva outside the hotel and beat the crap out of him anytime I want. But I’ve made a commitment to make sure that millions of people watch on August 7th.”

Sonnen: “His elbows are sharp. His knees are sharp. He’s going to hurt me on August 7th, but I’m confident I’ll be able to take it.”

Sonnen: “I’ve beat every champion of every organization there’s ever been except the UFC. There’s not another middleweight alive that can make that claim.”

Silva: “They way that he chooses to promote the fight is different than the way that I promote the fight.”

Sonnen: “I’ve accomplished far more in this sport than Anderson Silva. He’s accomplished more than me in the company, but not in this sport.”

Sonnen: “I’ve been training really hard since I was nine years old.”

Silva: “I don’t really have much to say. We’re going to go out there on August 7th and it’s going to be a fight. Chael is talking a lot of shit and it’s my choice to not talk a lot of shit.”

Sonnen: “I can’t think of anyone who has out grappled him and there’s nobody who’s ever out struck me on my feet.”