The link didn't work Fear. But I caught the story. How much you wanna bet Silva will fight Bisping if he beats Sonnen? I bet he would retire before facing Sonnen again. Who knows? These guys are amazing fighters, but they sure act like sissies sometimes!
I'd agree with that. So, how long before Silva forfeits his belt, if he keeps avoiding fights, injury or no injury ? Doesn't a doctor play a role in deeming him ok, or not ok to fight, or do they just totally buy a fighter's story if he says his pinky hurts ?
I'm beginning to question whether Silva's ribs were ever hurt for the first fight against Sonnen, according to the excuses everyone made for him doing so poorly vs Sonnen.
Here ya go, with the article.....or try the link - I think I fixed it.
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by Steven Marrocco on Jan 20, 2012 at 3:40 pm ET
In putting together a last-minute co-main event fight between Chael Sonnen (26-11-1 MMA, 5-4 UFC) and Michael Bisping (22-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC), UFC president Dana White said the winner gets a crack at middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
That may be true, according to Sonnen. But the title shot is never going to happen.
"I can guarantee you – Anderson Silva and I will never cross paths again," Sonnen said today.
Sonnen believes that statement extends to his opponent should Bisping come out ahead in the fight, which takes place next Saturday at Chicago's United Center and airs live on FOX.
"I don't if he's going to retire, or [the UFC is] going to retire him," Sonnen said. "I think the plan was if I could get past Munoz and if Michael was successful against Demian, they were going to do an interim championship between Bisping and I.
"I know Anderson's not going to fight. The folks at the UFC know he's not going to fight. I'm all for promoting and marketing and all that good stuff. I don't want to throw water on a perfectly hot flame, but Anderson Silva's not going to fight anybody."
Sonnen was originally slated to fight Mark Munoz before an elbow injury forced Munoz to withdraw from the event. In his place went Bisping, who was originally set to meet onetime middleweight title challenger Demian Maia. Maia now meets up-and-comer Chris Weidman.
As bold declarations go, Sonnen's comments aren't much of a departure from countless barbs he's tossed in Silva's direction. After defeating Brian Stann at UFC 136, he offered the champ a loser-leaves-town fight of sorts and later rescinded it when lingering injuries delayed Silva's return.
Sonnen feels those injuries – bursitis and back problems – are suspiciously convenient. But what can he do?
"I tend to believe him," Sonnen said. "If a guy says he's hurt, you've got to believe him. Only he knows, and I don't need an X-ray or anything else.
"I think it's a little fugazi that he claims that he's hurt, and then we see footage of him live sparring with Wanderlei Silva. I think it's a little fugazi that he claims he's hurt, and I've got my friend (Muhammed) 'Mo' Lawal training with Machida alongside alongside Silva. I think these things are peculiar. But if a guy says he's hurt, it's enough for me."
Not enough, though, to tone his rhetoric down when it comes to the prospect of winning a rematch with the champ after their epic first meeting at UFC 117, which ended with him submitting in the fifth round after dominating the fight up to end.
The way Sonnen sees it, the UFC can try to put the fight together all they want, and they may again. But they won't have any luck.
"I can tell you that behind the scenes, they tried to put me and Anderson together four times, and four times he said no," he said. "I called him out publicly. You call out a Brazilian publicly, you're going to be fighting that Brazilian. That's in their culture, and he sat there and covered his mouth and hid behind Charles Barkley, which is a smart move. It saved him a trip to the hospital. But Anderson Silva is not going to fight me. I don't believe he's going to fight Bisping. I don't believe he's going to fight again. That's my personal opinion.
"He even said no to (UFC executive) Lorenzo Fertitta's face. Face-to-face, not over the phone – Lorenzo brought him out, sat him down, and said, 'This is the fight we want.' And Anderson said no."
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