Las Vegas, Nevada – Reigning
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is usually one of the most respectful
and sportsmanlike mixed martial artists on the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
roster. However, on today’s media conference call to promote what UFC President
Dana White said is one of the biggest sporting events of the year – the July 7
UFC 148 main event against bitter rival Chael Sonnen – ‘the Spider’ sounded off
like never before.
Irate at two years of
taunting from Sonnen, Silva took the opportunity to sound a warning to the man
who came within two minutes of taking his title in August 2010.
“I’m going to break his face
and every tooth in his mouth,” Silva said through his interpreter and manager
Ed Soares. “I know he’s on the call listening to this and playtime is over.
There’s no more talking from him. I’m going to beat him out of the UFC. I’m
going to make him pay for everything he’s said about me, my family and my
country. I’m going to beat him maybe like his parents should have to teach him
some manners. I’ll teach him those manners myself.
“No more sh** talking from
him. Chael Sonnen’s going to get his ass kicked like he’s never gotten his ass
kicked before. What I’m going to do inside the Octagon is something that’s
going to change the image of the sport, I’m sorry. I’m going to beat his ass
like he’s never been beaten before. This is going to be violent and I am sorry.
I’m going to make sure that every one of his teeth are broken, that his arms
are broken and his legs are broken. He’s not going to be able to walk out of
the Octagon by himself. I can guarantee that. He will need a plastic surgeon
afterwards.”
Sonnen was disconnected from
the call but later said: “People can’t understand why I’m not getting caught up
on the hype of Anderson Silva, but he can’t take the magazine covers and press
stories into the Octagon with him. He’s just a man with two arms, two legs –
and I’m going to beat him on July 7 because I want it more than he does.
“I don’t need anything in my
life – but I have to have that belt. Everything I’ve done, everything I’ve
worked for and sacrificed – everything I have in life – I would give it all
away to be the UFC champion for just one night.”
UFC President Dana White
said: “I’ve promoted every Anderson Silva fight since he’s been in the UFC in
2006, and I’ve never heard him talk even remotely like this. He is usually so
respectful and doesn’t say anything negative or disrespectful. I’ve never heard
Anderson talk like this once – and I’ve never heard Chael be so sincere about
how bad he wants to win this fight and what it means to him to be the UFC world
champion.”
UFC® 148: SILVA vs. SONNEN 2
will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN
DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw
Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail
price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN
for High Definition.
For more information or
current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
About the Ultimate Fighting
Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed,
can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums
across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA)
organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and
with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live
events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. In
2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast
agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events
broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and
thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV.
This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The
Ultimate Fighter®, which now airs on FX.
In addition to its reach on
FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to
nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is
also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through
Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports
Broadcasting Inc. and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also
connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as
social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered
one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two
million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling
DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event
broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC
Undisputed® video game franchise distributed by THQ, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club
affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.
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