Following a loss to UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones at UFC 159, former 205 and 185lb title challenger Chael Sonnen (27-13-1) revealed he intends to remain in the light-heavyweight division, and issued a 24-hour challenge to MMA icon Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1) due to an unresolved verbal rivalry.
Followed by a series of tick-tock tweets, Sonnen challenged the ‘Axe Murderer’ via Twitter: “Wand- you have 24 hours to accept, If you do, I will donate 10% of my purse to help schools in your hometown of Curitiba .. I mean, VEGAS.”
Despite Sonnen’s deadline having passed, Silva responded on Tuesday’s edition of “UFC Tonight” on Fuel TV: “Jon Jones and Anderson (Silva) have been too nice to Chael,” Silva told “UFC Tonight’s” Ariel Helwani. “I want to suck his blood. I want to smell it. Not just fight. Not just fight. I want to hurt him. Chael is a joke, man. He’s going to be second forever. He’s never going to be first.”
“UFC Tonight” co-host Sonnen then responded as only Chael Sonnen does: “I think the real breaking news there is that Wanderlei Silva put together a coherent sentence that somebody understood, but I can assure you, Wanderlei, I will not be signing a contract for you to suck on any part of me. I suggest you go to a bath and find yourself.”
Since the challenge, rumours have developed suggesting that the proposed Sonnen-Silva clash will headline the UFC’s debut on the new FOX Sports network, UFC on Fox Sports 1, taking place on August 17 at the TD Garden in Boston.
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