UFC on Fox 2 Exclusive: Chael Sonnen Not Ready to Talk About Michael Bisping
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I had a lot of things to tell you about Chael Sonnen. About his first MMA fight with a high level wrestler. About the mental dexterity it takes to convince yourself you can beat an opponent who has bested you in the past. About what happens when two wrestling juggernauts meet in the middle of the cage to settle a score and earn a title shot.
I won't be telling you any of those things.
Sonnen's fight with former NCAA champion Mark Munoz was cancelled yesterday after Munoz was forced to bow out with an injury. In his stead to save the day, riding the white horse for perhaps the first time in his UFC career, comes British striker Michael Bisping —the internet exploded.
Bisping and Sonnen. It's a dream fight in a lot of ways. Not so much in the cage, where fans and oddsmakers see Sonnen as a heavy favorite. But behind the scenes, on radio shows, podcasts and television shows. It has the makings of an epic.
For now, Sonnen is content to bide his time. Nothing I said or asked him yesterday shortly after the announcement evoked even a shred of emotion. The trash talk that has helped him rise from journeyman to superstar was nowhere to be seen.
Does he respect Bisping?
"I've never been clear on what respect means. I hear [the word] thrown around a lot, and how it equates to a lowly cage fighter is beyond me," Sonnen said.
Why do you think the fans don't seem to like Bisping much?
"He has sold out a lot of different arenas. What other measuring stick compares?"
Even rank jingoism couldn't force him to play his hand. Is he proud to represent America against an invading British fighter?
"I don't get caught up anything this isn't Chael P. Sonnen. I look out for No. 1," Sonnen said, before conceding one issue with Bisping and his British fans. "They have got the Oxford English Dictionary, and it if wasn't thanks to us, it would be the Oxford GERMAN Dictionary."
The trash talk will likely come. When it does, the sane people will all have a laugh and the serious pundits will complain about how it sullies the sport. Right now, Sonnen is too focused on Bisping the fighter. The questions he and his team are answering involve crushing him in the cage. Hurting his feelings will have to come later.
The fight itself seems like an afterthought to many fans who expect Sonnen to be able to ground Bisping and control the bout on the mat. Sonnen bristles at the idea this is an easy fight.
Does Sonnen think Bisping really believes he can stay off the mat against a bruising wrestler like himself?
"Your question implies that Mike thinks he can," Sonnen said. "Does that mean you spoke to him? You spoke to Mike Bisping in the last two hours since the bout was announced, then you had time to concoct these questions for me? Wow, you have been busy."
While Chael goes out of his way to defend Bisping, his opponent was quick to the attack, telling ESPN "Chael Sonnen cannot knock me out. He can't submit me, either." Sonnen seems non-plussed by the comments.
"Let him have fun. There is only one Mona Lisa, one Leaning Tower of Pisa, one Saks 5th Avenue and one Chael P. Sonnen," Sonnen said, referring to himself in the third person. "I have been putting the finishing touches on my preparation. When I am done, I'll tackle the scales. The match itself is down the road."
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