Wanderlei Silva was a notable absence from today’s Bellator 180 press conference but made his presence known via satellite feed.
The MMA legend’s no-show was certainly not missed by Sonnen, who took advantage of a poor signal from Silva’s satellite feed to dig at the Brazilian:
“It looks like he found a bathroom as a backdrop in the men’s shelter he’s living at in Rio (de Janeiro) and he got somebody to point a cell phone at his face.”
“He just talks, all the time, just talks and talks and talks,” was Silva’s response. “I hope you’re training more than you’re talking, because if you’re like you were in the last fight, man, I’m gonna beat you so fast.”
The alleged beef between Sonnen and Silva is the driving factor behind Bellator’s first event at the world famous Madison Square Garden in New York, and only the second PPV event in the promotion’s history.
The friction between both men allegedly derived from a van ride both fighters shared prior to Sonnen’s second fight against Anderson Silva in 2012. Things escalated further on the infamous bust-up on the set of the “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3”, which led to their supposed fight at UFC 175 (prior to the bout being scrapped due to drug testing issues with both men).
As for the lack of Silva at the press conference? The Brazilian claimed he couldn’t attend as is currently caught up in training for the fight in June:
“Because I’m training to beat somebody on June 24,” Silva said, adding that Bellator gave him the OK. “I’m focused on training back to 100 percent.”
The highlight of the interaction between the two came when Sonnen picked up once again on poor satellite signal from Silva after making a prediction to finish his opponent in =side the first round:
“First off, I made Tito Ortiz scream ‘tap’ in less than 60 seconds, and while I suspect you’re going to be tougher than him, I still get you out of there inside the first round,said sonnen. “Before I get accused of hogging the mic, Wanderlei, every time you talk, all I hear is ‘garble, garble, garble.’ And I want to remind you when you address me in public, you will do it proper – it’s ‘Garble, garble, garble, Mr. Sonnen.’”
In the silence that followed following Sonnen’s statement from the Brazilian, the “American Gangster” broke it with more trademark trash-talk:
“Thank you,” he said. “It’s respectful. Say it with me, Wanderlei. ‘Mr. Sonnen.’ Please. Respectfully, please. Try it one time.”
Silva’s response was quick, and to the point:
“Suck my balls.”
With months before both men meet inside the cage, expect a lot more in terms of pre-fight entertainment from the two.
