On Chael Sonnen's Recent Words on Anderson Silva, Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock

Sonnen's fave target.
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Chael Sonnen was in his element, again, when he was recently interviewed by Bruce Buffer for the Sherdog Radio Network's show, “IT'S TIME!!!”

During the interview, he had choice words to say about his MMA colleagues Anderson Silva (griping for the nth time), Tito Ortiz (uncharacteristically nice on this one) and Ken Shamrock (his new trash-talk target).

Here are his words on each fighter (courtesy of Jason Moles of Cage Potato), and my humble thoughts.

Anderson Silva

The true middleweight champion.
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“In what parallel scoring system do you punch a man three hundred times, he hits you eleven times, wraps his legs around your head for eight seconds, and they declare him the winner? That does not make you a winner."

"In no form of society, from the jungle to the streets, does that make you a winner. I’m the People’s champion, I’m the linear champion. I’m the best middleweight there’s ever been, and I am the UFC’s true champion.”

The scoring system was rendered irrelevant when Silva submitted you. The referee declared him a winner after you tapped out. And that made him a clear winner and still-UFC champ in our society.

You tapped out...right? Ah, you don't have to answer.

You can be the "best middleweight there's ever been" in your own mind, but you are not yet the UFC champion. People's MMA champion? Not until I see you receive a People's Choice award in that category.

Tito Ortiz

career change?
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“He’s the most decorated light heavyweight of all time. He’s assured to be in the Hall of Fame, and when he made his entrance that night, and that crowd erupted, the roof came off the building. I think that’s about all you need to know. That’s about all that needs to be said for Tito Ortiz.

Ortiz has a place in this company, in this industry, and it would be horrible to begin the Tito retirement talks. Just an absolute loss to all of us if he was to call it quits, which he is not, but I don’t even want to hear that talk get started.”

Touching...and I mostly agree. Stopped Ryan Bader, then got himself stopped by Rashad Evans.

In his last fight, he was still in the thick of it, until he got kneed in the solar plexus. Ortiz still has some fight left in him, but it's already apparent that he's on the decline; he is 1-4 in his last five matches.

With all due respect to the former champ, he is already going down to gatekeeper status—if he's not there yet.

Ken Shamrock Versus James Toney

James Toney and Ken Shamrock nearly fight at press conference.

“I can guarantee you that as sure as night follows day, that not only is that fight never gonna happen, it never was. Ken Shamrock is going around to all these different promoters doing his typical scumbag move getting money up front, saying, 'You know, I’m a Hall of Famer and I don’t even know if you guys are going to exist, so give me a ten grand signing bonus.'

"He takes their money, goes and blades himself in the back, or whatever make-believe thing that guy does, won’t show up—guaranteed he won’t show up—keeps their ten grand and goes on to the next unassuming promoter. He’s not gonna fight James Toney anymore than you are. He never was. That fight won’t happen, mark my words.”

Once you sign a fight contract, then you're legally liable if you violate it by not showing up, right?

So when it's signed and sealed, Shamrock and Toney better have a valid excuse (“blading” one's self in the back ain't one of them) in case either one of them doesn't show up. Otherwise, get ready to lose money in litigation costs. Worse things and more losses financially could result if convicted.

Anyway, if that freak show fight's a done deal, it will surely take MMA to new levels: low, lower, lowest.