WATCH: The Greatest Press Conference Rant You Will Ever See

Chael Sonnen is a name that features in the list of fighters who have never claimed gold in the UFC. ‘The American Gangster’ is one of the best to set foot in the Octagon and has had some of the greatest matches of all time.

Besides his prowess within the cage, he remained a striking personality even outside, with the ability to captivate the masses with his insane mic skills. The fighter’s press conferences remain iconic even to this day.

Read: “Just Come to Wish You the Best of Luck”- When Georges St-Pierre Met Khabib Nurmagomedov

We take a look at one of the most memorable one where fans got one of the greatest, if not the greatest press conference rant ever. 

The event took place nearly a decade ago to this day, ahead of Sonnen’s maiden title fight in the UFC. Two days before UFC 117, the fighters assembled for the traditional pre-fight media interaction. Here, as per ESPN MMA, ‘The American Gangster’ said he will not apologize for one thing he had said.

“No, I would not apologize for anything, and by the way that is not a correct interpretation. Anderson did not just say it’s easy to talk about me, try and being me. He said it’s easy to talk about me, try beating me.

“You’re not the only one in the room that speaks Portuguese even though you act like you are. It’s a step harder picking up that language than it is understanding to pick Latin.”

Chael Sonnen says beating up Anderson Silva is just a bonus

Sonnen tossed the niceties out the window and said he isn’t interested in second place or even getting to fight in the main event. The fighter revealed that he had his eye solely on the prize with the opponent just being the guy who held the championship. 

“Well, I won’t look at it like that. We certainly had a good run of exposure and all that, but no. I’m not in here to get the silver medal or say that I one time fought in the main event of the UFC. I’m here purely to win the world championship. Period. And it doesn’t have to have a lot to do with Anderson. Getting to beat up Anderson is just a bonus.”

The latter part of the exchange emphasized Sonnen’s dislike of Anderson Silva. He continued, “I’m after the Championship belt, he’s got it, we all can’t get along, there can be only one champion.” 

Sonnen: Under-trained but Over-motivated

Sonnen headed into what is arguably the highest-stakes fight in his career, despite not being at his peak. ‘The American Gangster’ did not hide the fact and openly admitted it to the media. He did so to goad ‘The Spider’ where he claimed he was “overtrained, under-motivated but still tough enough to beat this guy.”

As one of the old school fighters, Sonnen was averse to respect. He provided the media with a classic response saying, “Well, I don’t fully know what respect means. It sounds like something a kid says in the street once he’s getting ready to take your coat and shoes. But listen, when you wanna talk about respect…”

He even referenced Bruce Buffer in the next part of his rant and said once all the formalities are done he will fight. As he continued, the room began chuckling and so did fellow fight Thiago Alves, who was seated on Sonnen’s left. 

“I don’t do that stuff, I’m here to fight. This is a fistfight to me. You can do mixed martial arts and bow and all this c**p you see in the movies. But when you’re done with it and the guy in the shark suit gets done saying our name and gets out of the ring. I’m gonna get into a fistfight on Saturday night in Oakland, California.” 

Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva steal the show at UFC 117

Following this, Sonnen revealed that when the Silva fight is done he will look for somebody else to beat up. Also, he added, it would be fine if he needs to be nice to Silva following the fight. However, the priority remained the middleweight championship.

Sonnen kept his word and despite claiming to not be at his peak. He managed to push ‘The Spider’ to a 5th round for the first time since the champion claimed the belt in the UFC. However, with seconds left on the clock, his concentration wavered.

This allowed Silva locked in a guillotine to seal ‘The American Gangster’s fate and retain his title.

The animosity between the duo led to Sonnen’s memorable call out of Anderson Silva. However, the first clash between the two was way more memorable than the second. This is because it was this press conference that lent an undeniable edge to the contest.

How well do you remember this near decade-old event?

Source: ESPN-MMA, Anderson Silva-Fight History, Chael Sonnen-Fight History