Spider’s venom: Is Sonnen smart or stupid to enrage Silva?

By Simon Samano/@sjsamano
For FOX Deportes

 

Holy sh*t, Chael Sonnen has really done it this time.

 

His trash talk has done more than just anger Anderson Silva. This time, Sonnen has unleashed a fury from Silva we’ve never seen before. That’s what happens when you speak ill of Silva’s wife and insult his home country.

 

To know that, you only had to be on the fighters’ media conference call earlier this week. Even without knowing Portuguese, the rage in Silva’s voice registered loud and clear.

 

“Well, first of all, Chael is a criminal,” Silva said through his translator. “He’s been convicted of crimes, he doesn’t deserve to be in the Octagon, and when the time comes and the time is right, I’m going to break his face, and break every one of his teeth in his mouth.”

 

That time finally will come next Saturday at UFC 148, when Silva and Sonnen clash in a highly anticipated rematch two years in the making for Silva’s middleweight championship. It’s clear that, for Silva (and this writer), the fight can’t happen soon enough.  

 

“Right now, I’m focused on what’s going to happen in the next few weeks, and right now the playtime is over,” Silva said, with Sonnen listening in on the call. “I’m going to beat Chael’s ass like it’s never been beat before. The joke is over, there’s no more talking, I know he’s on the line listening, and the game’s over. I’m going to beat his ass out of the UFC. He’s never going to want to fight again after I’m done with him. …

 

“It doesn’t matter if I’m on the bottom, the side, the top, it doesn’t matter. Chael Sonnen’s going to get his ass kicked like he’s never gotten his ass kicked before. What I’m going to do inside the Octagon is something that’s going to change the image of the sport. I’m going to beat his ass like he’s never been beaten before. I’m going to make sure that every one of his teeth are broken, his arms are broke, his legs are broke, he’s not going to be able to walk out of the Octagon by himself. I can guarantee that.”

Was Silva done there? Far from it.

 

“I’m just going to make him pay and make him eat everything that he’s said, not only about myself, but about our country, about everything,” Silva continued. “I’m going to make him pay and make sure that he never disrespects any Brazilian, any fighter. I’m going to beat him maybe the way his parents should have beat him to maybe teach him some manners because he’s disrespectful, he’s a criminal, and I’m going to beat him up like he’s never been beat before.

 

“The game’s over. I’m not playing anymore.”

 

You think? I mean, this is downright crazy. It has me thinking I wouldn’t want to be Chael Sonnen right now. And yet, this just might be part of a master plan.

 

Throughout Silva’s nearly six-year reign as champion, we’ve<em>never</em> seen this side of him — not once. Sure, he’ll showboat inside the octagon while he picks apart his opponents. But pre-fight trash talk has never been his forte.

 

So what do we make of this? Has Sonnen gotten inside Silva’s head as he tries to finish what he started in the last fight? Or has he simply awakened a sleeping giant?

 

Honestly, I can’t answer that. But I can’t wait to find out.