• UFC 136

Sonnen show wasn't staged - White

ESPN staff
October 13, 2011
Dana White insists Chael Sonnen did not plan his post-fight challenge to Anderson Silva at UFC 136 © UFC
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Dana White has rubbished suggestions that Chael Sonnen's loser-leaves-town challenge was staged at UFC 136, insisting there is no way he could control the middleweight's mouth.

Sonnen grabbed the microphone off Joe Rogan in the aftermath of his win over Brian Stann, calling out 185lb champion Anderson Silva. However in an almighty twist, Sonnen told Silva he would leave the UFC if he lost the rematch.

The eye-catching moment has been compared to the staged world of pro-wrestling, but White insists Sonnen is 100 per cent authentic. Speaking at a press conference to announce UFC 140, White also trashed the suggestion that Stann had been fed to Sonnen to give him a victory.

"What's hilarious is I see people now saying, 'Oh, that fight was a setup so that he can get...' - let me tell you what, Brian Stann was there to win, and he's been beating people," said White, before switching focus to the verbal challenge.

"I don't know if it's pro-wrestling - the guy is a nut," White said. "Everything this guy says is crazy. You never know what's going to come out of this guy's mouth next.

"I didn't know anything about what he was going to do or what he was going to say. I don't know if you guys watched the press conference after, but the press conference was just as nutty as leading up to the fight, during the fight and everything else."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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