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Sonnen withdraws Silva loser-leaves-town offer

ESPN staff
October 19, 2011
Chael Sonnen is ready to swarm Anderson Silva once again, if the middleweight champion is willing © UFC
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Chael Sonnen has closed the book on his loser-leaves-town offer to Anderson Silva, claiming the UFC middleweight champion has not accepted the challenge.

Sonnen stood in the centre of the Octagon at UFC 136 and called out Silva to a title rematch. The American even promised to leave the UFC if the champion could repeat his victory at UFC 117.

Back then Sonnen gave Silva a wrestling lesson for four rounds before falling to a desperate late submission, and he is confident he would complete the job second time around. Saturday saw the Team Quest man give Silva a 24-hour deadline to accept his challenge, but now the proposal - according to Sonnen - is off the table.

"That offer was good when I made it, but it's like any offer, they've got to expire," Sonnen told Jim Rome's radio show. "Apparently, that didn't work.

"I'm doing anything I can to lure him out, and yes, I would have absolutely done that (left the UFC). I'd have done a winner-takes-all, I'd have done any stipulation he wanted.

"All he needed to do was stand up and give me a thumbs up. [If] he wanted to accept that offer, all he needed to do was nod to me, or have one of his handlers come into the back and say 'Anderson accepts.'

"He did the exact opposite. He went to the media and said 'I do not want to fight that guy.' So what can I do? Now I have to come up with a new offer.

"I'll slap Anderson the next time I see him."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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