• UFC on Fox 2

Sonnen out to defeat 'snot-nosed Brit'

ESPN staff
January 18, 2012
Chael Sonnen is a leader of the trash talkers © UFC
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Chael Sonnen stayed respectful of Michael Bisping for all of five minutes ahead of their fight at UFC on Fox 2, quickly reverting to type to label him a "snot-nosed Brit".

As two of the UFC's top middleweights, Sonnen and Bisping had originally been pencilled in for a TUF coaching rivalry, before plans fell through during 2011. As a result, they were then pitched into separate fights against Mark Munoz and Demian Maia respectively.

An injury to Munoz means Sonnen and Bisping now have 11 days to cram in all their trash talk, and Sonnen initially showed nothing but respect for the Brit in his opening comments.

"I'm not on the anti-Bisping bandwagon. I never have been," Sonnen told USA Today. "I think he's good. I hear a lot of negative things said about him, but I think most of it comes from frustration of maybe his personality or something like that.

"I think if you're real objective and you look at his skill set and his in-ring ability, you'll know that he's a talented guy. He's definitely cocky and arrogant, which is two qualities that I like in a person. I like a cocky guy and I like an arrogant guy, so he earns points with me in those regards, but I think it turns a lot of people off.

"I've never even seen Bisping in trouble. I've never seen him come out of there cut and scraped and bruised. He seems to go in, take care of business and go home."

However, after Bisping claimed Sonnen had a big future... in the cheap car sales business, Sonnen changed tact, stating what he really thinks of his rival.

"I am going to knock the teeth out of this snot-nosed Brit who calls himself royalty, who calls himself a 'Count,'" Sonnen stated. "I am MMA royalty and America will tune into the Chael Sonnen show next Saturday on Fox."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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