• TUF 17

Sonnen: Jon Jones is the best, but he needs me

Chael Sonnen is ready to go to war with Jon Jones © Getty Images

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Chael Sonnen has begun the war of words with Jon Jones, claiming during Wednesday's phone conference that the UFC light-heavyweight champion "needs" him.

Sonnen and Jones answered questions from the media about their newly announced TUF rivalry for season 17 of the reality show, which will arguably be one of the biggest the UFC has ever produced.

Criticism has been levelled at the decision to pitch Sonnen into a scenario where he ends up getting a title shot, but the American felt he had no reason to defend his selection. In his eyes, Jones' popularity is on the wane, and the champ needs the Sonnen rivalry more than the challenger does.

"If I was to compare him (Jones) to somebody, I would put Randy Couture above him, but a lot of that's just out of respect," Sonnen said. "I don't believe he's Randy Couture, but I believe he's fantastic. He's got techniques, I don't even know what they're called. So good for Jon.

"Jon Jones is the best fighter I have seen. But he needs me. He needs me.

"He beat [Ryan] Bader, he beat Shogun [Rua], he beat - who's that glorified Hollywood extra - Rampage [Jackson], he beat Vitor [Belfort]. What's next? He's gonna fight Scott Ferrozzo? Listen, he needs me, and I am the man, and I'm the man because I say I'm the man, and if anybody else wants the spot, come say it and come take it from me."

Jones has actually beaten five former UFC champions during his short career, and he was expected to face Dan Henderson before the Sonnen contest was made. Henderson has been joined by the likes of Lyoto Machida in expressing his disgust over the TUF decision, but Sonnen pointed out that everybody was offered the chance to fight Jones, and nobody took it.

"Welcome to life," he said. "We don't deserve things, we get what we get. And let's understand, not one of those fighters said, 'Hey Dana, I'll fight Chael. Let me prove that I'm the number one contender, let me fight that guy.' Not one of them. They all sat there and said their little things, so I've called every one of those bastards out and I'll call them out right now.

"And I've got no problem getting a tune-up fight and slapping any one of these guys around, including the Karate Kid (Machida). So not only do they not want to carry the heavy water and fight me, they don't want to fight Jon Jones. Not one of them called out Jon. The only fighter to call Jones out is me. Nobody called me out.

"I don't turn down fights and I never get hurt. I will fight anybody at anytime. So these guys can say all these things they want, but not one of them has stepped up. I've got to deal with this all the time, where guys always get jealous or envious of an opportunity, but they never want to walk out to the mound and point to the crowd and tell them where they're gonna hit the ball.

"I will. I'll call my shots. And as far as talking my way into it, what do I care about that? So what I talked my way into it? I wanted it and I got it. I talked a cat out of a tree earlier today. Good for me, and chalk one more up for the bad guy.

"I will take Jon down repeatedly."

UFC president White backed up Sonnen's comments over Henderson and Machida, pointing out that Hendo pulled out eight days before his fight with Jones, while Machida turned down the chance to fight him on three weeks' notice.

"Every guy who is bitching about this had an opportunity to fight," White said. "We will have an absolute number one contender when this is over. All the guys who are p***ed off about this fight, turned down this fight.

"It made sense for him (Jones) to do The Ultimate Fighter. "Machida can fight, Dan Henderson can fight, [Alex] Gustafsson and Shogun are gonna fight in December, and so everything will keep right on moving.

"These guys will both coach The Ultimate Fighter, they'll fight when the season's over, and whoever's next in line at 205 pounds can fight Jon Jones next for the title. It's not like we're clogging up the light-heavyweight division for a guy who wasn't a contender."

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