Chael Sonnen is headlining one of the biggest UFC cards of the year next weekend in Boston. But there’s one opponent he wishes to fight more than any other — and it’s not Mauricio “Shogun” Rua on Aug. 17.
Yep. It’s Anderson Silva.
“More than I want to take my next breath,” Sonnen told The Post on Friday.
Silva has beaten Sonnen twice, once in 2010 and again last year. The first time, Sonnen dominated Silva for nearly five rounds before succumbing to a triangle choke submission in the final one. In 2012, Sonnen won the first round, but made a fatal mistake in the second: an ill-advised spinning back fist that Silva ducked. The middleweight champion then pounced with a knee to the sternum and the finish came soon after.
“Can’t stand him,” Sonnen said. “Don’t like him. Don’t accept the outcome of either of those fights.”
When asked about the potential of Silva-Sonnen III last month, UFC president Dana White didn’t seem to be too enthusiastic, telling The Post that Sonnen is “in the twilight of his career.”
Sonnen, now 36, was also found to have elevated levels of testosterone after the first bout and ended up being suspended by the California State Athletic Commission. Plus, Silva claimed to have busted up ribs.
But any way you want to slice it, Sonnen has faired better against Silva, the greatest pound-for-pound MMA fighter of all time, than anyone except for Chris Weidman, who knocked out Silva last month.
Sonnen said he was “surprised” Weidman KO’d Silva, but Weidman winning was expected, because Silva “isn’t as good” as the Long Island native. Silva clowned Weidman in that bout, dropping his hands and daring Weidman to hit him – until Weidman landed the crushing left hook in the second round that finished the fight.
“Anderson got manhandled from the jump,” Sonnen said. “I think Anderson said, ‘I can take this serious and get beat up or I can goof around and get beat up. At least if I goof around, I can say, well I was goofing around and he knocked me out.’”
Sonnen is a fan of Weidman – he believes Weidman could beat light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, but that fight, he thinks, would be a toss-up.
Sonnen lost to Jones in April at UFC 159 in Newark and his fight against Rua on Aug. 17 in the FOX Sports 1 launch card main event is Sonnen’s first non-title fight since January 2012, a win over Michael Bisping.
As for Rua, Sonnen says he hasn’t thought much about him. He ripped Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Rua’s original opponent for UFC 161 in June, for pulling out due to injury.
“Every time I see that Lil’ Nogueira signs to fight somebody, I go into training camp,” Sonnen said. “I know I’m gonna have to step in.”
Sonnen plans on possibly moving back to middleweight after the “Shogun” bout. He wants a fight with Vitor Belfort, because Belfort is currently the top contender and a win over him could be his quickest path back to a title shot. Maybe Silva, too, though Sonnen thinks Weidman will win the rematch in December.
Either way, Sonnen says he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Despite his gig as host of “UFC Tonight,” which will be moving from Fuel TV to FOX Sports 1, Sonnen still sees a future in the Octagon.
“I’m the highest paid fighter in the UFC and I’m the biggest draw in the UFC,” Sonnen said, though both are debatable. “I will not leave until that changes. Until the torch gets passed, until someone else comes along who can get as many eye balls on the TV and as many butts in the seats, I’m going to stick around.”
