"I Stand Before You, The LHW Champion" - Chael Sonnen
“When I decided to go after the light heavyweight championship, I knew that I’d win it like I always do…I just didn’t know it would be by forfeit. But I do stand before you today the light heavyweight champion…I’m in the same position today as I was yesterday. The fight’s going to happen sooner or later. It’s not like I’m not going to beat this guy up. It’s just a matter of when. My biggest concern isn’t with the fight or myself at all. My biggest concern is with Dan Henderson and his health. I have a personal relationship with him. I know his kids and how much he loves playing with them, so I just hate to see the guy’s health in any kind of jeopardy.
I really think quite highly of Greg Jackson. You have to understand his opinion and influence on Jon is earned. Jon respects him. He earned that. I understand there are repercussions for Coach Jackson, but that’s what he’s hired to do. He’s not an employee of the UFC. He’s a coach and he gave the advice to his athlete—I respect that. I think we should respect that he spoke his mind to his athlete that trusts him.
I don’t know the mindset or who’s around (Jones). I only know who’s around me. Dan Henderson, Matt Lindland, Randy Couture. These are the guys who molded me not just physically, but mentally. They would fight anybody, any time, anywhere. Some people mean it when they say that.
“I’m from that same mold. I’d never disrespect those guys that gave so much to me by being the first one from our group to back down. And I never say that to sound like a tough guy. I say that because I think it’s really important that you’re never a bully in this sport. I hate them so much.
I have this stigma of being a trash talker, but my only goal was to bring these bullies down. I never picked on anybody who wasn’t No. 1 in the world. When I went after Wanderlei Silva, he had an aura around him that he couldn’t be beat. When I went after Anderson, when I went after Paulo Filho, the Nogueira brothers, Machida. If they were in my cross hairs, they were a No. 1 guy that everyone else was sidestepping.
They are all a bunch of punks and bullies and I will never be one. The only litmus test I have for myself—am I willing to fight anybody? When the day comes that I won’t fight somebody, I won’t fight anybody. If there is someone out there that makes me go ‘I’m not fighting him,’ then I’m not going to fight anyone*any more.*That’s what bullies do. Bullies pick and choose who they get in fights with based on who they think they can beat. I will never, ever do that. When the day comes that I back down, I will quit this sport.
This was his biggest opportunity. There’s no question I could beat Jon Jones. Jon Jones can beat me too. But I can beat him. If you ever wanted to stack the deck in his favor, you’d have done it on September 1. You’d have called me out of the blue, switched weight classes on me, put me on a plane to do a press tour, put me everywhere in the world except in the practice room. That was the opportunity he had. I could have beaten him, but he could have beaten me too.
The next time we meet up, when I’ve had a camp and my coaches around me, that’s not going to be the case. It’s really important to win these fights, and the world saw me lose a fight. I fell down. I’m not going to fall down again.
Jon Jones is a delusional brat. He talks of being a businessman?! What?! What risks did he take? What capital did he raise? Where exactly is his office located? How many people does me employ? Hey JJ, put me on the phone with your secretary… Oh wait, what?”
http://mma-fights.co.uk/features/chael-sonnen-sticks-the-boot-in/
