Mark Muñoz is currently on deck to face the UFC's most prolific trash-talker, Chael "The Gangster from West Linn" Sonnen in a middleweight battle to determine the next challenger to UFC 185lbs. champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva's belt.
Though Sonnen is known for blasting his opponents pre-fight, he backed off leading up to his most recent fight with Brian Stann, out of respect for his military service and general manliness. Muñoz expects a similar treatment from Sonnen ahead of their impending January contest, as the two have a shared background in the collegiate wrestling circuit, having actually competed against one another in the past.
"There isn't any animosity between us," Mu˜ñoz recently told Heavy. "He's a nice guy. We actually have pleasant conversations together where we talk about wrestling. We're managed by the same manager and we see each other frequently. I don't have anything bad to say about him and the dude can market a fight. He talks the way he talks and he backs it up by the way he fights. I'm going to let my fighting do the talking. That's how I got to this point in my career."
It's being rumored that the winner of the Sonnen-Muñoz contest will face Anderson Silva in Brazil, likely in Sao Paulo. Considering Sonnen's rocky history with the Brazilian fans (they almost all want to murder him), Muñoz told Heavy that he's willing to save his old wrestling buddy from any possible danger thereof by ensuring that he doesn't emerge from their fight victorious.
"There are bounties for Chael down in Brazil," Muñoz said. "But he doesn't have to worry about it, because he's not going to have to go down there."
Though Sonnen is known for blasting his opponents pre-fight, he backed off leading up to his most recent fight with Brian Stann, out of respect for his military service and general manliness. Muñoz expects a similar treatment from Sonnen ahead of their impending January contest, as the two have a shared background in the collegiate wrestling circuit, having actually competed against one another in the past.
"There isn't any animosity between us," Mu˜ñoz recently told Heavy. "He's a nice guy. We actually have pleasant conversations together where we talk about wrestling. We're managed by the same manager and we see each other frequently. I don't have anything bad to say about him and the dude can market a fight. He talks the way he talks and he backs it up by the way he fights. I'm going to let my fighting do the talking. That's how I got to this point in my career."
It's being rumored that the winner of the Sonnen-Muñoz contest will face Anderson Silva in Brazil, likely in Sao Paulo. Considering Sonnen's rocky history with the Brazilian fans (they almost all want to murder him), Muñoz told Heavy that he's willing to save his old wrestling buddy from any possible danger thereof by ensuring that he doesn't emerge from their fight victorious.
"There are bounties for Chael down in Brazil," Muñoz said. "But he doesn't have to worry about it, because he's not going to have to go down there."
