Chael Sonnen spoke to the assembled Brazilian media the day before the TUF Brazil 3 Finale on Saturday and said that while he’s ready to face Vitor Belfort at UFC 175 in July, he isn’t sure he can cut the weight to make 185lbs. UFC president Dana White has been talking up the Belfort-Sonnen bout as a Middleweight #1 contender’s match with the winner getting the winner of the Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida title fight on the same card.
“That’s news to me. Dana just said that in Berlin and I just heard. I weigh 236 pounds right at this second and that would leave me with 51 pounds to lose in 30-some days. I don’t know if that’s possible.
“I have a contract,” he said. “My contract is for 205, so I’m hoping that Dana misspoke. But if it’s 185, it’s 185.
“Here’s how fighting works: I don’t really care about title shots, but there is a process,” Sonnen said. “Vitor has a title right now, he has a title of No. 1 contender. He can’t come into a fight and not put that title on the line. It doesn’t work that way.
“It would be the same as Chris Weidman saying ‘I’m gonna fight Lyoto Machida, but it’s a non-title fight.’ That’s pro-wrestling, that doesn’t happen. If Vitor got a title, he’s got to put that title on the line. If he doesn’t want to put that against me, then don’t fight me.”