Fedor Emelianenko isn’t gung-ho over Chael Sonnen’s trash talking.
“The Last Emperor” is set to compete against former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight Matt Mitrione. The two will go to war inside Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 24. This match-up was supposed to take place last month, but Mitrione suffered kidney stones.
Headlining the card will be a grudge match between Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva. At a press conference hyping up Bellator NYC, Sonnen called Emelianenko a curtain jerker and said he must be thrilled to be near him.
The former Pride Fighting Championships (Pride FC) heavyweight ruler was not amused. After the conference, MMAFighting.com‘s Ariel Helwani was able to interview “The Last Emperor.” Emelianenko gave his two cents on Sonnen’s antics.
Emelianenko said he isn’t fond of Sonnen’s verbal tirade. In fact, the mixed martial arts (MMA) icon believes the constant talking is a detriment to in-ring competition (via Bloody Elbow):
“I think you should always be in control of yourself. I also feel that the more an individual talks outside of the ring, the less he does in the ring. I don’t agree nor condone that type of behavior among, not just people, but sportsmen within the sport as an athlete.”
