Chael Sonnen dismissed the suggestion that a key knee from Anderson Silva at UFC 148 last Saturday was illegal, but one member of his team apparently feels differently.
Sonnen’s coach Scott McQuarry told MMA Junkie that Silva’s second-round TKO was an “injustice,” and that he’s planning to appeal the decision.
“Obviously, there were minor infractions of grabbing shorts and greasing himself up,” McQuarry said. “But the knee to the face … I’ve looked at it from numerous angles. I can see where it hit his face. It did slide down to his chest. But that should be considered a no-contest.
“What I’m looking for is a rematch.”
Sonnen’s manager told MMA Junkie he hadn’t heard about the appeal and thought McQuarry was making it up. McQuarry says he’s contacted the Nevada State Athletic Commission to initiate the appeal.
The debated knee came after Sonnen whiffed on a spinning back fist and ended up on the ground. The knee went to Sonnen’s chest and hurt the fighter, making it tough for him to defend himself against several blows to the head that eventually resulted in a TKO. Dana White said he and others reviewed the knee after the fight and determined it was legal because it went to the chest, not the head.
Sonnen refused to blame his loss on the controversial knee.
“I hate those rules anyway,” Sonnen said after the fight. “I’m an old school guy before we had rounds and weight classes and all that stuff. We’re in a lot better spot now, so I don’t propose we should go back to that, but I don’t care about legal or illegal.
“I could see him, I could see it coming. That’s just the way it goes.”
Maybe this is the strategy Sonnen’s camp is using to generate buzz for a third fight. Given that the beef between the fighters was squashed last weekend, there might not be too much interest in another battle between them.
