For the first few minutes, Wanderlei Silva ’s presence was more heard than felt at today’s news conference for “Bellator: NYC.” A hot mic picked up every nuance of Silva’s heavy breathing before he chimed in to rebut rival Chael Sonnen , who blasted the Brazilian MMA star for no-showing the event’s first promotional opportunity for the June 24 pay-per-view event at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Sonnen (29-15-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), coming to the rescue amid persistent technical difficulties, pointed out the sterile white background of Silva’s satellite feed and quipped, “It looks like he found a bathroom as a backdrop in the men’s shelter he’s living at in Rio (de Janeiro) and he got somebody to point a cell phone at his face.” “He just talks, all the time, just talks and talks and talks,” Silva (35-12-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) replied. “I hope you’re training more than you’re talking, because if you’re like you were in the last fight, man, I’m gonna beat you so fast.” It was foretold there would be no love lost between the rivals, whose grudge has deepened since they first appeared as opposing coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” and were supposed to fight at UFC 175 before drug testing issues scratched them both. Even before they were booked to headline the pay-per-view event, which follows the Spike-televised Bellator 180, Sonnen boasted that the next time he saw Silva, they would fight, sanctioned or not. Silva, 40, is no stranger to confrontations outside the cage . But he claimed he couldn’t make it to the press conference because he is too interested in making Sonnen eat his words.
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