"There's the truth, and there are lies, and art always tells the truth. Even when it's lying." - Being John Malkovich
Chael Sonnen is an artist.
Not a mixed martial artist, mind you, even though he has a shot on July 7 to become the middleweight champion of the biggest MMA promotion on the planet when he faces Anderson Silva at UFC 148 for "The Spider's" UFC Middleweight Championship. Sonnen eschews the term, preferring to call himself a "pugilist," a "fist fighter," or a "gangster from the mean streets of Oregon," as he told reporters in Brazil before the fight was moved to Las Vegas.
The "gangster" comment, ridiculous as it may seem, is actually somewhat appropriate, given that the former All-American wrestler from the University of Oregon has something in common with Tony Montana...besides illegal activity (Sonnen plead guilty to charges of money laundering last year).
After all, it was Scarface himself who said, "I always tell the truth, even when I lie."
If you believe what's come out of Sonnen's mouth at any particular time over the last couple of years, you might think that it was an imposter who accused Lance Armstrong of giving himself cancer in an interview, or that Keith Kizer of the Nevada State Athletic Commission told Sonnen that he didn't need to report his testosterone replacement therapy before UFC 117. You might even believe that the reason he tapped out to Silva in August 2010 was because he thought that he was just conceding a round to Silva, and not the entire fight.
That last gem was part of his Monday interview with Jim Rome on his eponymous CBS Sports Network show, and flies in the face of the fact that Sonnen had been part of 10 fights that ended via submission (three wins, seven losses) before he even got to Oakland to fight Silva. Even Rome wasn't buying it, and came about as close as anyone ever has to getting Sonnen to admit that he was lying.
Sonnen upped the ante on Friday, however, when he was part of the annual "Smackoff" contest on Rome's nationally syndicated radio show. If you missed it, here are a couple of gems:
On the NBA: "It used to be about great athletes. Now, it's about who's taking a turn on a Kardashian next."
On football: "No one cares what you do with the ball for 11 minutes of action in a four-hour game. It's about the beer."
On baseball: "You know why it's America's sport? Because Americans are obese."
Sonnen also accused NASCAR of being fixed and took shots at Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods during the course of his rant, which earned him the Smackoff title. Was it all accurate? Of course not. Was it entertaining? Of course it was.
And that's the thing. By being willing to say anything and everything to get attention, Sonnen has become one of the most talked about men in his sport, even when there's no way even Sonnen himself believes what he's saying.
But what about when he does?
After all, very few people were giving Sonnen a chance when he got his first shot at Anderson Silva two years ago. Sonnen's claims that he was the best in the world and that he would dominate Silva seemed ridiculous.
And then Sonnen walked into the cage and proceeded to lay a beating on Anderson Silva like no man ever has before. For four rounds, Sonnen used his wrestling background to put Silva on the mat and used his fists to lay in the punishment. When the fifth round began, Silva needed a miracle to preserve his title.
Of course, that's exactly what he delivered when he caught Sonnen in a triangle choke and preserved his title by the skin of his teeth. But still, Sonnen clearly knew something that the rest of us didn't when he talked about what he was going to do to Silva. Sonnen is a master - and yes, an artist - when it comes to keeping the rest of us guessing.
Now, the question is if he can do it again, avoid a late mistake (and a failed drug test), and claim the undisputed title in the UFC's middleweight division. Until July, all we can do is guess...again.
Even if he doesn't though, Sonnen is clearly the undisputed champion of smack. And an artist.
