Chael Sonnen (sort of) walks back callout of Fedor Emelianenko, who vows to keep fighting

Chael Sonnen had some pointed words for Fedor Emelianenko after grinding out Wanderlei Silva at Bellator NYC.

Sitting beside Emelianenko at the event’s post-fight presser, Sonnen was a bit more restrained.

“I would never kick a guy when he’s down – I respect Fedor,” Sonnen (30-15-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) said backstage after his main-event win on pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden in New York City. “That was my way of pulling him back up.”

It didn’t necessarily sound that way when Sonnen used his post-fight speech to call out Emelianenko, a target on the legends butt-whipping tour he’s touted since coming out of retirement to sign with Bellator.

“I made Tito Ortiz tap out in less than a minute,” Sonnen said. “I got Wanderlei Silva out of here in the main event. And when it comes to you, Fedor Emelianenko, I only need one shot.

“Now, you asked me for an autograph in the back. I patted you on your doughy head and told you I would think about it. But I’ve made my decision. I’ll give you that signature, but it’s going to be on the bottom of a contract, and you’re going to find out just like Wanderlei and Tito (Ortiz) – you never piss off a gangster.”

Of course, the monologue was nothing out of character for Sonnen, who’s a master of cutting a promo on the post-fight mic. But this callout came just after Emelianenko (36-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) had been brutally knocked out by Matt Mitrione (12-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), and it wasn’t necessarily the best timing.

After Mitrione and Emelianenko’s first fight was canceled due to Mitrione’s kidney stones, the heavyweights nearly ended their fight with a double knockout before Mitrione recovered and finished Emelianenko.

All too aware of Emelianenko’s legendary status, Mitrione made sure to give praise to his opponent. Sonnen wasn’t going to contradict that, no matter what he might’ve previously said.

“That match that he had could have gone either way,” he continued at the presser. “Mitrione’s a rough son-of-a-bitch, and people just don’t understand that.

“All sorts of a mess was out there. I do want to make that clear, though. I respect Fedor, but I think that he and I’s path are going to cross sooner or later. Fedor gave up 20 pounds tonight to fight Mitrione – the difference between Fedor and I is less than that, so I wouldn’t complain. Fedor didn’t complain about taking on Mitrione and going up in size. I wouldn’t complain about the discrepancy in our weight.”

Asked about whether he’d answer Sonnen’s call, Emelianenko seemed to have more concerns about the scale.

“We’re in different weight divisions,” he said with a smirk via his translator.

But for those who might have expected the Russian former PRIDE champion to be going back into retirement after such a violent loss, Emelianenko is going to disappoint those who want to see him hang it up – and encourage those who hope for a comeback.

“Yes, because I am a fighter,” he said when asked if Saturday’s night’s fight was the end of his career.

And if he’s hesitant about taking on a bloated Sonnen as the bigger man, he’d be happy to take the chance to write a different ending to his fight with Mitrione.

“Certainly, I would love to have the rematch with Matt,” Emelianenko said. “It happened so the movements were just mutual, and Matt used the situation.”

For complete coverage of Bellator NYC and Bellator 180, check out the MMA Events section of the site.