Top UFC middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen may end up facing his arch rival, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, in neutral territory after all.
Ed Soares, Silva's manager, told Tatame.com on Monday that the fight is signed for June 23 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
However, today Tatame translated a report from Brazilian media conglomerate O Globo saying that a venue change was a legitimate possibility.
Tatame then spoke with Soares' Black House partner, Jorge Guimaraes, to try and confirm the report.
“This situation is already being discussed. There are some speculations. What you heard, I heard too. It seems like there are no hotels to fit everybody with UN’s event, Rio+20," Guimaraes said.
Reports surfaced on Saturday that a venue change may be necessary for UFC 146 due to Rio hosting a United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in the same week.
The issue here lies in the fact that there would likely not be enough local hotels to accommodate both events.
“(Silva vs. Sonnen’s venue and date) will be announced by Dana White in a press conference in Brazil. Nothing is confirmed yet," Guimaraes added.
That press conference will take place on Tuesday. Should the venue be changed, that would mark the second setback this blockbuster fight has had to endure.
Originally, UFC officials wanted to hold UFC 147 at Sao Paulo Stadium, but noise ordinances and the time difference for the American pay-per-view audience eventually nixed that plan.
Guimaraes also alleges that Anderson demanded the rematch with MMA's best pound-for-pound trash talker to take place in Brazil. Could a venue change put this blockbuster bout in jeopardy?
“That you have to ask Anderson. I don’t know,” Guimaraes said. “First it has to be moved, than we’ll see”.
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