Is Sonnen falling back in the contender line? Camp Silva is now a fan of Bisping

The jockeying continues between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva's camp. Will Sonnen's WWE-style call-out be rewarded or will Silva's manager Ed Soares successfully lobby UFC management that the brash American shouldn't be next?

Last week, Soares told HDNet's "Inside MMA" that Sonnen needs to go to the back of the line of middleweight contenders before he gets another title shot. Who's in that line?

Soares said he's never thought much of Michael Bisping in the past, but now the Brit should be in the mix for a title shot.

[...] People talk about Chael and Brian Stann, and sometimes people are focused on the TUF show. But I think Bisping could be a good opportunity. GSP could be a good opportunity," Soares told Sherdog.com.

That doesn't mean Soares is against Silva facing Sonnen.

"There's a lot of great opportunities, and I do think the Chael fight could potentially sell. It could be a big seller. I think it could be a huge pay-per-view. So I see all angles of it, but I'm just expressing what Anderson has talked to me about. That's how he feels."

Sonnen says all of this is irrelevant. He believes Silva is ducking him, but pointed out to Jim Rome that it's not the champ or his manager who make the fights.

"Whether he wants to do it or not, we're gonna do it. Dana will make him ... Anderson doesn't pick the fights and his manager, that keeps getting air time, darn sure doesn't have anything to do with it," Sonnen said (9:45 mark). "Dana White will decide, and if Dana says yes, then we're fighting and if Dana says no, then we're not. That's end of it.� I don't argue with Dana. I don't need Anderson's opinion, I'll slap him in the face the next time I see him."

Does Bisping deserve a shot? He's certainly going to get some steam building as Season 14 of "The Ultimate Fighter" unfolds. The problem is timing.

Can the UFC wait until early December to schedule the next Silva fight? Bisping and fellow coach Jason Miller meet at the TUF 14 Finale on Dec. 3 in Las Vegas.

cage fighting mma frenzy rock climbing mountain climbing wrestling