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Dana White: Chael Sonnen won't talk his way into a title fight -- even with a win over Forrest Griffin

Jul. 7, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UFC fighter Chael Sonnen reacts after losing to Anderson Silva (not pictured) during a middleweight bout in UFC 148 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE
Jul. 7, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UFC fighter Chael Sonnen reacts after losing to Anderson Silva (not pictured) during a middleweight bout in UFC 148 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

I hate to disappoint all the mixed martial arts (MMA) fans who want to see Chael Sonnen face off against Jon Jones, but it looks like that fight "is a long way away."

That's according to UFC President Dana White, who refuses to let the former middleweight number one contender talk his way into a 205-pound title fight, even if he proves victorious against former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin at the UFC 155 pay-per-view (PPV) event on Dec. 29, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Unless, of course, Jones loses to Dan Henderson.

"Bones" is scheduled to defend his title against "Hendo" at the UFC 151 PPV extravaganza on Sept. 1 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in "Sin City," which has prompted Sonnen to do a fair amount of heckling, presumably to help his old friend and training partner (Henderson) by getting inside the champ's head.

After the jump, White explains to the Dave and Mahoney radio show on Las Vegas' KXTE X107.5 FM (around the 56:00 mark) why "Jones vs. Sonnen," despite its marketability, isn't on the promotion's punch list.

Check it out.

"He's a long way away. He's not coming off the (Anderson) Silva fight and just talking his way into a 205-pound world title shot. [Sonnen] is going to have to beat a couple of the best in the world. If he beats Forrest Griffin, we'll shoot him right into the top five and let him fight some of those guys there, and we'll see what happens."

Sonnen was chased out of the 185-pound division after failing to capture gold in two fights against Anderson Silva. He came close at UFC 117, but eventually succumbed to a fifth-round triangle choke. Their UFC 148 rematch ended a bit more abruptly, and violently, as "The Spider" blew his doors off in the second round via techincal knockout (TKO) finish.

Now he's movin' on up.

But will Jones be waiting for him? It's hard to imagine, if "Bones" retains and Griffin falters, that White would pass on such a big money fight, considering how starved the light heavyweight division is for contenders. Look no further than UFC on FOX 4, when four men battled to determine who would rematch the champ, despite lopsided losses the first time out.

Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen. Who wants it?

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