The Week in Quotes: January 9th - 15th

ALL WORK AND NO MMA MAKES HOMER SOMETHING SOMETHING

"This guy is a jerk." - Thiago Silva, responding to Jon Jones. Jones condemned Silva for drumming and spanking Brandon Vera at UFC 125, and said that he wanted to slap Silva for it. (Tatame)

"Everybody’s a professional fighter and all fights include provocations. Brandon Vera said he’s break my legs, that I wasn’t on his level. I don’t say things, I do." - Silva

"There’s always somebody behind the computed [sic] with a plate filled with French fries, ready to criticize you." - Silva. I live for Portuguese-to-English translations.

"I fight for the fans, for the money and to put my name up there." - Silva, pointing up at Christ the Redeemer.

CHAELPROOF

"[Sonnen] was never suspended." - Chael Sonnen's manager Mike Roberts, who picked up his client's penchant for spin. (MMA Fighting)

"Dana just thought it would be in Chael's best interest to get his life together and get everything cleared up in his personal life, that when he comes back to fight, it's going to be all about the fight." - Roberts. This really is an amazing spin job from Sonnen's camp and the UFC. As far as I can tell, Dana White has never used any form of the word "suspension." So, Sonnen's side is able to say he hasn't been suspended, but Dana can use this as an example of when he's "disciplined" a fighter for actions outside the confines of the Octagon. Brilliant!

"I can't talk anything on the legal stuff honestly, I'm not his lawyer, I have nothing to do that. All that stuff is being worked out, but no, I don't think you'll see him in jail, but all that stuff is still being worked out." - Roberts. Classic "I'm not a lawyer so I can't comment, but here's my opinion anyway."

"His career is not over. It's far from over, I can promise you that." - Roberts. Thank god. Bloody Elbow certainly needs the traffic.

STYLIN' AND PROFILIN'

"To become a legend, you’ve got to defeat a legend. And (Randy) Couture is one for sure." - Lyoto Machida's manager Ed Soares, adding, "Space Mountain may be the oldest ride in the park, but it still has the longest line." (UOL Esporte)

"Fedor is a legend and to be a legend you have to beat a legend." - Antonio Silva, adding, "And you shut up, fat boy." (Strikeforce Conference Call)

ALSO THE TOWN THAT THE MOVIE GROUNDSHOG DAY WAS FILMED

"I'm trying to put Lil' Evil to bed, if that makes sense, so I can retire the right way, and so I can be done the right way." - Jens Pulver, who fights Mike Lindquist at XFO 38 in Woodstock, Illinois, at a Harley-Davidson store across the street from the Warp Skate Park where I attended a lot of bad punk shows in high school. (MMA Fighting)

"I can't go out the way I've gone. Not from being a world champion to losing six fights in a row." - Pulver. Thank god for Cub Swanson, right?

"I'm not doing it for the financial side of it. Does it help? Of course. Do I need the money? Absolutely. But it's more about proving to myself that I can get back." - Pulver. Proving it to yourself...and the money, of course.

WHITE NOISE

"I think that's one of the craziest things I've ever heard you say. the guy's a former world champion. He's beat guys and held the title. No matter what his record is, what the guy's accomplished in a short amount of time in MMA is incredible." - UFC President Dana White, lambasting Ariel Helwani for asking whether Brock Lesnar's inexperience as a fighter hurt the "integrity" of the Ultimate Fighter show. Lesnar was announced as one of the coaches of the show opposite Junior dos Santos. (Cage Writer)

"He's obviously got a lot that he can teach. Not only that, but the staff he's got around him have a lot to teach up and coming guys. That's really what it's all about." - White; adding, "Have you seen the sort of numbers your site does when Brock Lesnar ventures away from Minnesota?"

"To say the guy doesn't have the credentials to coach the 'Ultimate Fighter' is probably one of the dumbest things I've ever heard." - White, adding, "We had Quinton Jackson coach the show twice, for fuck's sake."

"I deal with Brock in very short spurts. The guy fights two to three times a year, and it's always tough." - White (MMA Fighting)

"(Brock) is not exactly a happy-go-lucky guy. Who knows what's going to happen this season. I do know it's going to be very interesting to see." - White. Maybe he'll wrestle one of those white tigers at the Mirage or something.

PARTING SHOTS

"He’s everything you need all in one body." - Pat Barry, making a run at Luke Thomas's claim as "Creepiest Alistair Overeem Fan." (MMA Weekly)

"I kind of like how Randy [Couture] has done it all throughout his MMA career." - Jon Jones. I guess we'll ignore that Tito Ortiz fight, huh? (MMA Weekly)

"I believe she'll be back in the cage this year." - Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, on Gina Carano. I guess that's what happens when people forget about you. (MMA Fighting)

"Assuming everything works out and his health is great, and feeling fine, he could very well fight beyond the four fights and who knows where, but that's something that's very difficult to predict." - M-1 Global CEO and Gary "Jerry" Millen's personal hero Vadim Finkelstein. (MMA Weekly)

"Anything to be a detriment and it's not even just with me, it's got to do with anyone that isn't UFC, (Dana White) wants to cut it down. He wants to ruin it." - Josh Barnett, who knows a thing or two about cutting down MMA promotions. (MMA Fighting)