Silva admits he missed presser to avoid altercation with Sonnen

After it was reported that Wanderlei Silva would miss a June 8 press conference due to being "under the weather," the veteran fighter clarified the reason behind his absence during a media call for Bellator NYC on Tuesday.

Silva was asked how he was feeling, and he admitted his decision to skip the presser had much less to do with any health issues and more to do with his disdain for his upcoming opponent, Chael Sonnen. The two have a long, bitter history that Silva believes might have brought out his violent tendencies if he and Sonnen were to meet before their scheduled bout.

"The truth is, I didn't go to the press conference because I didn't want to do what (Cris) Cyborg did with that girl (Angela Magana) that talked (expletive) to her," Silva said, according to Steven Marrocco of MMAjunkie.

The incident Silva is referring to involved fellow Brazilian star Cyborg punching Magana at a recent UFC fighter retreat in retaliation for insults Magana had directed at her over social media.

Silva has dealt with similar affronts from Sonnen over the years, and it sounds like it's going to take a lot of willpower for him not to put his hands on his longtime rival before their mainevent clash on June 24.

"When I see Chael, I don't know what's going to happen," Silva said. "I'm professional, but the guy has crossed the line with me and played with the wrong guy."