Sonnen next for Silva; will champ be cut?

Damon Martin/MMAWeekly.com

A message has been sent to UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Fight or go home.

UFC president Dana White announced on Tuesday, when appearing on ESPN's “Jim Rome is Burning,” that Silva would face top contender Chael Sonnen for his next fight, and if he pulls any of the antics that he did at UFC 112, he will be cut.

First up on the agenda was the official announcement that Sonnen, who has long lobbed strong words towards Silva, would be the next fighter to challenge Silva for his title belt.

"He's got a real tough fight coming up. His next fight's going to be against Chael Sonnen, and Chael Sonnen's one of these guys who's not going to lay back, not do what these other guys (did)," White told Rome.

He believes that Sonnen's style will not allow for any showboating or avoidance, as Silva showed in his last fight with Demian Maia.

"When he's been in this position when these types of fights have happened, it's been against real good jiu-jitsu guys, guys that want to get the fight to the ground. Well, Chael Sonnen's going to want to take this fight to the ground, but he's going to double leg him and bring him down," said White.

"Personally, I really believe that he was embarrassed by what happened that night, maybe he did have a mental breakdown, I don't know what happened in the ring. All I can say is I know his next opponent isn't going to be a guy who's going to lay back and let him do stuff like that."

Regardless of the opponent, a message has been sent, and White wants Silva to hear it loud and clear.

"If he ever acts like that again in the ring, I will cut him," said the UFC president. "I don't care if he's the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I don't care if he is the middleweight champion. I will cut him, absolutely."

There was no date announced for the Silva vs. Sonnen match-up, but it's likely for a summertime affair between the two middleweight competitors.