Wanderlei Silva shoves Chael Sonnen during staredown at Bellator NYC press conference

Wanderlei Silva has been saying that Bellator would need extra security if he was going to be in the same room as Chael Sonnen. It seems like “The Axe Murderer” wasn’t joking.

Silva shoved Sonnen during a heated staredown Thursday after the Bellator NYC press conference at Viacom Headquarters in New York. Sonnen could be heard asking Silva if he really wanted to do something “stupid” on the stage. Silva said he wanted to fight “right now.”

Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

“I’ll go right now,” Sonnen said, as Bellator president Scott Coker and security guards separated the two men.

Silva then gave Sonnen a shove with one hand and the two men had to be separated.

Sonnen and Silva will meet in the main event of Bellator NYC on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. It’s a rivalry that has been bubbling for the better part of five years. The two men were supposed to fight in 2014 at UFC 175, but both failed drug tests leading into the bout and were subsequently suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).

During the press conference, Silva said he had no game plan for fighting Sonnen.

“I’m going to kick his ass and that’s it,” the MMA legend said.

Silva, 40, also said he was happy to be in the same room as Sonnen, after all, because Sonnen, 40, looked “scared.” Sonnen, as he is known to do, poked fun at Silva throughout the press conference.

“Wanderlei said that he wants to taste my blood,” Sonnen said. “Dan Henderson knocked the taste out of his mouth 10 years ago. He can’t taste anything.”