C. Sonnen (photo) is one of the coaches of TUF Brasil 3. Photo: YouTube/Reproduction (Showtime)
The animosity between Chael Sonnen and Brazil really seems to have been just the result of the intensity with which the North American embodies the “gangster” figure he created. After countless statements against the country and several of its main athletes, the loudmouth has changed the tone of his words and been complimentary. In an interview with the program “Sensei SporTV”, shown last Saturday (08), Sonnen stated that his idols in MMA are two of the main Brazilian fighters from the early days of the UFC.
“First, it was the Royce gracie. I think any guy my age would answer the same thing and maybe even younger guys these days. But for me, it was the Royce gracie. He was the one who started it all and made us pay attention and say: 'Wow! What is that?'. He was an 80 kg guy who destroyed everyone. How could that happen? The style and the way he did it was an absolute novelty. So, it was the Royce gracie”, revealed the North American, talking about the champion of three of the first four editions of Ultimate.
Sonnen then revealed that the inspiration for his fighting style came from UFC 7 tournament winner Marco Ruas, pointing to him as a pioneer in mixing martial arts in his game. 'My second favorite fighter was a guy called Marco Ruas. He called himself 'The King of the Streets'. He was a very complete fighter, particularly for that era. He could punch and kick as well as grappling. Everything evolved from there, but those were the two guys. Royce got me started and Ruas was the one I wanted to imitate. I used to say he was a MMA fighter without even knowing what that meant. It wasn't even a term in English, but that's what Marco Ruas called himself. This is what I wanted to do for at least ten years of my career, and only because of him,” he concluded.
Over the next few months, Chael Sonnen he will share the TV screen with another Brazilian, for whom he does not have much admiration. The North American is, alongside his rival Wanderlei Silva, one of the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 – reality show that premiered last Sunday (09) on Rede Globo. At the end of the show, Sonnen and Wand will bring their differences into the octagon and finally face each other in the main fight of TUF Brasil 3 Finale. The event takes place in Brazil, on May 31st, with no defined host city yet.
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