Moment when, according to Dana White, Wand was injured. Photo: Reproduction
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Brazilian fans already know who to blame for no longer being able to see the long-awaited fight between Wanderlei Silva e Chael Sonnen: the fighters themselves. The reason, which had been kept secret, was revealed by UFC president Dana White, in a conversation with the press in Canada. According to Dana, Wanderlei was injured in the fight with Sonnen, shown on last Sunday's program (13), and would not be able to face his rival in TUF Brasil 3, which takes place on May 31 in São Paulo (SP).
VIDEO: Watch the full fight between Wand and Sonnen on TUF
“This fight will happen (at UFC 175, in July). What happens is that Wanderlei got hurt in the fight. He was double-legged, fell onto the concrete and injured his back. He even injured his hand when he was punching Chael's head. He got injured so he couldn't fight in time because he got injured while he was on the show. This is disgusting”, said the director after the TUF Nations Finale, on Wednesday night (16). “I'm tired of being nervous (about this). I was already very nervous about this when it happened. Now, it’s just disgusting,” he added.
READ TOO: Vitor Belfort condemns Wand and Sonnen’s fight: ‘It embarrasses me’
Dana also denied that the confusion was a setup and said that, more than with the athletes themselves, her biggest irritation is with the program's producers, who allowed the situation to reach the point of physical aggression. “There are a lot of idiots in the media and on the internet who say: ‘Ahh, this fight was faked’. This fight was far from being armed. That was an unpleasant demonstration of something that should never happen. And if I were there, this would never happen. The fact that there were other people, even people with cameras holding cameras, in that damn place and let this happen, that's just unbelievable! And the boy (Dida) still comes and hits Sonnen in the back?”, she vented. “Still, I'm most angry with the people who were around, producing, filming,” she concluded.
BUT: Chael Sonnen: ‘Wanderlei and I will look back and see how stupid we were with this fight’
After months of provocations and one of the most tense editions in the history of The Ultimate Fighter, Wanderlei Silva e Chael Sonnen will finally see each other face to face inside the octagon at UFC 175. After originally being scheduled for UFC 173, on May 24, and being postponed to TUF Brasil 3 Finale, a week later in São Paulo (SP), the duel is over being transferred for the second time, being confirmed as part of the July 5th card in Las Vegas (USA).
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