C. Sonnen attacked Wanderlei during a press conference in Las Vegas. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube
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Who watched the The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 You may have been surprised by the posture of Chael Sonnen during the reality show. Much more measured than usual and even reversing roles in the rivalry with Wanderlei Silva and assume the status of a “good guy”, as in the episode in which he fought with the Brazilian during the recording of the program. But it seems this Chael is left behind. As soon as the spotlight on the fight against Wanderlei was turned on, the notorious loudmouth came back to the surface. This Friday (23), during a press conference to promote UFC 175, Sonnen simply stole the show with his humorous remarks and provocations towards “Crazy Dog”.
When asked how he felt about the role reversal on TUF and the fact that he had become the “good guy” for the Brazilian public, the North American didn't hesitate. “I don’t like it!” he snapped. “The Brazilians were my accomplices. I wanted to face Anderson Silva and at the time of that promotional tour, they also wanted the same. And I think eventually they came to that conclusion. But what I really want you to understand is that on July 5th and July 6th, the biggest UFC of all time on the biggest fight weekend of all time, will be headlined by the “one and only ”. And I would like to thank Chris (Weidman) and Ronda (Rousey) for providing an encore to the main event.”
The hostile atmosphere towards Wanderlei extended to the fans present. One of them asked Sonnen what he would do with his rival at UFC 175, provoking the “Mad Dog” by referring to him as Chris Cyborg (in reference to a statement by Dana White comparing the two physically). Chael didn't let it go. “I can tell, I'm going to beat you up! The more he talks, the more it makes me think he won't show up. Every time he is more humble, I think he is close to signing the contract. But, you know, it usually boosts his confidence when he has more people around him. But I can tell you: I will be there on July 5th, I will be headlining the event with the encore coming right after, and the next day we will have one of the greatest fighters of all time, Frankie Edgar, against two-time world champion BJ Penn. Two shows, one weekend,” he said, in a promotional tone.
But Chael's provocative speech didn't stop there. Asked about how his rivalry with Wanderlei Silva, the loudmouth attacked the Brazilian again. “It started with a little envy. I fought anywhere I had the chance and I saw this idiot coming from Japan and using his belt. And I thought: 'I'm going to ruin this guy's race. He would never have been champion if I had fought in PRIDE.' And I didn't have the chance. They say you should always study your opponent, know what he is thinking. I know exactly what he's thinking, I know what he's weighing right now. He's sitting there asking himself, 'Oh, is there a number greater than eleven?!'” he concluded.
At the end of the press conference, the North American was surprised by a fan. Despite wearing a t-shirt Ronda Rousey, he carried a book about Sonnen's life and staged a real spectacle in honor of his idol. Called by Dana White “Chael Sonnen Junior”, the young man recited a series of rhymes about Chael, with several excerpts from the fighter's famous phrases, such as: “when you're the best fighter in the world, they don't call you 'best fighter in the world', they call you Chael Sonnen'. At the end of the performance, the fan was applauded by the public, greeted by the other fighters and received affection from Sonnen himself.
On July 5th, in Las Vegas (USA), all the tension and rivalry between Wanderlei Silva e Chael Sonnen will be taken into the Octagon. On that date, the TUF Brasil 3 coaches will finally face each other, on the main card of UFC 175. In the main fight of the night, the middleweight champion Chris Weidman puts his title on the line against the Brazilian challenger Lyoto Machida. In the co-main event, Ronda Rousey defends the women's bantamweight belt against Alexis Davis.
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