Chael Sonnen is one of my favorite fighters. Unfortunately, this is not an opinion shared by many. Due to his constant trash talking, relentless hatred of Brazil, and recent title shot losses, Chael has made more enemies in this business than friends. I'll admit, these are easy reasons to hate Sonnen, but if you dig deeper, you begin to realize that he's not the self-proclaimed "bad guy" that everyone thinks he is.
For one, the trash talking is clearly an act. Anyone with half a brain can see that it's a character he plays, and the real Chael Sonnen is as humble as they come. I strongly suggest you check out his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. When he's not in character, he's pretty damn likable. That being said, I think he's pretty damn likable when he's in character too, but that's just me.
Even Chael haters would be hard pressed to claim that Sonnen isn't talented. Aside from being completely outmatched by the young phenom, Jon "Bones" Jones, Sonnen has been a nightmare opponent for everyone he's faced. Even Anderson Silva, a fighter who many consider to be the greatest of all time, struggled immensely at the hands of the famed takedown/ground and pound prestige of Mr. Sonnen.
After two consecutive losses, Sonnen has picked a new verbal target. This time, he has taken to twitter to call out Wanderlei Silva.
2 reasons the fight makes sense:-I want an easy fight;-Wanderlei is broke
— chael sonnen (@sonnench) May 6, 2013
Well, I can't argue with Sonnen on this one. He may have gotten in over his head with Jones, a physical and emotional beating that he readily acknowledged after the fight was over, but Wanderlei is a decidingly easier opponent. If Anderson Silva couldn't stop Chael's takedown, I don't see how Wanderlei would be able to do any better.
Plus, while 'broke' may be a bit of an overstatement, it's true that Wanderlei is a shadow of his former self. I don't see how Silva could win this one. And as a Sonnen fan, I hope that Silva accepts the fight.
What started as a vague call-out via twitter, has recently gotten some more concrete specifications. Sonnen (@sonnench) has changed his twitter background to a mock flyer for the debut of UFC on Fox Sports, set to air August 17th. The card, which already features a highly anticipated bout between Thiago Alves vs. Matt Brown, is promised to be the strongest television fight card the company has ever put on, according to UFC President Dana White. You can view the mock flyer at the top of this post.
Love him or hate him, Chael Sonnen brings in some pretty big numbers in the ratings department. A fight between him and Wanderlei Silva would be an excellent way to kick off the UFC on the new Fox Sports network. Chael gave him 24 hours notice, 19 hours ago. Something tells me Wanderlei won't make the deadline. I'm also fairly confident that Chael will give him an extension. We'll just have to wait and see.
Wand- you have 24 hours to accept. If you do, I will donate 10% of my purse to help schools in your hometown of Curitiba .. I mean, VEGAS.
— chael sonnen (@sonnench) May 9, 2013
