Chael Sonnen discusses ending his rivalry with Anderson Silva: "He won"
Chael Sonnen accepted that irrespective of his performance in their recent boxing match, Anderson Silva got the better of him overall. Sonnen challenged Silva for the undisputed UFC middleweight title twice during the peak of their MMA careers, but lost by finish on both occasions.
The third chapter of their rivalry unfolded in the boxing ring, as the duo competed in a five-round exhibition on June 15. The bout marked Sonnen's boxing debut and despite being a wrestler by trade, the 47-year-old was able to hold his own against one of MMA's most decorated strikers in Silva. Since it was an exhibition, there was no winner and the fight was ruled a draw.
In a recent episode of the Good Guy/Bad Guy show, Sonnen admitted that living with the idea of losing to Silva over the last several years was difficult. He then shared his thoughts on the outcome of the boxing match.
Sonnen claimed that he won at least three of the five rounds in the boxing match, and was a victor according to the ten-point-must scoring system.
Speaking further, the American expressed his opinion on his rivalry with Silva:
"It is one of those things I would not make believe that one replaces the other. Or, just because Chael got to go out there one time and get a draw that somehow wipes the slate clean of the victories that he had. We had our rivalry, he won the rivalry."
Catch Chael Sonnen's comments below (23:18):
Chael Sonnen explains why the outcome of his boxing match against Anderson Silva was a "big deal" for both of them
Reacting to the outcome of their boxing match, Sonnen explained why it was a win-win situation for both of them:
"You have to understand. The last two fights, whether I like it or not, were stoppage losses. So, a draw is a big step in the right direction. On the other hand, of the six completed rounds I have had with Anderson Silva, I won all six. He has never won a round against me. That's a reality. Tonight, he won rounds. So big deal for me to get a draw, big deal for him to win a round!"
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below: