Chael Sonnen spills on the one time Wanderlei Silva forced him to break character
Chael Sonnen recently shared a story about his experience with Wanderlei Silva during 'The Ultimate Fighter' (TUF) filming in Brazil, stating that the Brazilian fighter was able to push him out of his character.
During a recent episode of the FLAGRANT podcast, Sonnen disclosed that he had to adjust his approach to help Wanderlei Silva understand how to promote their fight.
While filming promotional material for TUF in 2014, Sonnen realized that Silva and his team didn't quite grasp the concept of "selling a fight" through trash-talking and provocative behavior.
Check out Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva's trash-talk below:
To remedy this, the former middleweight title challenger played the 'bad guy' by insulting and taunting 'The Axe Murderer'.
This initially confused Silva and his team, but Sonnen persisted and eventually managed to get through to them, explaining that his behavior was all part of the showmanship required to build interest in their fight:
"I get brought out there to be the evil villain and Wanderlei is going to come in and set me straight, but I am alone, I don't have anybody. I got my coach with me that used to be a mailman and everybody else we're meeting and some people are a little bilingual.
"They're not so but that actual atmosphere is important because when Wanderlei decides to attack me, he's got 20 guys with him and I'm by myself. So I'm trying to explain I'm the bad guy. I got brought here to be the bad guy. You gonna be the shiny knight but if you attack me, it makes me vulnerable, it makes me the victim which is going to endear me to the audience."
Check out the entire conversation here:
By breaking from his usual approach and adapting to the situation at hand, Chael Sonnen was able to effectively communicate with Silva and his team. He helped them understand the importance of playing up the drama and spectacle of their fight in order to generate interest and sell more tickets. This is a testament to Sonnen's skills as a communicator and his willingness to adapt and innovate in order to achieve his goals.
Chael Sonnen believes Holly Holm, Jon Jones, and Valentina Shevchenko are involved in a bizarre 'love triangle'
Chael Sonnen has sparked controversy by alluding to a possible romantic relationship between UFC fighters Holly Holm, Jon Jones, and Valentina Shevchenko.
During a recent episode of My Mom's Basement with Robbie Fox, the former UFC middleweight title contender hinted that there might be an undisclosed romantic connection between the three high-profile fighters, leaving fans intrigued and curious about what he might have meant.
This insinuation has caused a stir in the UFC community, with many speculating about what Sonnen could be referring to. While some are dismissing it as mere gossip, others are taking the statement seriously and wondering what could have led 'The American Gangster' to make such a claim.
Sonnen said:
"Holly Holm, Shevchenko and Jones, you guys see where this gets interesting. Yes, there's a triangle here. It's their story to tell."
Jon Jones
Holly Holm
Valentina Shevchenko
Love triangle.
Allegedly a very real thing via @ChaelSonnen https://t.co/Iy53hpIBmH