Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva: Net worth comparison
Inside and outside of the MMA world, Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva have made no secret of the bad blood between them. Sonnen beat the Brazilian via unanimous decision at Bellator NYC in 2017, but how do the two MMA legends match up in terms of net worth?
According to Wealthy Gorilla, the American has a net worth of $10 million, which surprisingly is less than that of his rival. 'The Axe Murderer' is said to have a worth of $18 million. This means, outside of MMA, the Brazilian has trumped 'The Bad Guy'.
š¤ @ChaelSonnen #UFC500#300 | TUF Brazil 3 Ep. 6 | April 13, 2014
'The Axe Murderer' vs 'The Bad Guy'... š¤š„š¤ @ChaelSonnen #UFC500 https://t.co/fwXg9DTeST
Sonnen runs a grappling organization called Submission Underground, which aired on UFC Fight Pass previously. 'The Bad Guy' has also worked as a commentator for various organizations since his retirement from MMA.
It's likely that a large amount of his net worth came from his fighting career. That said, Sonnen does also run a very successful YouTube channel and podcast, which is probably providing the MMA legend with a stable income.
Wanderlei Silva was a huge name within Pride FC and also fought in the UFC and Bellator during his MMA career. Since retiring from MMA after his bout against Quinton Jackson in 2018, 'The Axe Murderer' hasn't been seen much in the public eye.
Watch Sonnen talk about Wanderlei Silva:
Silva has been running Wand Fight Team in Pensacola, Florida since 2009, which is a facility dedicated to training MMA, Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu. This will also be providing the Brazilian with a post-fighting career income.
Has Chael Sonnen had legal issues in the past?
Yes, in 2006, Chael Sonnen was working as a realtor in Oregon, where he ran into legal issues when dealing with a transaction at his workplace. 'The Bad Guy' pleaded guilty to money laundering. However, after agreeing to testify against others, Sonnen was fined $10,000 and was sentenced to two years of probation.
Another legal issue came in 2012, with Sonnen finding himself in a counter lawsuit worth $400,000 in damages. However, the case was eventually settled out of court, meaning no trial was needed.
Chael Sonnen allegedly battered five separate victims in hotel brawl in Las Vegas #UFC #MMA bjpenn.com/mma-news/ufc/cā¦
Chael Sonnen's latest legal incident came in 2021, with the MMA legend getting into an altercation with multiple people at a Las Vegas hotel. 'The Bad Guy' allegedly attacked the hotel guests and some of the security officers working at the hotel. In March 2022, Sonnen had his charges reduced to six misdemeanors from the original 11 counts of battery.