"I got jumped by a guy named Dida" - Chael Sonnen shifts narrative on "hating Brazil" by recounting apology made to his mother
Chael Sonnen recently shifted his narrative on disliking Brazil as he recounted his experience coaching 'The Ultimate Fighter' and the famous brawl that transpired on the show.
The former UFC middleweight title challenger coached 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3' opposite Wanderlei Silva, which resulted in many heated exchanges. The animosity reached its breaking point as Silva confronted 'The American Gangster', resulting in a fight between the two coaches and a member of the Brazilian's coaching staff attacking him rather than trying to break it up.
During a recent episode of ESPN's 'Good Guy / Bad Guy', the 47-year-old recounted the events that transpired both during and following the famous TUF moment. Sonnen refuted that he hates the country and mentioned that he holds no ill will for what transpired on TUF because of an act of kindness. Opening up on the same, he said:
"I don't hate Brazil. What's Brazil ever done for old Chael? You know, I spent a month over there one time. I got jumped by a guy named Dida. My mother ran into him in a hotel lobby in New York and he walked up and apologized to her. That is a true story." [0:14 - 0:27]
Check out the full episode of 'Good Guy / Bad Guy' featuring Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen below:
Chael Sonnen describes his experience in Brazil when coaching 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3'
Despite the perception that his experience was a dreadful one, Chael Sonnen revealed that he had an enjoyable experience in Brazil when coaching 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3'.
During the aforementioned episode, 'The American Gangster' told Daniel Cormier that he initially questioned why he agreed to coach the show after being despised in Brazil. Sonnen, who was despised for his comments about the country and Brazilian UFC fighters, mentioned that the experience wasn't as bad as he initially assumed. He said:
"I get off the plane with my wife, we're going to baggage claim and there is six guys and they're all in a row...they're in the nice suits, they got the earpieces, they got the shaded glasses. They took us outside to a bulletproof vehicle. I just remember thinking, 'If all of this is necessary, why am I here? What are we doing and why did I bring my wife?' Turned out, we had the most wonderful time, they treated us so good." [2:45 - 3:08]
Check out the UFC's tweet featuring the clip of Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva's fight on TUF below: