Jon Jones' former teammate recalls awkward moment at MMA Awards between Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva: "He did not take a joke"
One of Jon Jones' former teammates recently recalled an awkward moment during the MMA Awards between Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva when the American had hosting duties. 'The American Gangster' and 'The Axe Murderer' were not on great terms at the time, so it's understandable why there was tension.
The former UFC title challengers had a bitter rivalry that saw them serve as opposing coaches on 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil', the site of their famous brawl. A bout didn't materialize inside the octagon, but they still competed years later in Bellator, where Sonnen earned a unanimous decision win.
During his latest appearance on Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's JAXXON PODCAST, Jones' former teammate Frank Mir recalled a tense moment when 'The American Gangster' was telling jokes on stage when hosting the MMA Awards. Mir mentioned that he was sitting next to Silva, who was not amused by Sonnen's jokes at his expense:
"I was sitting next to fu**ing Wanderlei [Silva]...Some of the jokes [Sonnen] made about me...you gotta laugh about it, right? It's all good, I'm laughing. And then, a couple jokes about Wanderlei and I'd laugh but Wanderlei was not laughing...I don't even think he knew I existed at that point. At one point, I looked, I'm like, 'I think he's gonna jump over the row and go after Chael.'" [37:38]
Check out the full episode featuring Frank Mir's comments about Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva below:
Check out Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva's 'TUF: Brazil' brawl below:
Frank Mir heaps praise on Chael Sonnen's mic skills
In addition to recounting the tense moment between Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva at the MMA Awards, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir heaped praise on 'The American Gangster's mic skills.
During the aforementioned appearance, Mir mentioned that Sonnen was incredible for his ability to sell a fight and was sharp in terms of how he managed to pivot on the fly:
"It was at the very beginning when people first realized how smart he was on a mic. I mean, because I've talked to Chael [Sonnen], I know he's a smart guy, but like, his ability to just grab a mic and go...Wow, it's incredible. I think he's the best that ever did it in MMA as far as that aspect." [37:20]