It’s one thing for Chael Sonnen to make fun of Brazil from afar, but who would’ve thought he’d have the fortitude to actually travel there and do it in person?
It’s shocking even for “Uncle Chael.”
UFC President Dana White has done his best to separate himself from the middleweight contender’s antics, including walking around with a replica of the UFC title.
“Sir, when you say they, don’t involve us with what Chael says,” White told a reporter at the UFC 148 press conference. “I do not think that Chael has the real belt and that Chael is the real champion. That’s Chael talking.”
Chael has certainly done his share of talking. For nearly two years, he has blasted Anderson Silva and the entire country of Brazil with punch line after punch line. He has even made inappropriate jokes about Silva’s wife.
For fighters, there is typically a certain line that is never to be crossed, but Sonnen makes his own rules. He talks trash to whoever he wants, whenever he wants.
On Wednesday, White joined Jim Rome on “The Jungle” to shed more light on the intensity of the Silva and Sonnen rivalry.
“[Silva] hates Chael Sonnen. If you didn’t see the press conference yesterday in Brazil, I’ll tell you what man, this kid has either got the biggest balls on Earth or is the craziest guy I’ve ever met. We’re in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I’ve got a bunch of security for this guy to get him into the country. If you heard the stuff that he said sitting there in Brazil.
I’ve never been at a press conference where I’m looking out into the crowd and every time Chael Sonnen says something, I mean, people aren’t laughing, people aren’t —everybody was looking at Chael like they wanted to kill him down there. You want to talk about a guy the entire country hates this guy and wants to see him get beat.”
Luckily for Sonnen, the fight won’t be held in Brazil. An upcoming United Nations convention has forced the UFC to seek another venue.
The bout will now be held at UFC 148 in Las Vegas on July 7. In the states, White can rest easy knowing he won’t need Presidential-like security escorting Sonnen to and from the arena.
“[Sonnen] said, we went down there yesterday, and he’s sitting there and he says, ‘Yeah well you know, me and my friends back in America, we sit around and we talk about technology and medicine and everything else and all the great things. And then I see Anderson Silva and his friends down here playing in the mud.”
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