It seems Chael Sonnen has had a change of heart when it comes to Anderson Silva.
From a press release detailing tonight’s episode of UFC Tonight comes this gem of a quote:
Anderson, over the last several months, I’ve disparaged your name in attempt to garner respect and attention for my own. That was wrong & I apologize. My actions were unsportsmanlike, they were uncalled for.
There are two ways to look at this.
The first and most likely scenario is that it’s simply another ploy by Sonnen. He’ll draw people into watching UFC Tonight under the guise of this apology, only to drop the proverbial hammer on Silva once again.
I know a lot of you hate any and all comparisons to professional wrestling, but I’ll still point out that this is an old tactic used in pro wrestling storylines designed to put even more “heat” on the bad guy, or heel.
The second scenario? Silva wouldn’t sign his contract to face Sonnen in June unless Sonnen issued a public apology. This is a plausible scenario. Silva used to think Sonnen’s games and verbal tirades were cute, but according to sources close to the middleweight champion’s camp, Silva has grown tired of the carnival barker-style abuse.
The magic of the first Silva/Sonnen fight was the newness of it all. Few professional fighters had ever embraced their love for pro wrestling like Sonnen did, and it made for a fun build to a fight that ultimately delivered in spades.
I’m not sure the same over-the-top approach will work a second time. Perhaps Sonnen has realized the same thing.
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