Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva have one of the most storied rivalries in the current era of mixed martial arts.
The pound-for-pound great and the “Gangster from West Linn” have engaged in two memorable affairs, with the former middleweight king emerging victorious on both occasions. While their time inside the cage certainly earned a place in MMA history, the build-up to the bouts was just as epic, as Sonnen launched a constant verbal assault on the longtime champion and the country of Brazil.
While the grudge between Silva and Sonnen has been put to rest following their final meeting at UFC 148 in 2012, the former two-divisional title challenger’s beef with Brazil still has a pulse. In fact, it could get downright lively as Sonnen will head down to the country largely heralded as the “birthplace of MMA” when he coaches The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil opposite another rival in Wanderlei Silva. Filming of the show will begin on Jan. 12 and continue until Feb. 21, with the two coaches squaring off at an event later in the year.
While Sonnen’s feud with “The Axe Murderer” may be red hot, the Oregon native has shown the ability to let the past be the past, as he has officially reached out to the former 185-pound champion to be one of his assistant coaches on the show.
“I have officially invited Anderson to coach TUF: Brazil as part of my staff,” Sonnen told MMAFighting.
The perennial contender told the MMA news outlet that he has reached out to Silva’s manager Ed Soares to extend the offer. Soares replied that he would pass the message on to his fighter. There has been no word yet if the former middleweight champion would take Sonnen up on his offer, but it would make for an interesting dynamic on the reality-based fighting program.
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