“The Bad Guy” thinks he won.
Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen fought for a third time in a closed-door event at Spaten Fight Night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, last night (Sat., June 15, 2024), and this time, the fight ended in a draw. Oh, it was a five-round exhibition boxing match (watch highlights).
The fight ended up being a glorified sparring match, with both fighters pitter-pattering their punches. Even though both fighters took it easy, most fans thought Sonnen did enough to steal the first three rounds, and the former three-time UFC title challenger agrees.
“Well, I thought I won the first three rounds,” Sonnen told reporters after the fight. “You have to understand he let me win the first one. He always lets me win the first round. That’s one of his strategies. He feels you out. He lets everybody win the first round, and I did the same thing in rounds two and three that I did in the first round, but I slipped somewhere in the fourth round, and then they brought the doctor in at some point because I had a bloody nose or something. And it’s like, come on, you’re making this look way worse than it is. It was three rounds to two. I thought I won that fight.”
For now, it really looks like the competitive rivalry between Silva and Sonnen is over, but leave it to “The Bad Guy” to try and get one over on “The Spider.”
“Oh yes, most definitely [I’m still undefeated]. “You have to understand the last two fights, whether I like it or not, were stoppage losses. So a draw is a big step in the right direction,” Sonnen said. “On the other hand, of the six completed rounds I’ve had with Anderson Silva, I won all six. He has never won a round against me, that’s a reality. Tonight, he won rounds. So big deal for me to get a draw. Big deal for him to win a round.”
The two former UFC fighters will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in two weeks during UFC 303 fighter for their epic title fight at UFC 117.