Make no mistake about it, Chael Sonnen is undoubtedly the most outspoken fighter that mixed martial arts has ever seen.
The words Sonnen has spoken over the course of the past two years simply cannot be erased. He’s offended Anderson Silva, his family, the country of Brazil—the list goes on. Sonnen’s even gone as far as to call out Silva’s wife, demanding his steak done medium rare.
There’s two types of individuals in the world of MMA: those who love Sonnen and those who hate him.
If you’re from America, there’s a decent chance you’re a lover of Sonnen’s words. However, if you’re from Brazil, the likelihood of you falling into the latter category is almost certain.
However, when we begin to examine Sonnen’s actions, you’ll see more than a trash-talker. You’ll see more than a man who fears no one, including the entire country of Brazil. You’ll see a man who is a genius.
Through Sonnen’s outspoken personality, he was able to single-handedly advertise arguably the biggest main event showdown in UFC history. UFC 148 produced staggering sale and gate numbers and none of it could have been possible without Sonnen’s trash talk.
Over the course of the past two years, Sonnen not only made himself known to the world, he was able to pull in a substantial amount of money.
Sonnen showed us his true colors following his loss to Silva when the world least expected it. Sonnen shock Silva’s hand and congratulated the champion on his 10th straight title defense.
In the post-fight press conference, Sonnen took it a step farther and declared the following:
“The better guy wins every time. The better guy won tonight.”
Despite falling short in once in a lifetime opportunity, Sonnen showed his true colors and respected Silva’s accomplishment.
It appears as if Sonnen squashed the beef between himself and Silva…at least for now.
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