Bitter enemies eager to settle score
Mixed martial arts has had many big rivalries in its history, but the fighters in Saturday’s Bellator: NYC main event believe theirs is chief among them.
Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva will settle a seven-year beef when their long-awaited grudge match unfolds at Madison Square Garden in New York and headlines just the second pay-perview card in Bellator’s history (10 p.m. ET).
Separately, Sonnen (28-15-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) and Silva (3512-1, 0-0) have been involved in some of the most famous rivalries in MMA history. This one, however, doesn’t compare to anything prior.
“This is the biggest rivalry in the MMA world,” Silva, from Brazil, told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s one of the last real rivalries. He talked bad things about my country, talked some bad things about my friends. After that, I don’t like him. Some people you like; some you don’t like. Him, I do not like.”
The genesis of the feud stems from Silva’s anger over Sonnen’s repeated derogatory comments about Brazilian people. But the tension really picked up when the pair coached opposite each other on the third Brazilian season of
The Ultimate Fighter reality series.
During filming, Sonnen and Silva got physical, and the result was a full-blown brawl.
“Wanderlei knew he was going to attack me that day, and I just had no idea what was going on,” Sonnen said. “I remember fight- ing with him, and he was hitting me in the back of the head. It never crossed my mind that one of his buddies would jump in. I remember being very upset about that.”
Silva has a different recollection.
“He’s the wrong guy, because he touched me first,” Silva said. “He pushed me and he took me down in front of my people in my country. This is enough for me. Like my dad says, ‘You can never play with a man.’ ”
After the show’s conclusion, Sonnen and Silva were scheduled to fight at UFC 175 in July 2014. But the bout fell apart when both had drug testing issues, which ultimately led to multiyear suspensions.
Sonnen made his return in January and was submitted by Tito Ortiz in the first round. It was “the easiest fight I’ve ever been given and I lost,” Sonnen said. On Saturday, he’s determined to rebound.
“No one loses to Tito — he’s terrible,” Sonnen said. “He’s just awful, and he beat me in a fair fight. That’s just the reality. I never want to feel like that again. I never want to lose to a bum again, and I have another bum this weekend.”
Silva hasn’t been in a fight since March 2013 but said he plans to make up for lost time against a hated foe.
“It’s going to be very easy,” Silva said. “I hope he does better this fight because I want to fight two or three (rounds) and just beat him.”
Personal disdain and theatrics aside, Sonnen said he’s eager for his first victory in nearly four years.
Settling the score with Silva in the process is simply a bonus.
“As far as a personal grudge, it’s No. 1,” Sonnen said. “Wanderlei is a cage fighter and I’m a cage fighter. You’ve got these new guys that are ‘martial artists,’ whatever that means, coming out in bathrobes with belts and bowing at each other and talking about respect.
“This is a cage fight between two half-naked men for a paycheck and the applause of a drunken audience.”