Chael Sonnen has a very simple plan for when he meets longtime rival Anderson Silva inside the squared circle.
After forging one of the greatest rivalries in UFC history, the two MMA icons will dawn the eight-ounce gloves for a boxing showdown as part of a Spaten Fight Night emanating from Sao Paulo, Brazil on Saturday, June 15.
Ahead of the trilogy fight between Sonnen and ‘The Spider,’ the former spoke with Ariel Helwani during a recent episode of The MMA Hour to discuss his thought process going into a third meeting with Silva, and more importantly, what he plans to do differently than he did in their first two Octagon clashes.
“I’ve got seven rounds with Anderson Silva and the problem I had was thinking that I could make him quit,” Sonnen said. “He’s really dynamic. He moves really well and he’s got these great setups. He’s really tough and that’s the part I didn’t know. I thought you could just make him quit and Jon Jones has the same thing. He’s freakin’ tough. He’s not just good.
“My point being, I used a lot of energy trying to get him to wilt and I’m not going to make that same mistake. I’m going to touch him more than he touches me.”
Chael on Anderson Silva: He's really tough and that's the part I didn't know. I thought you could just make him quit.#TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/Jz3pmGbhJ7
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) June 12, 2024
Will Chael Sonnen Finally Snatch a Win over ‘The Spider’?
‘The American Gangster’ first met Anderson Silva at UFC 117 in 2010. Going into the bout as a significant underdog, Sonnen stunned everyone when he dominated the then-middleweight world champion for four-and-a-half rounds, taking ‘The Spider’ down at will and punishing him for a majority of the fight.
Unfortunately, Sonnen got a little sloppy in the waning minutes, leaving his limb available for Silva to snatch a hail mary armbar, forcing the West Linn, Oregon native to tap out less than 110 seconds away from claiming his first UFC gold.
Their sequel at UFC 148 was much more definitive, with Silva securing a second-round TKO to retain his title, though Sonnen did dominate the opening round, much in the same way he dominated most of their first fight.
Watch Sonnen’s appearance on The MMA Hour below:
