Before YouTube existed, Chael Sonnen expected it. The ultimate practitioner waiting for the latest exchange from him. All those years in the UFC? The years on the wrestling mats before that? Now it seems like it was just a preamble, all designed to give you stories to tell and experience to lean on as you run the court. its 1.28 million subscribers.
Because, really, what could suit this man better? Throughout his entire fighting career, he barely stopped talking long enough to get the microphone put on him. Sonnen was born to sit there, in his custom-built studio, telling stories and cracking jokes in front of a camera, layering deadpan wit on surprisingly candid commentary until his audience isn’t sure what’s real and what’s just to laugh.
All of this is to say that a second career as a commentator and tireless content creator (do the math with the number of clips saved to his YouTube page and you’ll see that works out to over 1,000 videos per year) seems like everything is going incredibly well for him. Sonnen. So why, at 47 years old and with a wealth of experience as a fighter but no fights as a boxer, would he decide to put on the big gloves and fight his old foe Anderson Silva on Saturday in São Paulo, Brazil?
According to Sonnen, the boxing aspect of this fight is, at least in part, the result of a negotiation strategy gone wrong.
“I was dealing with Anderson and (Jorge) Masvidal the same week,” Sonnen said. “Suddenly Chael P is in high demand, which I wasn’t even interested in, but they weren’t interested in me either. It wasn’t like he was pushing people away. My phone wasn’t ringing for those kinds of reasons, but suddenly I got a call from Mams (Taylor) from Misfits (Boxing), who wants to fight Masvidal. She (she asked) ‘Hey, what rules do you guys set? I have (Masvidal) on the other line.” I texted him back, let him choose. That scared him. I said, let him choose. Team Masvidal backed off. I never heard a word again. There was something about that. They backed away. I tried the same thing with Anderson. He didn’t back down. He said, “Great, the rules of boxing.” Here we are.”
Before we continue, there’s something you should know about any interview with Sonnen. Their answers should not always be taken literally. They are intended, above all, to entertain. Sometimes that entertainment even fits with the topic at hand. But it can be difficult to know what is supposed to be an accurate representation of the situation and what is there because it sounds good.
This is also what makes Sonnen so good in the role he has created for himself at this stage of his life. Today, he is a professional talker on all things combat sports. Whatever the topic of the day — Francis Ngannou’s boxing exploits, Valentina Shevchenko’s refusal to give her fighters water during practice, about a million different ways to look at Conor McGregor — Sonnen can offer an opinion. Those opinions are fun, detailed and memorable. But they are meant to be enjoyed rather than closely studied and analyzed for facts.
That vibe changes a little when he talks about Silva. The two have such an extensive history together (two UFC title fights, the first of which will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer, both won by Silva) that they are essentially linked by combat. Watching them in a boxing match feels a little strange, if only because that format seems to favor Silva. so much more than Sonnen. But seeing them meet again later in life, this time more as friendly combatants than the bitter enemies they started out as, somehow feels good.
When he realized Silva wanted to fight him in what may or may not be a true retirement fight, Sonnen said, he was flattered and surprised.
“I didn’t know he cared about me,” Sonnen said. “I knew we had some moments together. But over the course of his career, he had moments with other guys. He had title fights with other guys. He had grueling (fights) and the media wanted attention from him and he had PPVs and he had big paychecks… with other guys. I did not do it. I only have him. Every great moment where someone comes up to me and gives me a compliment has to do with him. Whether it was a press conference or something said or maybe we met or it was a fight they came to or saw on TV, but to me everyone was tied to it. I fought against 51 men. People don’t know about the other 50. Everything in my career is related to Anderson. “I didn’t know it was special to him.”
Still, Sonnen admitted, when a guy picks you as an opponent for a farewell fight in his home country, you can’t help but realize that he probably didn’t pick you because he thinks you’re going to beat him up.
It’s no secret that hitting is Silva’s specialty. While Sonnen became a much better striker throughout his career, it was always something he did between tackles.
Silva, meanwhile, has found his second wind in the boxing ring. He has fought five professional boxing fights, beating Julio César Chávez Jr. and Tito Ortiz before losing a decision to Jake Paul in 2022. Sonnen’s boxing work has been limited to the gym, and when one of his trainers recently asked if Silva fights out of a left-handed stance, he had to admit he didn’t know.
“I’ve fought him,” Sonnen said. “And I do not know”.
Under such circumstances, many fans might feel that it would be a win for Sonnen to simply last the distance with Silva in this fight. And that would be a good time, right? The two exchange blows one last time before ending in a hug as time runs out. That might even count as a victory of sorts for Sonnen in a matchup like this.
But then, if I said that’s what I expected, how entertaining would it be? Who would want to waste a YouTube click on that?
“I don’t really care about the rules,” Sonnen said. “I’m going to try to beat him. And one thing I don’t like, and one thing I won’t do and won’t try now, is prepare the nest for a fall. ‘Oh, I didn’t have time to train. Oh, I was just in the room with my son. Oh, boxing is not my thing. I don’t care if we’re doing a cooking contest, it’s me against him. This is my last chance to beat the guy I’ve never beaten at anything. He keeps me up at night. He chases me. I will be devastated if I lose this fight and I will never come and tell you what the rules were. I’ll kick him in the balls if I have to. I’m going to take this man down. I had four rounds to do it and mark my words. “I won’t ruin this.”
