“Every single day for ten years,” Chael Sonnen reflects on rivalry and boxing exhibition match against Anderson Silva

Chael Sonnen spoke about his decade-long rivalry with Anderson Silva and their upcoming boxing exhibition fight.

“Every single day for ten years,” Chael Sonnen reflects on rivalry and boxing exhibition match against Anderson Silva

Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva (image credit- MMA fighting)

Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva faced off in the octagon twice, with the Brazilian winning and successfully defending his middleweight title both times. The scheduling of their boxing match is particularly distinctive since their initial fight will be enshrined in the Fight Wing of this year’s UFC Hall of Fame in two weeks.

As such, Sonnen reflected on his upcoming fight and his rivalry, which has spanned over a decade. 

I have thought about this man every single day for ten years and that's a very private thing
Chael Sonnen via ESPN’s Good Guy/Bad Guy
YouTube video

In a unique segment of ESPN’s Good Guy/Bad Guy, the UFC Hall of Famer talked about the development of his fight and his mental preparation. Additionally, Sonnen revealed that he continues to reflect on his defeats to Silva, even though they happened a decade ago. In addition, Sonnen revealed that he was traveling to Brazil with the goal of overcoming his long-standing opponent in their last match.

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However, Sonnen did admit that boxing is not his forte, but he still has confidence in himself and his ability to emerge victorious. The UFC Hall of Famer also predicted that the fight would either ‘fix his life’ or make him consider his combat sports career as a failure. 

The two fights between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva 

Sonnen and Anderson Silva created two legendary UFC fights that are still remembered as one of the greatest fights in MMA. Their first meeting was at UFC 117 on August 7, 2010. Sonnen dominated the fight with relentless punches and ground-and-pound for four and a half rounds. 

Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva
Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva (image credit- MMA Fighting)

However, Silva impressively executed an armbar submission in the final minutes of the round in the fifth edition. Hence, Silva defended his middleweight title, showing off his submission flexibility. The rematch took place on July 7, 2012, at UFC 148. The American Gangster again started the fight with a dominantly but to no avail. 

In the second round, Silva capitalized on an unsuccessful spinning-back fist attempt from Chael Sonnen. After which Silva landed a knee to Sonnen’s chest, followed by a devastating punch that resulted in a TKO victory. This fight has highlighted Silva’s ability to overcome adversity and make MMA more successful.

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