Chael Sonnen explains why he opted to fight Anderson Silva in boxing, says he wants eventual Jorge Masvidal bout
Chael Sonnen has explained why he chose to take on Anderson Silva in boxing, as well as what his future plans are beyond that.
In the last few days, fight fans have been dealt some pretty surprising news. Next month, Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva will reignite their legendary rivalry. They’ll do so in a boxing match over in Brazil, which will serve as Anderson’s final fight in his home country.
Of course, given how much time Sonnen has had away from active competition, this came as a surprise to many.
In a recent podcast, however, ‘The Bad Guy’ went into more detail on his decision – as well as how Jorge Masvidal factors into the equation.
Sonnen’s big plan
“He offered to do MMA rules,” Sonnen said on Good Guy / Bad Guy. “According to them, Anderson said for Chael to pick the ruleset and it was just a situation where I’ve always wanted to box.
“I’ve got this thing coming up with Jorge Masvidal in October,” he continued. “That thing’s been coming up ever since ESPN sequestered me in Miami at [UFC] 299 to try to protect me from Jorge Masvidal. There was nothing that hurt my ego more than me being the one that’s being locked down. I’ve known this Masvidal thing was coming and then when do you let the cat out of the bag? Masvidal vs. [Nate] Diaz, I don’t want to step on Diaz’s toes, he’s got that fight, but allegedly they moved that fight closer to the [Jake] Paul [vs. Mike] Tyson fight.
“I got Jorge in my sights,” Sonnen concluded. “Anderson, as badly as I want to beat him and as much as I am going to go out there and beat him, it’s all a step in the process. When I get in there with Masvidal, it’s going to be eight rounds and they are going to have the 10 or the 12-ounce gloves, a little bit different situation.”
Quotes via MMA Mania
What do you expect to happen when Chael Sonnen collides with Anderson Silva? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!
