Chael Sonnen admits he’s ‘honored’ to be Anderson Silva’s last fight in Brazil: ‘My great moments are tied to him’

Despite their checkered history, Chael Sonnen basks in the honor of being Anderson Silva’s likely last combat sports opponent in Brazil.

Sonnen and Silva will clash in a June 15 boxing match in São Paulo. The fight will complete one of the biggest rivalries in combat sports history in Silva’s proposed final Brazil-based fight.

The Sonnen vs. Silva rivalry is one of the most important in UFC history. The two middleweight greats clashed twice in their promotional tenures, with Silva earning wins in both matchups.

Sonnen vs. Silva 1 at UFC 117 will enter the UFC Hall of Fame’s fight wing this summer. Silva entered the HOF last year for his legendary run inside the Octagon.

Cooler heads have prevailed in this latest chapter of their rivalry. Sonnen, ahead of his professional boxing debut, is thankful to Silva for presenting the opportunity to close their story.

Chael Sonnen set to face Anderson Silva in trilogy fight

https://youtu.be/gkDAxzlhN4g?si=T5HB8hAnFzj6qknD&t=525

During a recent episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy with Daniel Cormier, Sonnen shared his initial reaction to Silva’s fight offer.

“I really felt honored, I felt a sense of pride that in Anderson’s final contest, he came to me,” Sonnen said. “My great moments in the sport are all tied to him. Whether it was big pay-per-views, big paydays, or fun and attention…they all tied into him. But, his great moments don’t all tie into me. He had a bunch of world title fights and he did great things at 205 that I’m just thinking about… the [Forrest Griffin fight]…

“So the fact that he wanted to do and share his last moment with me, I don’t wanna ruin fight promotion, but that made me feel pretty good.”

Sonnen and Silva have traded pleasantries in recent years, but they’re both looking to get the upper hand in the upcoming fight. While this isn’t Silva’s retirement fight, it’s an important fight for him to put this rivalry to bed in his favor.

This will be Sonnen’s first combat sports appearance since a loss to Lyoto Machida at Bellator 222 in 2019. He announced his MMA retirement following the loss.

Silva vs. Sonnen 3 adds to an eventful fight month in June; and while their previous bad blood is a thing of the past, the two sides will look to settle the score on June 15.