One of the most intense feuds in MMA history is now a thing of the past.
There was a time when Wanderley Silva It is Chael Sonnen they could barely share the same physical space without fear of an explosive situation. Fast forward to the present day, however, and both have just been immortalized as part of the UFC Hall of Fame Class 2024.
While they’re not exactly best friends, Silva (35-14-1), who has become an MMA icon for his relentless intensity in and out of the ring or cage, said his attitude toward Sonnen (30-17-1 ) evolved. significantly over the years.
“If I meet him now, we’ll have a wrestling match,” Silva said with a laugh in a spat with MMA Junkie and other reporters on the UFC Hall of Fame red carpet last month. “It’s a joke. He’s a good guy. I like him. The rivalry is over.”
Sonnen, 47, spent years attacking Silva, 48, and questioning his resume with the now-defunct PRIDE FC organization. They were scheduled to fight three times under the UFC banner in 2014, after filming a season of the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter” in Brazil, where they became famous. got into a fight on the set of the show.
“The Ax Murderer” would finally compete against Sonnen in June 2016 under the Bellator banner, and it would be lose a unanimous decision.
Almost eight years after that fight, the pair made peace.
