Chael Sonnen: I Could’ve Fought Anderson Silva In MMA Again

Chael Sonnen says he could have fought Anderson Silva in a third MMA fight before agreeing to box him. 

Sonnen will face Anderson on June 15 in a five-rounder in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The bout will be at 216 pounds under two-minute rounds. They have faced each other twice in MMA. Anderson defended his UFC Middleweight Title twice, winning at UFC 117 and UFC 148. A third fight in MMA would have made sense. Sonnen has never boxed, turning down $2 million to box Mike Tyson. However, Silva has boxed three times. 

He has wins over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz, with his only loss coming against Jake Paul. Silva allowed Sonnen to choose the format, which is why it was a surprise that he chose boxing. Silva will be seen as the favorite based on his boxing experience. However, Sonnen justified it on the basis he wanted a boxing bout. It would also help him prepare for a potential boxing bout against Jorge Masvidal. 

Sonnen On Silva

“I must tell you, in the defense of Anderson. According to the manager of my manager, so a little bit of hearsay. He offered to do MMA rules. According to them, Anderson said for Chael to pick the ruleset. But it’s just a situation where I’ve always wanted to box.

“Daniel, I’ve got this thing coming up with Jorge Masvidal in October of this year… I’m only sharing with you, I’ve got Jorge in my sights. 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 just a step in the process,” Sonnen said 

Elsewhere, Ilia Topuria has praised UFC fighter Sean O’Malley. Suga is in impressive form, having won six out of his last seven fights since losing to Marlon Vera at UFC 252 in 2020. The one fight in that streak was a no-contest against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 in 2022. O’Malley grabbed the belt with a KO win over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 last year. He avenged the only UFC career loss, beating Vera at UFC 299. That has made him one of the biggest stars in the UFC. 

Topuria On O’Malley

Topuria is also chasing that mantle. He upset Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 to stop him in the second round. The win kept his undefeated UFC record, ending Volk’s four-year reign as champion. He is now targeting the biggest fights, with bouts against BMF Champion Max Holloway and even Conor McGregor mentioned. Topuria also outlined his plans to become the richest athlete by 2025. But he took some time to give O’Malley his respect. 

“He’s doing a great, amazing job. He’s becoming bigger and bigger in the sport. [And] he’s a big star in the United States. Even as a fighter, I like his fight style, too – I like his movements. Everything he does, he’s a showman. I like him. he’s doing a great job,” Topuria said 

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