Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva will be the coaches for the third season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, UFC president Dana White announced Monday night.
Sonnen (29-13-1 MMA, 7-6 UFC), who’s last fight comes with an impressive submission victory over Mauricio (Shogun) Rua on Saturday, has wanted to lock horns with Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC) for quite some time.
The 36-year-old Sonnen asked UFC president Dana White to make the fight happen via a tapped video message played while his boss was an in-studio guest on Wednesday’s “FOX Sports Live.”
“Dana, it is no secret that I am the biggest draw and the highest paid athlete in the UFC, and the only person that comes close to rivaling me is Georges St-Pierre,” Sonnen explained in the recording. “And as I see it, in November, when he (St-Pierre) takes on Johny Hendricks live and in Las Vegas – tickets on sale now – he does not have a co-main event. I ask that you put me and Wanderlei Silva on that card.”
The American wrestler didn’t shy away from throwing fuel on a potential fight with Silva when he referenced comments made by the Brazilian that he would be willing to bet $100,000 on his fellow countryman Rua, who was submitted by Sonnen at the main event of UFC Fight Night 26 in Boston.
“He said last week publicly that he would bet $100,000 on ‘Shogun’ against me,” Sonnen continued. “I came out publicly and accepted that bet. He has yet to pay up. I am asking that $50,000 go to the Hire Heroes Foundation headed by Brian Stann and the other $50,000 go to the bombing victims of Boston. I don’t know if he’s a welcher – I believe he will pay up. But either way, I ask you, Dana White, my plea to you: Please, put this fight together.”
Silva responded to Sonnen’s comments from UFC Fight Night 26: “I will punch your face in. I will make you swallow your teeth.”
Filming for TUF: Brazil is expected to begin in early 2014.