For months and years now, UFC Light Heavyweights Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva have been building a a heated verbal rivalry. It started with Chael’s anti-Brazil rhetoric leading up to both of his fights with Anderson Silva and continued through the build to his most recent fight against Mauricio Rua. Wanderlei once confronted Sonnen in a van with a threat about maybe losing his teeth. Again prior to UFC 165, Silva ambushed Sonnen at a media event.
Tonight, in an appearance on Fox Sports Live, UFC president Dana White revealed that they would finally be able to settle their differences inside the Octagon. After Sonnen fights Rashad Evans at UFC 167, he’ll head to Brazil to coach against Wandy in the third edition of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. Following the series’ completion Sonnen and Silva will meet in an as yet undetermined UFC event.
This will be the second time for each man to coach on the UFC’s reality show. Sonnen ran opposite Light Heavyweight champ Jon Jones in TUF 17, but lost his the title fight at UFC 159, though he was only 17 seconds away from taking the belt.
Wanderlei coached in the inaugural season of TUF: Brazil against Vitor Belfort. However, after taping, Belfort pulled out of the Finale fight due to injury and was replaced by UFC company man Rich Franklin. Silva and Franklin met for the second time at UFC 147, with Franklin taking the unanimous decision.