Wanderlei Silva had made a once-unimaginable shift in opinion on Chael Sonnen, now calling his formerly-heated rival "a good guy."
One of the most intense feuds in MMA history is now a thing of the past.
There was a time where Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen could barely share the same physical space without fear of an explosive situation. Fast-forward to current day, however, and they are both fresh off being immortalized as part of the 2024 UFC Hall of Fame class.
Although they aren’t exactly best friends, Silva (35-14-1), who became an MMA icon for his ruthless intensity in and out of the ring or cage, said his attitude toward Sonnen (30-17-1) has evolved significantly over the years.
“If I encounter him right now, we have a free fight,” Silva said with a laugh in a scrum with MMA Junkie and other reporters on the red carpet of the UFC Hall of Fame this past month. “It’s a joke. He’s a good guy. I like him. The rivalry is done.”
Sonnen, 47, spent years taking jabs at 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 Ultimate Fighter” reality series in Brazil, where they famously fought on the set of the show.
“The Axe Murderer” would finally compete against Sonnen in June 2016 under the Bellator banner, and would lose a unanimous decision.
Almost eight years after that fight, the pair have made peace.
