Chael Sonnen has made it a habit in the past to belittle the country of Brazil and some of its more prominent mixed martial arts (MMA) stars such as former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and more recently, Wanderlei Silva.
As luck would have it, "The American Gangster" will now find himself living in Brazil for a few months as he will coach opposite "The Axe Murderer" on season three of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Brazil.
And as any worried mother would likely do, momma Sonnen asked the good people of Brazil to not hurt her son while he's in their country. And according to Wanderlei, Sonnen will be safe while coaching TUF on his home turf, but he can't promise the same when they meet inside the Octagon next year.
His words to USA Today:
"He'll be 100-percent safe. Just one guy is going to beat him, and this guy is me. Nobody (else) is going to touch you. Brazil is different. Sometimes, when you talk things about people, you need to know that one day, you're going to be face-to-face with these people. And when he's face-to-face, ‘Oh, it's a joke.' It's a joke for you, but it's not a joke for me and not for my country. But don't worry. You're going to be safe. But you're going to pay for that account in June when we fight. I don't like fake people. I don't like jokes. I don't like guys who talk stupid things about me, and when you say (those things), you're going to need to pay."
Chael, however, isn't too concerned with his safety. In fact, "The American Gangster" is already preparing himself for the worst which may include getting stabbed, lynched and shot at. But threats such as those don't affect a "gangster' like Sonnen.
And apparently neither does an unexpected face-to-face confrontation with "The Axe Murderer."