Chael Sonnen's mom begs Brazil to not hurt her son during filming of TUF

All kidding aside, can we just let the man do his job?

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight and full-time feather ruffler, Chael Sonnen, will be forced to enter the lion's den when he travels to Brazil to film the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) opposite fellow coach and bitter rival, Wanderlei Silva (details).

And that has his mom Claudia worried about his safety, according to comments she made to Mano a Mano:

"I'm worried about his safety during filming there. I know you all are legal, decent people. My sister and her family received an exchange student from Brazil who has lived in her house when Chael was younger and they have shared many hours with each other. That said, it only takes one to ruin it ... and I pray that you not allow someone to reach Chael in person. He is a great coach and is eager to help the young fighters as much as he can."

She has a legitimate cause for concern.

Sonnen has made his share of enemies over the years -- most of them Brazilian -- because the former middleweight number contender has gone to war with Anderson Silva on two separate occasions, using "The Spider's" country, as well as his bromance with the Nogueira brothers, as fodder for his stand-up shtick.

It's all fun and games until someone gets Monica Seles'd.

"The American Gangster" was accosted during a UFC 148 media press tour in Rio de Janeiro, as the self-proclaimed "bad guy" was zapped with a shock pen after escaping a scrum populated by "aggressive" reporters, in what was later described as a "prank."

Turns out, no one was fooled by his disguise (pic).

How much danger Sonnen is actually in, all depends on how seriously fans have taken his feud against Silva. "The Axe Murderer" was calling for his head after this public run in and while Wandy may have been playing it up for the cameras, fans don't always have the ability to separate fact from fiction.

Here's hoping they don't take matters into their own hands.