Former UFC star Chael Sonnen is set to continue his boxing career later this year after his first ring fight ended in a draw.
The former world title contender made his ring debut last night in Brazil, battling longtime rival Anderson Silva over five rounds in a bout that saw neither man get out of first gear for the majority of the bout, and was a celebration of the careers of both rivals as they neared retirement.
However, Sonnen intends to keep fighting and has told media that he plans to target former welterweight world title contender Jorge Masvidal. The two have been feuding for months and are expected to finally face off following Masvidal's fight against Nate Diaz in July.
Chael Sonnen drew with Anderson Silva in his boxing debut but showed lackluster performances.
Chael Sonnen made his ring debut last night at Spaten Fight Night, going five rounds against longtime rival Silva. It was the first time Sonnen has seen the final bell in three previous bouts against the Brazilian, having been stopped in both of his previous two UFC bouts.
But the pace of the bout was slow at best, with Silva even appearing to call it a “good workout” as the two embraced after the bout. Sonnen has since maintained that, although the fight was not scored, he had the upper hand in the back-and-forth battle.
Silva occasionally picked up the pace briefly for a few seconds, displaying the fluidity and speed that still impresses at 49 years old, but for the most part he moved at what could be called a leisurely pace at best.
Chael Sonnen demands fight against Jorge Masvidal after draw with Anderson Silva
Afterwards, Sonnen was interviewed by reporters and asked if he planned on returning to the ring, and he confirmed that he did, saying that the Silva bout was just a warm-up for the fight against Masvidal.
“This whole thing is just part of the process,” Sonnen told media. “I've been boxing with Jorge Masvidal and I was called for the fight and I agreed to the fight. This is all part of the training process and I learned some things tonight.”
“Anderson got into a good mood and he fooled me a lot. I don't like being fooled. I like to see that happen. He would show you with one hand and hit you with the other. He was a very tricky fighter and a very quick fighter.”
“I only say that because he's over 50. If he's trying to trick me and catch me like that, then I'm going to have to respect Jorge Masvidal a lot more than I ever thought I would.”
Chael Sonnen claims he 'despise' Jorge Masvidal ahead of grudge match
Speaking with Bloody Elbow at a Bellator event last month before the Silva fight was announced, Sonnen remained coy about his upcoming bout, but did reveal that he is still feuding with Masvidal after months of back-and-forth.
“I have no grudge against Masvidal,” he said. “I just talked to Mike Cogan about it last night and he said Masvidal and Diaz are the real deal. They changed the date, they changed the venue, and they're going to get the fight. But he said, 'No, it's between those two.'
When pressed about his choice of words, he clarified by adding, “Oh, sorry, did I say there was no fight? I must have misunderstood the question. I despise Jorge Masvidal.”
“If Jorge Masvidal and his thug buddies decide to get close to Chael Sonnen, they're going to look around and think, 'I should have brought more people in' after I beat them all.”
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