UFC moneyweight Chael Sonnen fights next week against Rashad Evans but already has his following two engagements set. Sonnen will fly to South America after UFC 167 to be coach opposite rival Wanderlei Silva on the next Brazilian edition of The Ultimate Fighter.
Over the years, Sonnen has lobbed many xenophobic insults at Brazilian fighters as well as the nation itself. In a recent interview with Brazilian news outlet Folha de Sao Paulo, Sonnen admitted to not feeling safe as a future TUF coach in Brazil and said that he requested extra security for his time filming the reality competition series.
Asked simply if he felt safe in Brazil, Sonnen replied, "no."
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The interviewer then asked Sonnen specifically if he worried that an offended Brazilian citizen might shoot him while he was in the country. Sonnen paused before saying, "I had not thought of shots...I was more concerned with the possibility of a lynching, perhaps a knife attack. But I think it is possible, yes."
Sonnen confirmed asking UFC President Dana White and the UFC to take extra measures to keep him safe while he coached against Silva on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. "Major steps are being taken," he said.
"Dana White takes care of that sort of thing. The measures he suggested are very sophisticated, more than I would suggest. But I understand that I'm not totally safe in the U.S., either."
Do you think Sonnen will face any problems while a temporary resident of Brazil and how do you think the Brazilian fighters on his team will react to "The American Gangster?" Let us know in the comments section.
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