Chael Sonnen, the undefeated, undisputed mixed martial arts competitor shows a new, emotional side as he is moved to tears by a powerful story. This came to light on Thursday, when Paramount+ debuted the documentary series about the Ultimate Fighting Championship legend Anderson Silva. The series, “Anderson ‘Spider’ Silva,” includes five episodes, which present a comprehensive look at Silva’s life, beginning with his childhood and leading up to his numerous achievements in the competitive world of UFC, particularly his victories in the middleweight title.
In order to promote the release of the documentary, Paramount+ also shared a video showcasing Silva and Sonnen watching the series together. Sonnen had previously teased on social media with photographs of a new tattoo on his shoulder depicting his former rival, Silva, and the video provided an insight into the background of this. As it turned out, the tattoo was the result of a playful bet between the two fighters. According to Silva, if Sonnen was moved to tears while watching the series, he would have to get a tattoo of Silva’s face on his arm. Conversely, if Sonnen didn’t cry, Silva would have to reciprocate with a tattoo of Sonnen’s face and the words “I Love Chael Sonnen Forever.”
The video shared by Paramount+ showed Silva inviting Sonnen to his home to watch the docuseries, and they are seen making this unusual wager. During a particularly poignant moment in the series, Sonnen is visibly moved and sheds a lone tear. The video then jumps to a scene of Sonnen at a tattoo parlor. However, it wasn’t quite what “The Spider” had anticipated.
Later, Silva became a guest on the Flow Podcast where he spoke at length about the documentary and also appreciated a recent victory by his fellow countryman. When asked about his compatriot, Alex Pereira, who managed to clinch the light heavyweight title at UFC 295, Silva expressed his admiration freely, calling Pereira a “real badass”. Interestingly, Silva had previously faced his two-time rival, Israel Adesanya, at UFC 234. For that fight, Silva’s manager, Jorge Guimaraes had sought help from none other than Pereira himself.