Behind the scenes: Anderson Silva makes Chael Sonnen cry in the locker room | fighting

The two immediately hugged each other. Sonnen commented on how good the Brazilian was at boxing and admitted that he stepped on his opponent’s foot as a joke – and Anderson said he tried to laugh, but the referee interrupted the moment.

Next, the Brazilian legend addressed eight-year-old Thero, Shiel’s eldest son. When he praised the boy’s father, the American fighter’s eyes filled with tears.

– Let me tell you something: You have a great hero in your father. In reality. Everything I have is because of your father. You have a wonderful father, and thank you, because you are the new generation. Maybe one day I’ll grow up and say, “Do you know this kid? I know him!” – said “Spider”, who also promised Priya, Sonnen’s youngest daughter, that he would be her “special bodyguard.”

Before his former rival brought tears to his eyes, it was Anderson himself who was teary-eyed. As soon as he finished greeting everyone in the locker room and sat down to take off his shoes, the national idol became emotional. It was a catharsis after the mission had been accomplished – not only to present an event that had been planned for months, but also to close a more than 40-year cycle dedicated to martial arts, during which it left an indelible mark on Brazilian and world sport.

Tension minutes before the fight

The main event of the night ended around 0:12. According to the schedule, Anderson Silva should leave his dressing room and start walking toward the ring at 0:25 a.m. However, buzz around the locker room indicated that this schedule would not be maintained. The protagonist of the night was going to take some time to heal his hands and he was going to need more time.

After brief negotiations between the promoters, the broadcast team and Anderson’s staff, it was agreed that he would leave the locker room at 0:30 AM. But when this time was given, the “Spider” was still in the dressing room, and also received visits from actor Rodrigo Santoro and old friend Rodrigo Minotauro.

When everything seemed ready, the organizers still had one last hurdle to do: locating Koa Raymond, who was supposed to be on stage with Keira Gracie to announce Chael Sonnen’s entry. The actor was quickly found, climbed into position and Sonnen began his walk at 0:35 am. Three minutes later, Anderson Silva emerged from the dressing room wearing a green and yellow hoodie.

The loudest crowd went to Sonnen

Except for a short chant of “Uh Vai Morrer” during the athletes’ introductions, the crowd present at the venue followed the fight almost in silence. The voice heard loudest, believe me, was for Chael Sonnen. It was Brittany, his wife. I sat down by the railing on the mezzanine and shouted, “Come on, Shel!” and “Protect Yourself,” among others. The couple’s eldest son, Thiru, also sang the instructions for his father.

When the final bell rang, Brittany celebrated, expressing pride in her husband for continuing the five rounds and playing an honorable role in the ring. Theroux cried, perhaps worried about his father, who desperately wanted to return one of his defeats to Anderson. His mother tried to calm him down.

The ad ultimately confuses the audience

Since it was an exhibition fight, the bout between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen did not have side judges scoring round by round. The only way for there to be an official winner was for one of them to force a knockout on their opponent, but with only five two-minute rounds, there was little time for the two forty-year-olds to get enough rhythm and impact to do so.

The organization made the decision not to announce an official result as a way to pay tribute to Sonnen as well. However, a large part of the public did not understand. After the fighters’ arms were raised, many guests were still debating whether Anderson had won or not, and wondering when the winner would be announced.

Hibbert’s apology

After winning his fight against Eskiva Falcao, Hebert Conceição made sure to go to his opponent’s dressing room to facilitate matters. The fighter from Bahia said that he has great respect for his opponent and his entire family, which he praised for their role in the development of Brazilian boxing, but he also made it clear that the rivalry with the athlete from Espirito Santo will not turn into friendship as it happened between them. Anderson and Sonnen.

– I just wanted to apologize for the words I said at this event. I have great respect for the family history of Falcao and Eskiva, in particular, who raised the level of Brazilian boxing and sport after the 2012 Olympics. As an athlete, I have nothing against that, I just want to thank him for this offer, and for accepting this fight. The best person won, who prepared the most, and now everyone follows their path respectfully. “Although we will not have a friendship, I have no interest in forming a friendship with the person Esquiva, and I will wish him success in his career from now on,” Hibbert said.