UFC
Wanderlei Silva says Chael Sonnen instigated TUF brawl, thanks Andre Dida for his "loyalty"
Apr 17, 2014 - 11:10:47 AM Wanderlei Silva says Chael Sonnen instigated TUF brawl, thanks Andre Dida for his "loyalty"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"Who has a friend stays with him until the end. The action was wrong but with the right motivation to defend a brother. I thank you, Andre Dida, for your loyalty, because it would have been much easier to do nothing. We know that you did what you did in the heat of the moment, without thinking about it, in defensive instinct. We met each other when we were 12 and I was like your older brother, and we’ve been through many things together. We got together after you became one of my coaches and we fight together ever since. People have no idea what was like to handle that guy teasing us every single day at TUF. That was the moment where the glass overflowed. We're not in favor of any type of violence. This week, I'll release a video so people will understand the whole context and not only the isolated fact. He started the brawl. I had already let it go and he kept teasing. I ask for apology for the bad impression."

-Wanderlei Silva gives his side of the story on the TUF brawl with Chael Sonnen on his Facebook page (translated by MMAFighting.com).

Penick's Analysis: Obviously things get edited for the show, so everything that led up to the throwdown isn't likely to make broadcast. But no matter what did or didn't hit the show, there's no excuse for Silva starting the fight there or Dida punching Sonnen in the back of the head. It was unprofessional, unnecessary, and given the fight's no closer to happening yet, completely pointless.

[Wanderlei Silva art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]