On Friday, Chael Sonnen appeared on ESPNRadio1100 in Las Vegas to talk about his relationship with Brazil. Sonnen answered by saying he wasn't even sure anyone really knows him in Brazil (13:56 mark). Apparently, he misread the situation. Brazilian MMA fans are well aware of who he is and for that reason he won't be heading to Rio de Janeiro to corner or help Anderson Silva's opponent, Yushin Okami.
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Order UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami]
Earlier this week, multiple blogs unearthed a "Lynch Chael Sonnen" Facebook page. Speaking to MMAjunkie this week, Sonnen said he also got more word that he wasn't welcome in Rio.
Sonnen said friends in the country forwarded him a local-media report in which a police chief threatened to arrest him on sight if he showed. The official cited a law that makes disparaging the national identity a crime.
Over the last few years, the middleweight contender, who lost a tight fight against Silva at UFC 117, has made it his mission to call out every Brazilian fighter around 185 pounds.
The final straw sounds like it was a Brazilian sponsor who's backing Okami this weekend. The sponsor threatened to pull its money if Okami brought Sonnen along for the trip.
In the end, it's too much for Sonnen deal with and he doesn't want to become the story this weekend.
"I only want to be there to help him," Sonnen said. "I don't need to see the show. I can watch the show on TV. I was going exclusively in support of Yushin, and frankly, it's been headed this way for a long time. It's been headed the direction of, 'Hey, this is becoming a distraction.'" Sonnen said. "This fight isn't about me. I'm not involved. I'm here to lend you support. But I don't want things thrown at what will unintentionally be him while he's in the ring or we're going to the ring."
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