Sonnen details origin of rivalry with Silva ahead of grudge match at MSG

Chael Sonnen's upcoming grudge match opposite Wanderlei Silva has been over four years in the making, so it was only natural he detail what spawned the rivalry in the first place.

The 39-year-old - who'll meet Silva on June 24 in the main event of Bellator NYC - recounted the beef's catalyst on Monday's edition of "The MMA Hour," taking host Ariel Helwani back to 2012, when he and Silva were in a van in Austin, Texas. A masterful fight promoter, Sonnen had previously taken the entire nation of Brazil to task ahead of his rematch with Anderson Silva, and Wanderlei (no relation) returned verbal fire in defense of his homeland right there in the van, cameraman in tow.

Sonnen, who claimed to have spent the day with Silva - presumably without incident - was befuddled by his rival's attack.

"He was doing this whole thing and I was like, 'Wanderlei, this is really weird,'" Sonnen said, according to MMA Fighting's Marc Raimondi. "'Because first of all, you're telling me off, which is a little bit - that's rude. Second, we've spent the whole day together. We're in a van, man. Are you trying to start a fight with me in a van?' … And third, you brought the camera man."

Their suddenly rocky relationship plummeted down the tubes from there, as Sonnen and Silva were later pitted as opposing coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3" in late 2013. "The American Gangster" is still sore about his experience on the show, where he and Silva engaged in an on-air brawl with his wife present. Further aggravating Sonnen during filming was Silva's refusal to follow the pre-determined narrative between them, one that would have seen Sonnen deftly play the heel and garner no shortage of interest in their ultimately ill-fated fight at UFC 175.

"The script is written. I'm the bad guy. You be the the white knight. You come save your country and we'll go fight this out on pay per view. This is really obvious. But if you bully me while I'm alone, it's gonna have the reverse effect.

"I don't like you at all, but if you show up somewhere with your wife, we're doing it your way."

Silva's stubbornness proved Sonnen right, as the Brazilian's behavior on the show condemned him in the court of public opinion, not that the verdict mattered. "The Axe Murderer" refused to undergo a random drug test ahead of the bout and was handed a lengthy suspension as a result, while Sonnen failed several screenings ahead of their date, with his subsequent retirement putting the beef on ice.

Fast forward to Monday, Silva ambushed Sonnen with a rant over the phone, during which he dared the American to put his cojones on the line come fight night. Sonnen needed convincing he wasn't being pranked by an impostor and let Silva sound off uninterrupted.

The pair are scheduled to attend a press conference at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, with Silva appearing via video, and odds are Sonnen won't be nearly as passive as he was Monday.