Cormier and Sonnen meet Dana White inside the UFC APEX, where a pickleball court is set up. Sonnen has arrived in blue jeans, cowboy boots, and heavy-buckled belt; not the ideal outfit for pickleball.Â
It’s best two out of three, with the winning coach earning $10,000, with each fighter earning $1,500 apiece. USA Pickleball is in the building to let the coaches know the rules and officiatethe match.
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Before it gets underway, Joseph Morales raises his hand to ask White a question. He mentions that it’s a special season — 20th anniversary season — and asks if White will make it $20,000 for the coaches. The UFC CEO jokes that Cormier and Sonnen are both already rich, so instead of $1,500 for each fighter on the winning coach’s team, it will be $2,500.
The coaches get changed and hit the court, with White setting the stage for the contest by saying he doesn’t have high expectations for this match. Cormier says he played once before with a friend and they got housed by some older gentlemen, while Sonnen takes the court in half-length, zip-up Cowboy boots, which makes Daniil Donchenko note that he’s a little more confident in Cormier’s ability to get the job done as a result.