A Black woman’s hair is a mystery to some, and UFC fighter Chael Sonnen is on that list. During an appearance on ESPN Tuesday (April 23), Sonnen abruptly stopped an interview to get his hands on a Black reporter’s hair.
Sonnen was sitting down with anchor Sage Steele to promote his forthcoming pay-per-view-bout against heavyweight champ Jon Jones. Instead of answering the question posed about Jones, Sonnen had something more pressing on his mind. “Can I touch your hair? Can I feel?” he asked, before taking the initiative to touch Steele’s curly main.
Steele mutters “random” before leaning in, while Sonnen assures that every guest that’s been on the show, has secretly thought about touching her hair.
It’s not clear whether he was surprised or just doing some amateur reporting, but Sonnen let viewers know his findings. “That’s real hair people, and it’s very soft, I might add.”
Given how awkward the situation was, Steele handled it pretty well, later admitting to being thrown off by the hair investigation. “It was definitely one of the more awkward interviews I’ve done – the first and hopefully last time I’ve had someone ask to touch my hair – but it’s not like anything could mess it up more than it already is!” she told Big Lead Sports. “I’ve met Chael before and knew going in that he was a wild man. You just have to know your subject. He’s a character. … I think he’s hysterical and totally harmless.”
It was still pretty weird though.
Check out the video below.
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Photo: YouTube
