Expect a kinder, gentler Chael Sonnen on this season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
The UFC’s most creative trash talker tones down his act in a major way during his coaching stint on the reality show, according to Queens resident and show contestant Uriah Hall. “The Ultimate Fighter” premieres its 17th season Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on FX.
“I was very surprised that he was not the way I’ve seen him on TV,” Hall told The Post. “You have that view, that expectation. I was brought down to Earth. I thought, wow this guy is a really nice guy. I was shocked.”
Sonnen is known for tearing down his opponents verbally before stepping into the Octagon with them. Sometimes he doesn’t even have to be facing a fellow fighter to rip them in an interview.
This is the guy who made fun of Brazilians relentlessly leading up to his middleweight title bout with Anderson Silva, attacked Jon Jones’ DUI over the summer and said Lance Armstrong gave himself cancer by using steroids. Controversial to say the least.
Don’t expect much of that over the next few months on “The Ultimate Fighter.”
“There was no trash talk, there was nothing,” Hall said. … “Maybe that’s his way to promote fights. There was nothing bad from what I saw – not the guy I saw on TV. He was upstanding, very smart, very motivating.”
Hall isn’t supposed to talk at all about what happens on the show, which began filming in late January and finished up six weeks later. But he did say this season will be different than all the others, because it lacks the manufactured drama inside the house.
“It’s taken a really different approach in a really positive way,” Hall said. “It shows how fighters really are, none of that [expletive] drama. It was a totally different turn. I’m really excited to see it. It’s gonna blow a lot of people away.”
The show is moving from Friday nights at 10 p.m., where it struggled in the ratings, to Tuesdays at 8 p.m. This season features middleweights and Sonnen and Jones, his opposing coach, will meet for the UFC light heavyweight title on April 27 at UFC 159 in Newark.
Hall grew up in Jamaica before moving to Queens at 13 years old and attending Richmond Hill HS. He calls this opportunity “a dream come true.” OnTuesday night, he’ll be out in Manhattan watching the first episode with friends and family.
Just don’t expect to pull anything out of him about what occurred in filming.
“Everybody was like, what happened?” Hall said. “I said, ‘You just gotta watch the show.’”