After recent criticism for not going out of his way to promote his upcoming title fight with Chael Sonnen, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is finally willing to engage in some verbal sparring.
In an appearance on the latest edition of FUEL TV’s UFC Tonight, the Greg Jackson’s MMA standout accused Sonnen of being a habitual user of performance-enhancing drugs (via Bloody Elbow):
People know that Chael Sonnen has done steroids throughout his whole career and that’s probably why his testosterone is low now. I don’t think that is the heart or the attitude of a champion, so that’s what I meant when I said he lacks champion’s soul.
After taking the high road for weeks, it appears that Sonnen’s antics are starting to wear on the champ, as yesterday he made a similar claim on Twitter stating that “The American Gangster” abused steroids earlier in his life.
Sonnen is an open user of testosterone replacement therapy, though he was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission after his first title bid with UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva in 2010 for elevated levels of testosterone (via Sherdog).
“Bones” had MMA fans and analysts alike scratching their heads ever since he refused to engage with Sonnen during a pre-fight interview at The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 finale on Saturday.
However, it appears the dominant titleholder has had a change of heart and wants to knock Sonnen off his proverbial high horse.
Jones was by no means in bad spirits, though, as on the same broadcast he credited the two-time UFC middleweight title challenger for having solid boxing, wrestling and ground-and-pound (via Bloody Elbow).
Nevertheless, Jones said he isn’t worried about anything Sonnen brings to the table.
Jones vs. Sonnen headlines UFC 159 next Saturday, April 27, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.
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