Just a few days into filming The Ultimate Fighter, Jon Jones seems to have greatly softened his opinion on title contender Chael Sonnen.
Although the UFC light heavyweight champion has openly criticized Sonnen’s trash-talking ways and use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), Jones is now saying that his TUF nemesis has presented himself as a “classy” opponent.
Sporting a clean-shaven look, Jones elaborated further while sitting alongside Dana White during a UFC online chat, hosted by Metro PCS via Ustream on Tuesday night:
[Chael’s] not too bad. I thought it was going to be all trash-talk, but he’s actually being pretty decent and pretty classy. So, I think it’s going to make for a great show.
I actually don’t hate Chael anymore. He’s actually turning out to be OK. I’m not sure if he’s setting me up to really hate him—but right now, he’s being a pretty decent human.
White amusedly nodded his head during Jones’ second comment, indicating that he thinks Sonnen is likely setting up “Bones” for some sort of confrontation later in the coming weeks.
For his part, Sonnen joined the live chat later on—taking a seat next to Jones, who mock-attacked the former middleweight with a “pretend” choke, mimicking knees to the face.
Sonnen also answered a similar question, regarding what he thinks of Jones: “Y’know what, I think he’s a pretty good guy. He’s a pretty nice guy.”
Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter will air next January, and will reportedly be moving off its usual Friday night slot on FX to a currently-undetermined weekday. White has also hinted that FX and the UFC are aiming to counter-program SPIKE’s own broadcasts of rival promotion Bellator MMA.
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