Chael Sonnen may not be mixing it up inside the Octagon these days, but that doesn’t mean his opinion doesn’t resonate throughout the MMA community whenever a hot issue arises.
His career may have been mired and eventually ended in controversy inside and out of the cage, but one thing the silver-tongued Oregon native could always be counted on was his work behind the microphone.
Simply put: “The Gangster From West Linn” calls things as he sees them, and whether or not that perspective is slightly skewed is left up to interpretation by the listener.
Ever the showman, Sonnnen has never been one to pull his punches where his opinion is concerned. The former two-divisional title challenger stayed true to form during a recent appearance on the Louder with Crowder podcast (h/t MMA News).
During his appearance on the show, the ESPN MMA analyst discussed the careers and legacies of former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and former middleweight king Anderson Silva.
In the aftermath of “The Spider’s” failed drug test leading up to his return at UFC 183, Silva’s “greatest of all time” status has been called into question.
For Sonnen—who faced the Brazilian phenom on two occasions and became the former champion’s greatest rival—the pound-for-pound great category has already changed, and he shared his thoughts on the matter during the podcast:
I don’t think there’s any argument. It definitely goes to GSP. And GSP was ranked No. 1 in the world pound-for-pound. There was a press conference done and they said ‘No, Anderson’s the best’, and our president Dana White argued that. And that is his opinion, but the entire media shifted. They dropped GSP from No. 1 to No. 2, then moved Anderson to No. 1. Anderson’s a fantastic fighter. This isn’t a commentary on him, but if you want to talk about the greats, I’ve fought Anderson twice, I’ve worked out with Georges, I’m just calling it like it is. It’s Georges.
While Sonnen‘s take is simply a matter of the former contender’s personal opinion, there is no way to deny Silva’s once-prominent legacy is in jeopardy of being permanently damaged due to the failed test.
Silva has denied taking performance-enhancing drugs, and the former champion plans to fight the allegations. Should the current results remain, it would put the stamp on an ominous chapter for a once-proud champion.
Furthermore, it would cast a shadow of doubt over Silva’s entire run in the UFC.
It would also forever tarnish his place as the longest-standing champion in the promotion’s history and make the argument between Silva and St-Pierre’s placement on the all-time list a lopsided debate.
The French Canadian star made his exit from MMA when he was on top of the sport and holds recognition as the best welterweight to ever compete in MMA.
The 33-year-old Tri Star leader went into pseudo-retirement after edging out Johny Hendricks via split decision at UFC 167 in November of 2013, which was St-Pierre’s ninth consecutive successful title defense and 12th straight win overall.
Should Silva’s failed drug test stand, his victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 183 will be likely changed to a no-contest, and that would make the 39-year-old unsuccessful in his past three outings.
When compared to how St-Pierre left the sport, it would be difficult to argue Sonnen is wrong.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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