Conor McGregor, with his silver tongue and gold pocket watches, has taken the MMA world by storm. He’s a can’t-miss fighter looking to leapfrog past some of the best, most qualified title contenders on the planet in hopes of wrapping Jose Aldo’s featherweight title around his waist to complete his wardrobe.
But let’s not forget who authored the textbook on talking one’s way into a title fight—that honor belongs to Chael Sonnen. The gangster from West Linn, Oregon, proved that you didn’t need to be the best or flashiest fighter in the world to get people to watch.
Sonnen was always on the hunt to be the greatest, no matter the cost. But being granted an opportunity to do so wouldn’t come without some offensive (but woefully entertaining) soundbites from the pound-for-pound best trash-talker the sport has ever seen.
Scroll on to see which of Sonnen’s soundbites made the cut on our list.