Believing any discussions of a comeback between UFC president Dana White and former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar would be little more than a shrewd negotiating tactic, former contender Chael Sonnen drew a similar parallel this week on his podcast, ‘You’re Welcome.’
Discussing the matter with WWE writer John Piermarini, Sonnen revealed he was once offered a multi-million dollar contract to jump ship from the UFC to professional wrestling.
“Here’s the nuts and bolts of it: I was offered $5 million by [WWE promoter] Vince McMahon,” Sonnen stated. “Now, I was still under contract with the UFC and I never took this to Dana. I handled it on my own. I told [WWE], ‘No’ and that was the end of that. I never told Dana White this story, but here’s why I didn’t tell him. I knew if I called Dana and said, ‘I’ve got a $5 million offer from Vince McMahon,’ Dana would have matched it.”
Sonnen’s tenure in the UFC ended abruptly in June when he announced his retirement from MMA after testing positive for two banned substances, Anastrozole and Clomiphene.
Sonnen subsequently failed a second random drug test taken on Jun. 5, testing positive for human growth hormone (HGH), recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and terminated from his role as an analyst at FOX Sports. In July he was handed a two-year suspension from competing in MMA by the Nevada Athletic Commission.
“Dana would have come close and now all of a sudden I’m not a loyal employee,” said Sonnen. “I’m not loyal to the UFC. I’m shopping them and I’m being loyal to myself. That’s business. That’s how that works and I don’t think anyone would have had hard feelings but I didn’t see myself that way.”
Opening up a bit more about White’s negotiating tactics, Sonnen says the UFC boss isn’t nearly as hard-lined as you would think.
“That something really interesting about Dana,” said Sonnen. “If you want to play ‘cutthroat business,’ he will play, but if you want to relax and just let him take care of things you’re going to be a lot better off.
“If you go in there and try to negotiate, he’ll negotiate and he’ll do it like a regular business deal. If you play hard ball a lot of times you’ll win. A lot of times you will win. Dana likes to say, ‘Yes.’ However, if a show does exceptionally well you will be bound to what you went in there and fought him for.”
Given the UFC’s status in the landscape of mixed martial arts promotions, Sonnen believe’s the company acts much more fairly than maybe the market would allow.
“The UFC, on a regular basis, negotiates against themselves,” said Sonnen. “Dana White will sit down at the negotiating table and he’s negotiating against himself, against the old contract he’s already got with a guy. There’s no nobody else coming in and bidding on him and he’s still giving guys raises.”
5 MUST-READ STORIES
MMA Beat. The panel discusses Ronda Rousey’s pay-per-view prowess, Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva vs. Shogun Rua on TUF Brazil 4, the state of the UFC rankings, and more.
‘I just felt a little chaotic.’ Eddie Alvarez says he just ‘never really got comfortable’ in his fight with Donald Cerrone.
No freakshow. Heavyweight Gabi Garcia denies she will make MMA debut in Japan against bantamweight Megumi Yabushita.
Testosterone and weed. Four different fighters from Bellator 127 have failed their post-fight drug screenings.
Strange, sad. Former WEC champion Paulo Filho was shot in the leg at a party in Rio de Janeiro.
MEDIA STEW
Free Fight: Shogun Rua vs. James TeHuna.
Mark Hunt answers your questions.
Ronda Rousey selling jeans. Possibly NSFW.
TTTHS.
John Kavanagh on why he believes Conor McGregor is a bad stylistic matchup for Jose Aldo. (Full episode here)
GLORY’s top KO’s – #5-1.
Long watches.
Joe Rogan Experience #570 – Ryan Parsons
…
Press Row with Jordan Breen and Dann Stupp.
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Team Alpha Male Radio – 2014.10.30
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TWEETS
Heading down under.
This is happening to a certain someone soon! http://t.co/vP5kTCU7sc pic.twitter.com/wwOMfDw3FJ
— michael (@bisping) October 31, 2014
Word of advice if your over 6 feet, don’t drink a gallon of water before u get on a CRJ900… http://t.co/0QB4ixOr3W pic.twitter.com/zEzpIC7nGA
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) October 31, 2014
Any chance?
Who will @GeorgesStPierre fight 1st? @ufc #TheChosen1 would B honored. Main event GSP vs TWood co main Condit vs Brown = sellout @danawhite
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) October 30, 2014
Jordache or nothing.
Got to step away from MMA for a minute to shoot this fashion campaign for @BuffaloJeans. Hope you guys like it 🙂 pic.twitter.com/2SDFZqu6Nd
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) October 30, 2014
Coming to EA UFC.
Thank you ufc danawhiteufc @bentleyandme 🙂 http://t.co/VeZgNqsCUv
— Hector Lombard (@HectorLombard) October 30, 2014
Best guess?
Off on a secret mission. pic.twitter.com/CUrod1w4da
— Cung Le (@CungLe185) October 30, 2014
Congrats.
So last night, this happened! pic.twitter.com/SuTIH0p76E
— Miriam Nakamoto (@MiriamNakamoto) October 30, 2014
Day 3.
When you get your dog back and take him for a walk in the park-http://t.co/aySKx8qVxf
— Jason Mayhem Miller (@mayhemmiller) October 31, 2014
The most exhausting beef. This isn’t even the whole thing.
@feliceherrig Ah! I figured it out! Its not how you talk it’s just what you say! You’re a bully and fake, u straight up lied on #TUF20
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 31, 2014
Lol whatever you say @MieshaTate you and Heather. Birds of a Feather. Go figure 😉
— Felice Herrig (@feliceherrig) October 31, 2014
@feliceherrig when Heather decided 2b the bigger person & squash the “beef” Y did u hug her if you thought it wasn’t sincere unless ur fake
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 31, 2014
@feliceherrig you hugged Heather because you knew she meant it, that or your fake as hell so which one is it?
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 31, 2014
@feliceherrig b4 the fight is diff, she squashed it right after the fight??? Why did u accept the appology if u thought she didn’t mean it?
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 31, 2014
@feliceherrig @xjaydub I believe she would have 100%, it’s way harder to appologize to someone after you have already been defeated
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 31, 2014
Lol isn’t this cute. heather can’t fight her own battles so she has Miesha do it for her….. http://t.co/G3Nj8rWsv0 pic.twitter.com/Rv442kEMCG
— Felice Herrig (@feliceherrig) October 31, 2014
@MieshaTate @xjaydub she was talking shit the day before don’t be naive. She was doing damage control 100%
— Felice Herrig (@feliceherrig) October 31, 2014
@feliceherrig well….. except that time at Invicta……. You were very rude I’d rather not air that all on twitter
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 31, 2014
@feliceherrig I don’t have your number anymore but not remembering is not an excuse when you are rude, I wasn’t drinking I remember it all
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 31, 2014
@MieshaTate like I said I really dont recall what ur talkn about & we go way back so if thats ur reason to b an asshole 2 me thats ur choice
— Felice Herrig (@feliceherrig) October 31, 2014
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Oct. 30 2014)
NA
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via MMAtylander
Remembering “The Question” and how Blockbuster Showed Me “The Answer.”
In the summer of 1996, I was 12 years old and on the verge of hitting it big. On that particular sunny day, I was about to fulfill a years long dream and finally step up to the Big Leagues. For the first time in my young life, I was about to enter a place so wonderful, so unimaginably glorious, that I had previously thought it was unobtainable. I was about to walk through the doors of a Blockbuster…..That’s right. A Blockbuster. The now essentially defunct movie rental store, aka, the greatest company in the history of the world. At least as far as I am concerned. Believe it or not, this relic of the 90’s and early 2000’s had a more profound influence and effect on my life than any school, church, or business establishment ever has. Looking back on it, it amazes me just how much I owe to that big, blue building…….
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Check out the rest of the post here.
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