Former three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen is taking aim at the legendary martial artist and film star Bruce Lee in his latest video on YouTube.
Though the opportunity does not present itself often, Chael Sonnen enjoys taking a potshot at the iconic film star whenever it presents itself. ‘The American Gangster’ did exactly that in a recent video that immediately got a reaction from fans on Twitter. Sonnen took the opportunity to address his criticism of Bruce Lee directly in a separate video uploaded to his YouTube channel.
“I did a piece the other day and it had nothing to do with the piece and I took a shot at Bruce Lee. I was talking about the philosophies of Bruce Lee and I was complimenting them, that they held up. Bruce’s philosophy turned out to be true, even though his ability to fight sucked.
“Whenever I talk about Bruce Lee, I feel a need. I have an urge that’s stronger than my ability to be polite. To make sure that I include that he couldn’t fight. That’s a very personal thing when someone who did not fight, who does not deserve the credit, who was not a champion, who did not risk it.
“When somebody that did none of those things can come over the top of the hard-working men and women that do all of those things, some of them never to a top 10 level. Some of them never to a major promotion. Most of them never to the top of a card, world title opportunity or the world title, but they would all beat up Bruce Lee really fast.”
Chael Sonnen Gives Credit Where Credit is Due in Bruce Lee Debate
Chael Sonnen was willing to give Lee credit for his philosophy of studying multiple martial arts, a concept that eventually evolved into what we now know as mixed martial arts, but was still quick to discredit any notion of Bruce Lee being a formidable opponent against today’s average mixed martial artist.
Bruce Lee’s credibility as a true competitor has been debated for decades following his untimely death at the young age of 32. That debate seems to have been rekindled following Quentin Tarantino’s revisionist tale, ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ released in 2019. In the film, actor Mike Moh plays Lee who gets into a physical altercation with Brad Pitt’s character Cliff Booth, a former Green Beret turned Hollywood stuntman.
The sequence is based on Lee’s first meeting with ‘Judo’ Gene LeBell, a two-time national champion judoka, and legendary Hollywood stuntman. LeBell is known as the ‘Godfather of Grappling’ for being the man to popularize the art form in North America. LeBell sadly passed away this August. He was 89.
Whether or not Bruce Lee could hold his own against some of the best mixed martial artists in the world today will always be a never-ending debate. What Chael Sonnen cannot deny is that Lee served as an inspiration to millions, sharing his philosophies and appreciation for martial arts in both the real world and on the silver screen.
Do you agree with Chael Sonnen’s comments about Bruce Lee?
Bruce Lee is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of Mixed Martial Arts, with his tremendous impact on the art itself as well as in the film and entertainment industry as a whole. But as a few dozen letters attributed to Lee and his wife Linda have revealed, there was another side to […]
World-renowned movie director and producer Quentin Tarantino isn’t very receptive to criticism of Bruce Lee’s portrayal in his award-winning movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood after many viewers weren’t a fan of his scene involving the mixed martial arts legend. In the movie, Lee, played by actor Mike Moh, is involved in a fight […]