Tag: Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen Makes The Case For Why A Third Fight Between Max Holloway & Dustin Poirier Might Be Different   

Following his loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, Max Holloway made an announcement about his career going forwards. The former featherweight champion has spent most of his time in the UFC competing at 145-pounds but no more. Before returning to the weight class to challenge Topuria for the title, “Blessed” defeated Justin Gaethje for […]

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Makes The Case For Why A Third Fight Between Max Holloway & Dustin Poirier Might Be Different    at MMA News.

Following his loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, Max Holloway made an announcement about his career going forwards. The former featherweight champion has spent most of his time in the UFC competing at 145-pounds but no more.

Before returning to the weight class to challenge Topuria for the title, “Blessed” defeated Justin Gaethje for the BMF title at lightweight and put in one of his best performances to date in the process. With Holloway announcing that lightweight is now his permanent home, this opens up some very exciting options for him.

One fight that he already mentioned is a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier which could serve as one of the final fights in the great career of “The Diamond”. Poirier already holds two wins over Holloway but that doesn’t stop Chael Sonnen from wanting to see them run it back one more time before Poirier retires.

In a recent YouTube video, he made it clear that he wouldn’t usually be campaigning to see a third fight between two opponents where one of them is already two up in the series. However, Sonnen also made the case for why the third fight could be different than the previous two.

Holloway’s first encounter with Poirier came in his UFC debut where he had just four pro fights under his belt at the time. The second time around at UFC 236, Poirier was able to break the Hawaiian’s incredible winning streak but this was Holloway’s first time moving up to 155-pounds and he didn’t look the same as he did at featherweight.

With him now committing to lightweight, Sonnen thinks this makes the trilogy more interesting than before.

“So let’s make a case for Max. Is Max better now than he was then? No. But, is Max different? Yeah, he definitely could be. Yeah, you bet your a** he could be different because one thing that is different is Max is not playing at 55 before he goes back to 45. He is done at 45, he has made that commitment, he has absolutely closed that book. That’s a big deal and you’ll never hear me act like 10 pounds is a lot but from 45 to 55, it is.”

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Makes The Case For Why A Third Fight Between Max Holloway & Dustin Poirier Might Be Different    at MMA News.

Chael Sonnen Makes The Case For Why A Third Fight Between Max Holloway & Dustin Poirier Might Be Different   

Following his loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, Max Holloway made an announcement about his career going forwards. The former featherweight champion has spent most of his time in the UFC competing at 145-pounds but no more. Before returning to the weight class to challenge Topuria for the title, “Blessed” defeated Justin Gaethje for […]

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Makes The Case For Why A Third Fight Between Max Holloway & Dustin Poirier Might Be Different    at MMA News.

Following his loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, Max Holloway made an announcement about his career going forwards. The former featherweight champion has spent most of his time in the UFC competing at 145-pounds but no more.

Before returning to the weight class to challenge Topuria for the title, “Blessed” defeated Justin Gaethje for the BMF title at lightweight and put in one of his best performances to date in the process. With Holloway announcing that lightweight is now his permanent home, this opens up some very exciting options for him.

One fight that he already mentioned is a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier which could serve as one of the final fights in the great career of “The Diamond”. Poirier already holds two wins over Holloway but that doesn’t stop Chael Sonnen from wanting to see them run it back one more time before Poirier retires.

In a recent YouTube video, he made it clear that he wouldn’t usually be campaigning to see a third fight between two opponents where one of them is already two up in the series. However, Sonnen also made the case for why the third fight could be different than the previous two.

Holloway’s first encounter with Poirier came in his UFC debut where he had just four pro fights under his belt at the time. The second time around at UFC 236, Poirier was able to break the Hawaiian’s incredible winning streak but this was Holloway’s first time moving up to 155-pounds and he didn’t look the same as he did at featherweight.

With him now committing to lightweight, Sonnen thinks this makes the trilogy more interesting than before.

“So let’s make a case for Max. Is Max better now than he was then? No. But, is Max different? Yeah, he definitely could be. Yeah, you bet your a** he could be different because one thing that is different is Max is not playing at 55 before he goes back to 45. He is done at 45, he has made that commitment, he has absolutely closed that book. That’s a big deal and you’ll never hear me act like 10 pounds is a lot but from 45 to 55, it is.”

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Makes The Case For Why A Third Fight Between Max Holloway & Dustin Poirier Might Be Different    at MMA News.

Chael Sonnen Reveals UFC Rule He Would Change As U.S. President: ‘Mayweather Never Did That…’

Chael Sonnen has a hot take on the UFC rule he would change as the President of the United States.

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Reveals UFC Rule He Would Change As U.S. President: ‘Mayweather Never Did That…’ at MMA News.

The U.S. Presidential elections are underway, giving UFC legend Chael Sonnen a chance to discuss fighters who could make good presidential candidates. From Khabib Nurmagomedov to Daniel Cormier, he had several names in mind but ultimately chose Brian Stan.

Sonnen also talked about what he would change in the UFC if he were the President of the United States. The former UFC title challenger demanded stringent laws around fighters missing weight, though he clarified that his wish is unlikely to be fulfilled in the real world.

“The American Gangster” admitted that MMA is risky, and fighters are prone to injuries and other complications while training. When a UFC fighter misses weight, they are required to forfeit 20-30% of their purse to their opponent and are eligible for any bonuses, or the fight is canceled.

Sonnen wants to amend the current system to penalize fighters for pulling out of fights and suggests rankings should be affected by such developments. He remembered watching wrestlers get their hands raised in the absence of an opponent and expects the UFC to recognize a forfeit similarly.

The retired MMA fighter also drew parallels to other sports such as basketball, boxing, tennis, golf, and football where not showing up is considered a loss. He reiterated that this is a purely practical approach which would seem harsh for fighters compelled to pull out of upcoming bouts because of factors out of their control.

Here’s what Sonnen stated in a recent video on his official YouTube channel:

“Serena never did that, Mayweather never did that, Tiger Woods never did that. These guys are wimps, or they’re supposed to be, but they show up at an agreed-upon time and fighters don’t. And there should be a penalty, and you should pay for that. And it shouldn’t be done with heart. I understand we want to show people grace, and we want to lift them, right?” He continued, “A lot of times, these fights are missed due to illness or injury, that’s very tough stuff. In fact, there’s nothing more tough than that, that’s his health. It can’t be done that way, it can’t be done with heart. Because it is completely about who can get there on the agreed-upon date.”

Sonnen argued that athletes are expected to be at their best at a predetermined time and date. So, a forfeit should carry strict consequences. With Belal Muhammad unable to fight at UFC 310 due to a toe injury, the UFC Hall of Famer’s take on forfeits can certainly spark a debate among fans.

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Reveals UFC Rule He Would Change As U.S. President: ‘Mayweather Never Did That…’ at MMA News.

Chael Sonnen Reveals UFC Rule He Would Change As U.S. President: ‘Mayweather Never Did That…’

Chael Sonnen has a hot take on the UFC rule he would change as the President of the United States.

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Reveals UFC Rule He Would Change As U.S. President: ‘Mayweather Never Did That…’ at MMA News.

The U.S. Presidential elections are underway, giving UFC legend Chael Sonnen a chance to discuss fighters who could make good presidential candidates. From Khabib Nurmagomedov to Daniel Cormier, he had several names in mind but ultimately chose Brian Stan.

Sonnen also talked about what he would change in the UFC if he were the President of the United States. The former UFC title challenger demanded stringent laws around fighters missing weight, though he clarified that his wish is unlikely to be fulfilled in the real world.

“The American Gangster” admitted that MMA is risky, and fighters are prone to injuries and other complications while training. When a UFC fighter misses weight, they are required to forfeit 20-30% of their purse to their opponent and are eligible for any bonuses, or the fight is canceled.

Sonnen wants to amend the current system to penalize fighters for pulling out of fights and suggests rankings should be affected by such developments. He remembered watching wrestlers get their hands raised in the absence of an opponent and expects the UFC to recognize a forfeit similarly.

The retired MMA fighter also drew parallels to other sports such as basketball, boxing, tennis, golf, and football where not showing up is considered a loss. He reiterated that this is a purely practical approach which would seem harsh for fighters compelled to pull out of upcoming bouts because of factors out of their control.

Here’s what Sonnen stated in a recent video on his official YouTube channel:

“Serena never did that, Mayweather never did that, Tiger Woods never did that. These guys are wimps, or they’re supposed to be, but they show up at an agreed-upon time and fighters don’t. And there should be a penalty, and you should pay for that. And it shouldn’t be done with heart. I understand we want to show people grace, and we want to lift them, right?” He continued, “A lot of times, these fights are missed due to illness or injury, that’s very tough stuff. In fact, there’s nothing more tough than that, that’s his health. It can’t be done that way, it can’t be done with heart. Because it is completely about who can get there on the agreed-upon date.”

Sonnen argued that athletes are expected to be at their best at a predetermined time and date. So, a forfeit should carry strict consequences. With Belal Muhammad unable to fight at UFC 310 due to a toe injury, the UFC Hall of Famer’s take on forfeits can certainly spark a debate among fans.

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Reveals UFC Rule He Would Change As U.S. President: ‘Mayweather Never Did That…’ at MMA News.

Chael Sonnen Suggests Sean O’Malley Could Challenge Ilia Topuria In UFC Return: ‘It’s Not A Crazy Idea!’

Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen sees no reason why the promotion couldn’t pair featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria with Sean O’Malley next year. O’Malley ignited talk of pursuing two-division glory following Topuria’s rise to the 145-pound throne at the start of 2024. At the time, “Suga” occupied top spot in the bantamweight division and would […]

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Suggests Sean O’Malley Could Challenge Ilia Topuria In UFC Return: ‘It’s Not A Crazy Idea!’ at MMA News.

Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen sees no reason why the promotion couldn’t pair featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria with Sean O’Malley next year.

O’Malley ignited talk of pursuing two-division glory following Topuria’s rise to the 145-pound throne at the start of 2024. At the time, “Suga” occupied top spot in the bantamweight division and would soon add a successful defense to his reign at the expense of Marlon Vera.

With work still to do in his own weight class, O’Malley instead met the challenge of Merab Dvalishvili. The Georgian proved to be an insurmountable hurdle for the Montana native inside the Sphere in September, where “The Machine” cruised to a title crowning.

With that, a possible superfight with “El Matador” appeared to take some damage. But despite O’Malley putting his sights on redemption against Dvalishvili and a second stint with 135-pound gold in his possession, Sonnen has questioned why Topuria is now out of the question.

During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, “The American Gangster” pointed out that Alex Pereira’s rise to a second title was made possible by his knockout loss to Israel Adesanya.

Believing it to be easier to move up without a title, Sonnen doesn’t see a clash between Topuria and bantamweight contender O’Malley in 2025 to be a “crazy” idea.

“One of the big talking points this week is what could have been. What could have been with a superfight between Sean O’Malley and Ilia Topuria, how massive that could have been,” Sonnen said. “The thing holding up a superfight between Topuria and Sean O’Malley is not Merab or Merab getting a decision over Sean or Sean not being the champion. It is none of those things. That is not true. Had Sean won, he and Ilia Topuria would not be fighting. They had not cleaned out their divisions, respectively.

“If I’m right, but you’re also right in that that’s the massive fight, we can now make it and we can make it right now. The thing in the way of it (was) Sean being the champion at 135. They can now do that fight,” Sonnen continued. “The quickest way you’re ever gonna get Pereira vs. (Tom) Aspinall or Pereira vs. (Jon) Jones…(is) if Pereira is to lose at light heavyweight. That is how we got Pereira to the 205-pound class to start with. … It’s not a crazy idea. … What if he (O’Malley) did take 10 or 12 months? 10 or 12 months to put on some size and he comes right up and challenges Ilia Topuria.”

It remains to be seen whether O’Malley or the promotion may have the same idea as Sonnen down the line. For now, it appears that “Suga” is intent on avenging his loss to Dvalishvili once healed from the surgery he underwent to repair a torn labrum last month.

Topuria, meanwhile, appears likely to run it back with Alexander Volkanovski next year after getting past Max Holloway in his first defense in October.

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Suggests Sean O’Malley Could Challenge Ilia Topuria In UFC Return: ‘It’s Not A Crazy Idea!’ at MMA News.

Bryan Battle Laughs Off $250,000 Chael Sonnen Fine Rumor: ‘That’s Crazy!

Bryan Battle Laughs Off $250,000 Chael Sonnen Fine Rumor: ‘That’s Crazy!Bryan Battle couldn’t help but laugh at a recent rumor claiming that he had been both fined and banned…

Bryan Battle Laughs Off $250,000 Chael Sonnen Fine Rumor: ‘That’s Crazy!

Bryan Battle couldn’t help but laugh at a recent rumor claiming that he had been both fined and banned from competing in Paris following his win over Kevin Jousset in September.

After scoring an impressive second-round KO to extend his unbeaten streak to three, Battle delivered an all-time post-fight promo that had the live crowd in France ready to riot. Shortly after, an account on X impersonating popular MMA news outlet @SpinninBackfist shared a post claiming that ‘The Butcher’ had been permanently banished from The City of Light and hit with a quarter-million dollar fine for badmouthing the French people after smashing through one of their own.

Before long, everyone realized that the post was from a parody account, but not before former three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen made an entire video addressing the report as if it were 100% true.

Bryan Battle has a hearty laugh at Sonnen’s expense

Asked about the situation during a recent interview with Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, Battle couldn’t help but laugh at the situation and the fact that ‘The American Gangster’ got duped.

“It caught me off the rip because I knew it wasn’t a real thing, or at least it was something I hadn’t heard of… I was like, ‘That’s crazy.’ I was like, ‘I wonder who gave them this information because normal Spinning Backfist is a reputable source.’

“Then one of my friends pointed out that it wasn’t Spinning Backfist, that was Spinnin Backp*ss. I was like, ‘Oh, blessed.’ I did see Chael Sonnen did the whole video and people were in the comments like, ‘Uh, Chael, you need to check your sources.’ That was funny.

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With the win over Jousset, ‘The Butcher’ moved to 6-1 inside the Octagon with five of his wins coming inside the distance, including three knockouts and two via submission.

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