Chael Sonnen Sends Mocking Response To Islam Makhachev After Dagestani Checks Veteran’s Comments

UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen gives a response to Islam Makhachev's latest insults in their ongoing rivalry.

Chael Sonnen Sends Mocking Response To Islam Makhachev After Dagestani Checks Veteran’s Comments

Chael Sonnen and Islam Makhachev get into a controversial situation (via Imag/oX)

After several speculations around his welterweight move, Islam Makhachev has finally decided to move up to chase the second belt. Instead of praising him for taking on bigger opponents from now on, fans and experts accused him of avoiding Ilia Topuria. Among them is none other than UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen, who mocked Makhachev by calling him a coward.

As expected, it didn’t sit well with the pound-for-pound ace who brutally responded, mocking Sonnen’s entire fighting legacy on X. According to the Dagestani, Sonnen was an average athlete who only climbed the ranks through nonstop trash-talking and media manipulation. Sonnen, known for his gangster personality, didn’t take it lightly and responded in his signature, popularity-fueled trash-talking fashion on social media.

There are many paths of greatness son. Travel yours as I travel mine. I will be there to help as you stumble…In the future, if I want your opinion, I’ll beat it out of you.

Sonnen also doubled down on his reply by issuing a stern warning to Makhachev through a post on X. Following his retirement, ‘The American Gangster’ has frequently spent his time creating content focused on UFC fighters, rivalries, and major fight events. The veteran is well known for his loud speculations, which have previously landed him in serious controversies and heated public debates.

Nevertheless, this time, Sonnen claimed that Makhachev ran away to welterweight as Topuria did everything to chase the Dagestani star. According to the veteran, the Sambo expert avoided the mega fight everyone wanted, which held massive pay-per-view potential globally. This narrative was started by the Georgian-Spanish fighter, who now fights Charles Oliveira for the vacant title at UFC 317.

Makhachev had already shut down these claims, stating he has defended his lightweight belt four times successfully and dominantly. On paper, his lightweight legacy is greater than everybody, including that of his mentor, the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov himself. For him, winning a second belt has always been a bigger priority than fighting another former featherweight in the division.

UFC veteran condemns Chael Sonnen’s comments on Islam Makhachev

The feud started on the Good Guy/Bad Guy Show, hosted by Chael Sonnen and former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier. The pair is incredibly popular, and their show frequently gets millions of views from dedicated fight fans worldwide. Cormier is a close friend of Team Khabib, and has spent many hours training with Islam Makhachev at AKA gym.

Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen from the ESPN MMA Show
Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen from the ESPN MMA Show (via YouTube)

He often gives the pound-for-pound ace credit, believing Islam Makhachev is one of the greatest fighters in sports history. However, when Sonnen made that comment, Cormier took it as a joke and laughed instead. Following the controversy, DC supported Makhachev and said everyone wanted him to move up, and suddenly, now it’s a problem.

How is that not doing exactly what people have called for? How is that not courageous? I love Chael, and we have a lot of fun on our show, but you can’t say someone has that type of behavior when they’re doing that, and they’ve defended the belt multiple times. Short-notice, coming up a weight class, they’ve done just about everything they can to show that they’re willing to lay it on the line.

Cormier explained how many accused Khabib Nurmagomedov and him of being weight bullies and dismissed their accolades. Now, Makhachev is moving up to a stacked welterweight division filled with several top contenders like Sean Brady, Ian Garry, etc. Nevertheless, for now, it would be interesting to see how long this feud goes between Sonnen and Makhachev.

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