(Video) MMA Legend Chael Sonnen’s Hilariously Shocking Pronunciation of Top UFC Contenders

UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen goes viral for wrongly pronouncing the names of top middleweight contenders. 

(Video) MMA Legend Chael Sonnen’s Hilariously Shocking Pronunciation of Top UFC Contenders

Chael Sonnen hilariously names top middleweights (via MMA Fighting)

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Chael Sonnen is undoubtedly one of the most charismatic and entertaining personalities in the MMA world. After retiring from professional fighting, Sonnen transitioned smoothly into media, creating content and staying relevant within the MMA community. His iconic trash-talking style remains intact, captivating fans and consistently delivering witty and sharp commentary across social media platforms.

Sonnen also has an ESPN MMA show with fellow UFC veteran Daniel Cormier, which is a major hit. Both the Hall of Famers often talk about upcoming fights and events on their viral show, Good Guy/Bad Guy. In a recent episode, while talking about the middleweight title contenders, Sonnen went off script and pronounced all names incorrectly. 

When you have guys like eye-Manov (Nassourdine Imavov). When you have guys like Carl Brawo (Caio Borralho). When you have guys like Rene they Renner (Reinier de Ridder). 

Chael Sonnen via The Good Guy /Bad Guy Show

Daniel Cormier couldn’t contain his laughter and credited Sonnen for his ability to make humorous situations out of nothing. ‘The Bad Guy’ was the undisputed original trash-talk king of MMA, long before Conor McGregor popularized it for a new generation. Known for his theatrical and often brutal verbal assaults, Sonnen used press conferences to psychologically break his opponents before fighting. 

His feud with Anderson Silva is legendary, which was settled in a 2024 boxing bout after several years. Nevertheless, in their prime, Sonnen carried around a fake belt and declared, “I don’t promote fights, I pick fights,” which is one of the most iconic lines. 

Sonnen once brutally mocked Tito Ortiz by saying, “Tito always says I’m using my mouth to get paid, well, that’s true.” He then added a ruthless jab at Ortiz’s personal life, saying, “The only person who made money with their mouth is his ex-wife.” Ortiz was in a relationship with adult actress Jenna Jameson in the past. Even Sonnen accepted that it was a nasty line by him as the crowd was shocked. 

Mispronouncing names is another gimmick that the retired fighter uses to engage with the fanbase. In the past, ‘The Bad Guy’ mistakenly pronounced the names of Merab Dvalishvili, Alex Pereira, Jiri Prochazka, Aleksandar Rakic, and many others. Whenever he does this bit, it always goes viral on the internet.

Chael Sonnen highlights concerns regarding upcoming UFC superfight 

One of the most anticipated super fights of this year is between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena. Makhachev shocked the MMA world by vacating his lightweight title to chase double champ status in the welterweight division. His move added massive intrigue, especially after dominating the lightweight division and cementing himself as one of UFC’s most dominant champions.

Chael Sonnen talks about Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena
Chael Sonnen talks about Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena (via X)

Recently, Khabib Nurmagomedov leaked the news that this blockbuster fight is set for Madison Square Garden. Fans are eagerly awaiting the clash of styles. Makhachev’s elite grappling against Maddalena’s dangerous striking makes this a must-watch event. While talking about the bout, Chael Sonnen, on his YouTube channel, shared his observations. 

It’s a great match. It’s a lot closer match than you think it is. It’s also a pivotal match, where two different divisions, where two different athletes, where two different worlds go from here. What an incredibly difficult position to put Islam in if he loses. Now you’re going to have a choice, are you going to run back to 155? Which, by the way, isn’t the way you left it. There’s a new king. Or do you start re-climbing the ladder at 170. 

Chael Sonnen via YouTube 

Makhachev is the betting favorite to win, thanks to his dominant performances and nearly flawless run in the UFC lightweight division. However, JDM remains confident, believing his striking can break Makhachev and disrupt the Dagestani’s well-established grappling rhythm. To prepare, JDM has brought in Alexander Volkanovski and jiu-jitsu expert Craig Jones to sharpen his takedown defense and counters.

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