Chael Sonnen hopped on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani yesterday to address his ongoing beef with fellow UFC veteran Jorge Masvidal. The 47-year old analyst had a lot to get off his chest, as is typically the case for a man known to be one of the greatest trash talkers in UFC history.
Chael Sonnen Claims Backup Role Offered for Diaz vs. Masvidal Fight
Sonnen claims that he was offered to be the backup fighter for the upcoming boxing match between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal, stating that he would step in for Diaz if need be, though he wouldn’t take the fight with Diaz in place of Masvidal.
“Yeah and I don’t like that [backup] word, they used a different word because there’s no scenario where I would fight with Nate and they knew that.” Chael Sonnen stated on The MMA Hour. “It was a different word. But they meant if Nate can’t do it, will you take on Masvidal? I said absolutely I will… Whatever he keeps on saying, I accept Jorge. Keep limiting yourself. I’m going to do all those things and more, that’s why they call me a cheater.”
“I will fight Masvidal right now. He can use his right hand. He can kick me in the nuts. He can do anything he wants,” Sonnen said. “I will be juiced up and I will beat Jorge Masvidal any time.”
The 39 year-old Cuban import has been trading barbs with Sonnen for years now, and while many believed it was all in good fun; a potential fight between the two legends is starting to seem like a real possibility.
“Chael’s a b****. I mean he knows that himself. That’s the dirtiest fighter that ever lived,” Masvidal said to Ariel Helwani on an episode of The MMA Hour last November. “He got popped with like nine substances and still couldn’t win the title.”
Chael Sonnen says he was offered to be the backup fighter for Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal 👀
"I will be juiced up and I will beat Jorge Masvidal any time. But I won’t take the fight from Nate."
▶️ https://t.co/Ouh3mdE7m0 #TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/eExc4SoYqN
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) May 8, 2024
Sonnen has been very open about his previous and even current PED usage. If a bout between Sonnen and Masvidal eventually takes place, the two would likely have to come to an agreement on a lack of drug testing prior to the bout.
In the meantime, Masvidal has shifted his full focus to a former foe in the form of Nate Diaz, where he will be looking to make a statement in his first professionally sanctioned fight since suffering defeat at the hands of UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 over a year ago.
Masvidal and Diaz were originally scheduled to meet at the Kia Forum on June 1, a rematch of their action-packed main event bout at UFC 244 where fans saw Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wrap the inaugural BMF title around Masvidal’s waist following a monumental TKO victory via doctor stoppage.
However, due to UFC 302 being scheduled on the same day, in addition to various other circumstances, the fight has since been moved back to July 6 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The decision to push the fight back gives both veterans ample time to train extensively and enter the ring as the best versions of themselves.
While some things remain unclear between Masvidal and Sonnen, one thing is for certain: This feud is far from over.
Fans from around the world look forward to the possibility of Jorge Masvidal and Chael Sonnen settling their differences in the ring… once and for all.
