Words can sometimes travel faster than punches. UFC analyst and former title challenger Chael Sonnen recently found himself in what he describes as an unexpected “dust up” with UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev, stemming from what Sonnen claims was a misquote.
“I got misquoted by a pretty big site called MMA Uncensored,” Sonnen explained during a recent interview. “And then you got your language barriers and everything else. And before you know it, [it appeared that] I called Islam a coward.”
“They misquoted me and I was talking of a situation that was cowardice, and it got reported as that I said that about Islam,”
According to Sonnen, he never directly labeled Makhachev with the controversial term. Rather, he says he was describing a scenario in which the word happened to be used.
“I talked about a scenario and that word was used. [It] wasn’t to call him a coward. I was describing a scenario,” Sonnen clarified to Mike Bohn.
Sonnen said
The ‘misunderstanding’ reportedly stemmed from discussions about Makhachev’s decision to move up to welterweight to face newly-crowned champion Jack Della Maddalena, rather than remaining at lightweight to potentially face former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.
The perceived slight prompted Makhachev to respond publicly on social media, writing: “Chasing hype and money is not the same as chasing greatness in sport. But average athlete, who built his way to the top with cheap trash talk, won’t understand that. So please [sit] and watch how others doing it, uncle Chael.”
Sonnen, known for his verbal sparring skills throughout his career, acknowledged that once Makhachev responded, he felt compelled to return fire.
“If he thinks I called him the coward, and so he responds to me, it’s the same thing if I did, it’s the exact same thing. I must fight back,” Sonnen explained, adding metaphorically: “Like they say, don’t ever get in the mud with a pig because you both get dirty, but the pig likes it. I am that pig.”
Despite the back-and-forth, Sonnen expressed that he never wanted the situation to escalate, stating, “I really didn’t want to get [into it with] him. I really didn’t. I like Islam. And it was based on a misunderstanding.”
The good news for fans hoping to see the tension dissipate: Sonnen reported that the two have since spoken directly and resolved their differences. “So we got to work out. He called, we spoke, we’re good,” Sonnen confirmed.
With this clarification, it appears the verbal sparring between the outspoken analyst and the UFC champion has reached a peaceful conclusion—at least for now.
