Chael Sonnen goes on all-time rant, obliterates Ciryl Gane’s credentials and Valentina Shevchenko’s career trajectory
Throughout his career, Chael Sonnen was able to generate interest in his fights and get fans fully invested in the buildup.
During his appearance on The MMA Hour, Sonnen went on an all-time rant about Valentina Shevchenko being content to not be fighting in the main event. He also lashed out at Ciryl Gane after receiving a heavyweight title shot despite his record in his most recent fights. He mentioned that the women's flyweight champion needs to lean into being more of a 'heel' to earn more opportunities:
"Shut up, Valentina. Let's start with that Valentina. Tell the world why you demand to be on the same card as Jon Jones. Let's start with that, let's see some really good gossip out there and let the people know who you really are, Ms. Heel. And maybe I could get you off of the undercard."
Chael Sonnen: I'm not crazy about...
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The former middleweight title challenger then took aim at 'Bon Gamin' and questioned his credentials as he prepares to fight Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 285 for the vacant heavyweight championship. He brought up Gane's most recent fights and said 'Bullet' should be upset that he's headlining over her, saying:
"He's [Ciryl Gane] is 1-1 in his last two. That guy sucks...This is the guy that's one win away from being a world champion. Oh, and by the way, Shevchenko is jerking the curtain for him. There's a problem with your career if you get to that point."
Sonnen has not shied away from challenging UFC fighters to make themselves more interesting to viewers. He has encouraged them to adopt personas, which has worked out well for the likes of Henry Cejudo and Colby Covington.
Chael Sonnen reveals he received an offer from WWE prior to UFC 117
Chael tells story of being offered $1M by WWE if he would have beaten Anderson Silva at UFC 117 and shown up on Raw on Monday with the UFC belt. WWE said the condition was he couldn't tell Dana.
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Chael Sonnen has done an excellent job marketing himself throughout his career, resulting in him receiving title shots and lucrative fights.
While speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, 'The American Gangster' revealed that he received an offer from WWE prior to his main event fight with then middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 117. He mentioned that they would have paid him $1 million if he defeated Silva and showed up to WWE Monday Night Raw with the title, saying:
"I was just getting ready to fight Anderson Silva and they said, 'If you beat Anderson and you show up on Raw with the belt, we'll give you a million dollars, but you can't tell Dana [White]...The million dollars is to stick it in Dana's a**.'"
The deal didn't materialize as 'The Spider' retained the UFC middleweight championship after submitting Sonnen with a triangle choke in the fifth round.