Chael Sonnen doubles down on why Joaquin Buckley's callout of Conor McGregor was unnecessary
Chael Sonnen recently weighed in on Joaquin Buckley's controversial callout of Conor McGregor. 'The American Gangster' believes it was the wrong move and that his intentions should lie elsewhere.
At UFC St. Louis last weekend, Buckley faced Nursulton Ruziboev in the co-main event. 'New Mansa' dominated the bout across the three rounds and eventually had his hand raised via unanimous decision.
Following his victory, Buckley was interviewed in the octagon by Michael Bisping. Whilst it was expected the 30-year-old would then call for a bout against a top 10 ranked welterweight, he instead took aim at the biggest star in the business, Conor McGregor. Buckley said:
"I did research on the McGregor name, and you come from a long, long line of McHo*s. Your daddy was a h**, your granddaddy was a h**, your daddy was a h**, so I guess it's safe to say your momma raised a h**.
Watch the clip here:
Joaquin Buckley's callout appeared to fall on deaf ears, however, as McGregor has yet to respond. The American has also faced criticism from a host of fighters and fans, with many believing it was a waste of his time on the mic.
Recently, Chael Sonnen opted to share his take on the situation on his YouTube channel. According to Sonnen, whilst he respects Buckley for taking his shot at Conor McGregor, it is pointless if you don't get a response. He explained:
"There's nothing wrong with going after number one, there's nothing wrong with hyping yourself up. But to have an affective callout, at a minimum, you must get a response from the person you called out. Even if he tells you to shove it."
Catch Sonnen's comments here (5:50):
Islam Makhachev open to facing Conor McGregor in 2024
UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev recently expressed his desire to face Conor McGregor.
Makhachev is currently preparing to defend his title against Dustin Poirier next month at UFC 302. Three weeks later, McGregor will also make his return to the octagon when he faces Michael Chandler at UFC 303.
Discussing the Irishman during a recent appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Makhachev stated that if both he and McGregor win their bouts, he'd be open to facing him. He said:
"Brother, why not [face Conor McGregor]? People have to be stupid to say no. Of course, I will fight with him... Brother, when I will fight next? October or November? I can fight August or September with McGregor."
Catch Makhachev's comments here (43:42):