Chael Sonnen lavishes praise on Oban Elliott: "The beginning of a phenom"
Chael Sonnen recently praised Oban Elliott and claimed he could become the next big star. The Welshman has expressed his respect for the former middleweight title challenger, being one of his idols growing up, and even shared a moment before his walkout at UFC 309.
'The Welsh Gangster' earned an impressive third-round knockout win over Bassil Hafez at UFC 309 to remain unbeaten in the promotion and extend his winning streak to 8 consecutive wins. The 26-year-old has caught the attention of Sonnen, especially with his charisma and interview skills, adding to his fans.
During his latest appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, 'The American Gangster' lavished praise on the highly touted welterweight's performance and fight IQ. Sonnen mentioned Elliott did an excellent job in timing his strikes and ensuring Hafez could not connect with a significant strike:
"[Elliott] is the beginning of a phenom, not to mention he can squabble. What is up with that, Ariel? He showed patience in that fight. He's got [Hafez] coming at him winging them...and he kept his eyes open...Matt Mitrione could move a quarter of an inch and stop a Fedor punch from sending him into outer space. Oban has those Mitrione eyes...and that's why he was in position to attack. It was very impressive, looked like a real veteran."
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below:
Oban Elliott recounts special UFC 309 moment with Chael Sonnen
Oban Elliott praised Chael Sonnen and recalled the moment they shared before his UFC 309 walkout.
During his latest appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Elliott mentioned he wasn't sure whether Sonnen could walk him out to the octagon. The UFC legend instead met him moments before his walkout, and the two shared a delightful moment:
"The New York commission when you get there, yeah, they're on your case. So maybe I thought...nobody wants to get fined. But [Sonnen] did his best, and he came down and saw me and that was perfect, that was enough. It was cool to see him. And it's weird because I don't know, we just felt like it's like an 'Avengers' thing."
Check out Oban Elliott's comments regarding his interaction with Chael Sonnen below: