Chael Sonnen overlooks Conor McGregor while crowning UFC champion as MMA's top star: "Conor’s not in the sport"
Conor McGregor has been inactive from mixed martial arts since July 2021 when he broke his leg at UFC 264. The former double champ was scheduled to return at UFC 303 in June against Michael Chandler before a pinky toe injury forced him to withdraw.
McGregor's inactivity has led Chael Sonnen to overlook the former double champ when sharing who he believes is the biggest star in the sport. Speaking on his podcast, Beyond the Fight, the former three-time title challenger gave the title to Sean O'Malley, stating:
"O'Malley is the biggest star in our sport right now. And Red Panty Night is still real. Conor's not in the sport, he's not even licensed. Conor could not walk in and fight tonight if he wanted to. I'm just sharing with you, who's in the sport, it's one of those things."
Sonnen continued:
"Conor has no more of a claim to this sport right now than [Georges] St-Pierre or Khabib [Nurmagomedov]. In fact, St-Pierre and Khabib have attended more UFCs in the last year than Conor."
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments on Conor McGregor below (starting at the 0:55 mark):
O'Malley will look to defend his bantamweight title for the second time in less than two weeks when he faces Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 306. It will mark the UFC's first event held at the Las Vegas Sphere.
Chael Sonnen shares update on Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
There has not been much news regarding Conor McGregor's return since he withdrew from his UFC 303 clash against Michael Chandler. The former double champ expressed interest in a December return at UFC 310, which is set to be the final pay-per-view of the year.
During a recent episode of Beyond the Fight, Chael Sonnen provided an update, stating:
"Well, I think Conor is sincere that he would like to fight [at] 170 pounds [at the] T-Mobile Arena [in] December 2024 opposite Michael Chandler under the unified rules of the mixed martial arts. I believe him. I don't think that's a ploy for attention. I believe an inside scoop that I'm getting that the UFC wants all of those same things - they just want it in January in California."
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments on Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler below:
The clash between McGregor and Chandler has been nearly two years in the making. They were announced as the opposing coaches of season 31 of 'The Ultimate Fighter' back in February 2023. It is unclear when an announcement will come regarding the return of 'The Notorious'.