Chael Sonnen thinks UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes made a big mistake dismissing Jon Jones fight
Since retiring from professional MMA last year after a loss to Lyoto Machida at Bellator 222, Chael Sonnen has been active in his YouTube channel, giving analysis and opinions about all things MMA-related.
Sonnen gave his evaluation of Curtis 'Razor' Blaydes comments that he would only fight Jon 'Bones' Jones if he were paid over $200k. Sonnen is considered one of the greatest UFC fighters to have never won a championship title.
"Nobody asked him for this. This is a self-inflicted wound. And he says: 'I will not fight Jon Jones unless I am paid a whole bunch of money. I can fight scrubs for 200 grand. To fight Jon Jones, I'm gonna need a whole bunch of money,'" said an agitated Sonnen.
Blaydes had his main event fight in this weekend's UFC Vegas 15 cancelled after the UFC heavyweight title contender tested positive for COVID-19. He was going to face Derrick Lewis. The bout between Anthony Smith and Devin Clark has been upgraded to the nights' new main event.
Sonnen was defensive of Blaydes for a long time and never understood the acute criticism the UFC heavyweight had received over the last months. But now, with Blaydes rejecting 200 thousand dollars, Sonnen says he has.
"I've asked you guys many times to give Curtis a second thought, and I've even asked you what steered you off of him in the first place, and nobody ever answered the question until Curtis answered it for me today," said Sonnen.
What seems to have stirred Sonnen the most was Blaydes's condescending attitude to money. The former UFC middleweight title contender appears to know his and the UFC's fan base, who are mostly working-class people.
"First off, he just dismissed 200 grand, which completely separated himself. It makes him look like an elitist and separates him from his fan base. The fan who is going to watch this doesn't even have the 50 bucks to throw down on any given day to watch, they have to pick and choose their spots, or they have to team up," examined Sonnen. "The average fan is going to team up, and they're going to invite somebody over. I'll get the fights; you bring the pizza. That is what moves this [UFC] forward. Blaydes now drove a wedge between himself and the working man, which is our audience, by dismissing $200,000. Not a smart move."
Chael Sonnen thinks there is no chance Curtis Blaydes can fight Jon Jones
Chael Sonnen reckons that the opportunity to fight Jon Jones will never be offered to Curtis Blaydes because of Blaydes' behavior. Sonnen assumes the UFC won't deem the fight as attractive since Blaydes completely dismissed it.
"To start with, Blaydes has never been offered Jon Jones. And now he made it guaranteed that he never will," Sonnen started. "Who is going to offer you Jon Jones? Now we know that that offer is never going to happen. Ever."
The 43-year-old former UFC star believes that Blaydes demonstrated a massive lack of competitive nature, something essential to the sport. The now YouTuber did not mince his words commenting on Blaydes's lack of professionalism.
"Now, I know the reason why people were talking. Which is: you don't come to this from a competitive nature. Which is: you're only in it for the money. Which is: you see some kind of value within a fight that has never been offered," stated Sonnen. "Big fights, don't get offered over the telephone, Curtis. You versus Jon Jones is not a big fight, but if we, the masses, decide to make it one, it could be, it could. We have to be very happy with you and very happy with Jon to do you this tremendous favor of convincing people that we're willing to separate with our time and money to watch you guys fight. We now will never do that one because you're not like us. You don't see a value in $200,000."
Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis has not yet been rescheduled. The fight originally set for this weekend is now being transferred to either December or January next year, with the latter option being the most likely to occur.