"Did we watch the same thing" - Chael Sonnen baffled by "experts" Joe Rogan and Dana White’s scoring for UFC 297 main event
It is no secret that Chael Sonnen is a fan of Sean Strickland, however, the three-time title challenger did not believe that 'Tarzan's' UFC 297 title defense against Dricus du Plessis was close. 'The American Gangster' recently revealed that he believes 'Stillknocks' may have won every round and questioned the scoring of Joe Rogan and Dana White.
Speaking on his podcast, Beyond the Fight, the mixed martial arts analyst stated:
"When I have a bias, I disclose it to you guys. I disclose it, and then I still try to be impartial. So, I'm cheering for Sean. Sean and Colby, those are my guys. It's different. I get a knot in my stomach. It's different. So, we lost every round. We lost every round of the fight... In my heart, I think it was 5-0. With a real bias for Strickland, it was 5-0, and in the absolute best case 4-1 and I think that the crowd for the most part agree with me."
He added that he was surprised that the bout resulted in a split decision before calling out the scoring of Rogan and White, who he considers experts, stating:
"My bigger surprise was when all was said and done, Joe Rogan, who definitely qualifies as an expert in this space, Dana White, who definitely qualifies as an expert in this space, both had Strickland. They both had Strickland. I thought, 'Did we watch the same thing?'"
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments on Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis below (starting at the 1:18 mark):
Sonnen noted that there is the possibility that he was influenced by the commentary, which Rogan and White did not hear. While Du Plessis did not win all five rounds, he did win the bout via split decision, with the third round serving as the deciding factor.
Check out the UFC 297 main event scorecard below:
Chael Sonnen not thrilled with Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
Sean Strickland's title defense against Dricus Du Plessis was not the only title bout at UFC 297. Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva also shared the octagon, clashing for the women's bantamweight title, which had been vacated by Amanda Nunes following her UFC 289 title defense and subsequent retirement. Chael Sonnen revealed that he was not thrilled with the bout, tweeting:
"OK, real fast, let’s reminisce. Everybody state what each of these gals did that got you most excited for this fight!"
"That was a Title fight? I see the belt being put on. Did she bring it? I don’t remember seeing it prior to the match."
Check out Chael Sonnen's tweets below:
Pennington won the bout via unanimous decision as all three judges awarded her the final four rounds. It is unclear who she will face in her first title defense, however, Julianna Pena remains the most likely option.
Check out the UFC 297 main event scorecard below: