I want Joe Rogan to be right - Chael Sonnen on Rogan saying Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France was "real title fight" because Deiveson Figueiredo might move to 135lbs
Chael Sonnen has backed Joe Rogan after the commentator dismissed Deiveson Figueiredo's status as the flyweight champion during the broadcast of Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France 2 at UFC 277.
Rogan found himself in hot water after saying Moreno vs. Kara-France was "the real title fight" at flyweight as far as he's concerned. Sonnen, during an episode of Beyond the Fight, revealed that he's on the same page as Rogan.
"At some point in the broadcast, during Kai [Kara-France] vs. [Brandon] Moreno, Joe Rogan said to Anik and Cormier sitting here with him, 'For me, this is the real championship fight. I don't think Figueiredo is ever going to come back. I don't think the winner of [Kara-France] vs. Moreno is going to face Figueiredo,'" Sonnen stated.
According to Sonnen, the right move for Figueiredo is to move up to bantamweight, believing a fourth fight with Moreno was unnecessary. The former UFC star added:
"Now, that's wishful thinking because I wish that too. I wish it to the point that I'm d*mn near wanting to predict it. Figueiredo should leave. If you got one and one and a draw, go on through your life and be happy. People don't wanna see that fight."
Catch Chael Sonnen's comments below:
Chael Sonnen dislikes friendly relationship between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno
Rivals Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo showed mutual respect towards one another during their post-fight face-off at UFC 277. However, that's not the best way to sell a fight, according to Chael Sonnen.
Sonnen, who is considered one of the best showmen in UFC history, didn't appear to appreciate how Figueiredo and Moreno have interacted. He believes that the lack of animosity won't generate fan interest for their upcoming tetralogy bout.
The former three-time UFC title challenger hopped on Twitter to write:
"If the goal was to ASSURE you aren’t headlining, EXAMPLE set."
Moreno defeated Kai Kara-France in the co-main event of Saturday's pay-per-view to capture the 125-pound division's interim belt. The win sets up what is expected to be the UFC's first-ever fourth fight between any two fighters.
As it stands, Figueiredo and Moreno are 1-1-1 against each other. Both men own wins over the other, while their first encounter in 2020 ended in a majority draw.