"If one of them makes some money, I'll stop" - Chael Sonnen tears through idea of MMA fighters making more in boxing than UFC as Paulo Costa hints at entering the ring
Chael Sonnen recently reacted to Paulo Costa's recent tweet, where the Brazilian hinted at a move over to boxing once his UFC contract runs out.
Following his last fight at UFC 278 against Luke Rockhold, where he won via unanimous decision, Costa confirmed during the post-fight press conference that he only had one fight remaining on his contract.
Interestingly, The Brazilian's recent tweet suggests that he is not happy with his current UFC deal and will move to boxing once the contract runs out.
Check out the tweet below:
My miserable contract with the UFC was up in a few short months. will expire in time . A new #boxer is coming to town!🙌
However, Chael Sonnen is of the opinion that if Costa wants to make a move to boxing for the purpose of making more money, he will be in for a surprise.
In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, the former UFC fighter questioned the reasons behind MMA fighters assuming they will make more money boxing, stating that he doesn't know of any MMA fighter who has made a succesful move to boxing:
"I won't stop until one of them makes some money. If one of them succeeds, any of them MMA fighters who stop MMA to go into boxing... If one of them makes some money, I'll stop. And I only need one."
'The American Gangster' further questioned Costa's intentions, stating that the Brazilian would be giving out specifics about his plans to start boxing if he was indeed serious about his boxing endeavors:
"Who are you going to box? You never hear specifics like IBA, IBF, WBC or WBO... We don't ever hear anything like that. We don't hear who the opponents are going to be... What MMA guy has gone to boxing and made money?"
Watch the video from the 4:50 mark below:
Chael Sonnen gives his take on Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira at UFC 281
Chael Sonnen recently shared his opinion on the upcoming UFC 281 middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira.
Sonnen pointed out that the matchup between Adesanya and Periera was unique, considering their "high-level" kickboxing expertise. 'The American Gangster' praised 'The Last Stylebender' and labeled himi the "highest level of athlete" the sport has to offer today:
"The highest level of athlete that our sport has today to offer is Israel Adesanya. I don't see anybody that can move quite like him. I don't see anybody that can use their natural attributes, such as length. He's a very dynamic guy who understands that basics win championships and moreover it's the basics that are going to defend a championship."
Sonnen also commended Pereira for being in the same athletic realm as Adesanya. He felt that 'Poatan' lacked the fluid "rhythm" and tact of Adesanya but made up for it with his explosiveness:
"Pereira is right there in the athleticism realm with Adesanya... I don't find that he has the same rhythm but I do find that he has the same explosiveness. I don't know if he has the same setup in terms of movement and rhythm. However, he doesn't throw airballs. When Pereira reaches out to touch something, he reaches out and touches something."
Watch Sonnen's video below:
Adesanya vs Pereira https://t.co/K2YR19n3u3