UFC can be saved by Islam Makhachev's "heel" turn, suggests Chael Sonnen: "That is blasphemy in this sport"
Chael Sonnen believes that reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev can become the biggest star in the promotion by adopting a more villainous persona.
Makhachev, who has dominated the lightweight division since winning the title from Charles Oliveira in October 2022, has built a reputation for his impressive fighting skills and humble demeanor.
However, Sonnen and fellow UFC analyst Daniel Cormier believe that Makhachev's heel turn could help save the UFC, which has been struggling to produce new stars in recent years. With Jones' inactivity and the potential departure of other top fighters, Makhachev has the opportunity to become the face of the promotion.
Appearing in a recent edition of their Good Guy / Bad Guy podcast, 'The American Gangster' had this to say on the lightweight king:
“Okay, that guy is so charismatic, and he is so secretly funny. If he was to do a heel turn, I mean, come on, he said one of the great heel lines ever. He said a whole bunch of professors should be taking their black belts back from guys. Like that angle and that is blasphemy in this sport and nobody even knows got it. It was like this G-rated line, he didn’t use profanity, he didn’t yell. When he said it, he said it nicely.”
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments on Islam Makhachev below (38:03):
When Islam Makhachev called out top fighters who are not deserving of a black belt
Islam Makhachev stirred controversy in the MMA community with his candid assessment of Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts in the UFC.
During a conversation with Hosheh MMA, Makhachev praised the grappling prowess of some fighters, including Tom Aspinall and Aljamain Sterling. However, he was less impressed with others' BJJ skills. Makhachev questioned the legitimacy of several high-profile fighters' black belts, suggesting that some were undeserved or merely gifts from their coaches.
Speaking in the interview, the Dagestani champion said:
“Yeah [Tom Aspinall]… Yeah keep…[Aljamain Sterling] Yeah. [Dustin Poirier] Brown. [Paddy Pimblett] Him… Brown, maybe. [Tony Ferguson] Ferguson. No, he don’t have black, he has couple good things on the ground, but he is not real black belt…. Some of them not deserve, [for] some, coach just gift them.”
Check out Islam Makhachev's comments below: