"I don't buy that" - Chael Sonnen on Israel Adesanya's lucrative new UFC contract
![Chael Sonnen chimes in on Israel Adesanya's new contract [Photo credit: youtube.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/02/d8d16-16445655178123-1920.jpg?w=500)
Chael Sonnen doesn't believe Israel Adesanya's new contract is as lucrative as the UFC middleweight champion is making it out to be.
During an episode of his YouTube show, 'The American Gangster' weighed in with his thoughts on Adesanya's contract extension. He said:
"Adesanya allegedly just signed a contract bigger than anybody's in the UFC. I don't buy that. I don't think he beat Brock [Lesnar], I don't think he beat Conor [McGregor] but I also think you got to dismiss those guys. We're talking about biggest ever, I think sometimes we're not talking about Khabib [Nurmagomedov] or [Georges] St-Pierre because those guys are off on an island. But in all fairness, he did something wonderful. Adesanya does something nobody else does that's why he gets something that nobody else can get."
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments on Israel Adesanya's new UFC deal:
However, Sonnen appears to have misunderstood Adesanya's claims. 'The Last Stylebender' said during yesterday's UFC 271 media day that he's now the second-highest-paid active fighter on the UFC roster. The Kiwi star made no mention of having the largest contract in UFC history.
Israel Adesanya claims his UFC contract will benefit other fighters
Israel Adesanya believes his contract extension will have a "trickle down" effect on other fighters on the UFC roster. After re-upping with the UFC ahead of his rematch with Robert Whittaker, Adesanya is now one of the highest-paid athletes in the promotion's history.
During the UFC 271 media day, Adesanya stated that he was satisfied with his relationship with the company. He added that his new deal would lead to positive changes for his fellow fighters:
“Look, I love the UFC. I’ve looked at this company and wanted to be in this company for so long. I love that we’ve gotten to this agreement finally. I just signed for the actual bout this week... I’m glad we came to this agreement. I’m glad we have a good working relationship. Like I said, with everything happening right now, this will trickle down to the rest of the fighters and it’s only going to be great for the company. Just give it time," said Adesanya.
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below:
The specifics of Adesanya's deal haven't been publicized. However, the middleweight champion claimed that he's now the second-highest-paid active UFC fighter.