UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen ripped Alex Volkanovski for his fight pitch about a superfight against Justin Gaethje.
After knocking out Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 and defending his UFC featherweight title, Volkanovski made it clear that he hopes to fight Gaethje for the UFC lightweight title in what he has pitched to be a double retirement bout.
While many fans are interested in this potential Volkanovski vs. Gaethje superfight, Sonnen says it’s just a bad idea.
Chael Sonnen Criticizes Alex Volkanovski for Justin Gaethje Fight Pitch
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sonnen called out Volkanovski for his idea about fighting Gaethje in a UFC superfight with a double retirement on the line.
“He does not know what we are doing here. Volkanovski just laid out one of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever heard. … He’s gonna go up, and he’s gonna fight Justin Gaethje. He’s got no problem with him; they get along. But they’re gonna throw their arms around each other and put the gloves down in the middle when this thing is over. Who does that help? Why would anybody book that fight?” Sonnen said (via MMAFighting.com).
Chael Sonnen Doubles Down on Criticism
Sonnen continues to double down on his criticism towards Volkanovski, saying he shouldn’t be guaranteed a lightweight title shot if he moves up.
“It was just a really weird thing to do. He suggested that he goes to 155 pounds to test himself. I appreciate that, except the fact that you’re a ‘55-pounder that cuts his ass off to not fight at ‘55. You cut your ass off to not test yourself. You used to weigh 96 kgs (211 pounds). … I do challenge the notion that, ‘I will go to 155 to test myself to fight Gaethje.’ That’s a cop out. That’s a cop out by anybody. I don’t mean that it’s conscious, but that it’s subconscious. If you want to go to 155 and test yourself, drop the strap and go into the division; exactly what Ilia Topuria did. Now, I understand that history is going to tell you that Ilia ended up with a title shot. He was not guaranteed a title shot when he dropped the strap and moved into the division. You want to test yourself, do what Max Holloway did: be a ‘45-pounder that enters ‘55 with no guarantee. Which means if I lose, I don’t get to say I lost to the best guy,’” Sonnen said.
Chael Sonnen Rips Alex Volkanovski for Justin Gaethje Fight Pitch