“How did Chael get in to this picture as my next opponent?” said Jon Jones in an interview with UFC.com on his upcoming title defense on April 27th at UFC 159. “The fans come first. You know, the fans really wanted this fight.”
It’s hard to ignore the way people transcend the natural tendency to giggle at Chael Sonnen’s antics, and actually start to believe he can win against the best in the sport. Sure he’s funny, charismatic, and uncompromising in the way he goes after his opponents to their faces and in the media. Unfortunately these traits of his have yet to manifest in to his actions when fighting in the cage.
“He’s not a champion,” said Jones, “he’s not made out of championship stuff. He wants that spotlight, he wants that opportunity, he want’s that big fight, I’m gonna give him what he wants.”
Oddly enough, many of Sonnen’s fans believe he’s one of the best fighters in the world, regardless of his fighting exploits (or lack thereof), linear fighting style, or abstract philosophies on the fight game that make very little sense in the grand scheme of things.
Case in point, Sonnen had this to say about his upcoming fight with Jones. “He’s got what I want, I want what he’s got, that creates a fight.” That may create a fight in a bar over a chick, but Sonnen’s walking in to a light heavyweight title fight off a losing record in the middleweight division. Of course the reason he received the fight in the first place was to join Jones as head coaches for TUF 17.
Oddly enough, Jones and Sonnen seemed to have been all but chummy on the show. They shared jokes, remained completely jovial, and never appeared to take anything too seriously from the man they were going to fight throughout the show.
Yet Jones may not have been taking all of Sonnen’s talk as lightly as he let on. “The beautiful thing about Chael is that he uses his words, and that’s about all he has,” said Jones. “He’s just a gang of quotes that no one’s going to remember. He’s weak in every way, shape, and form. He taps before submissions are even sunk in. I put one hand around his throat, he’s probably gonna tap… I’m not gonna quit in front of all these people, I’m not gonna quit on my dreams, I’m not gonna tap on my dreams, you’re gonna have to take em from me.”
Most Sonnen fans look at his ability to take his opponents down at will, but few really take in to consideration his inability to stop fighters from finishing him in a fight, regardless of his wrestling prowess.
“I think Chael Sonnen’s definitely strong enough to take me down,” said Jones. “Will he be able to take me down, that’s the question. Chael thinks he’s gonna be able to go out there and repeatedly take me down like he did with Anderson. He’s got another thing comin. He’s gonna know that right away.”
Jones has been criticized for being fake and arrogant in the way he deals with the media and responds to his opponents as well. Yet instead of rising above the talk of his opponent this time, he points directly to what he feels is the heart of the problem with Sonnen’s inability to win big fights in this sport.
“I understand what I’m up against,” said Jones. “Guys like Muhammad Ali, they said a lot of things that were bold statements. The difference between guys like Muhammad Ali and Chael, is that guys like Muhammad Ali actually believed. No matter how much he tries to convince himself that he’s gonna win this fight, or that he’s the champion without the belt, he just doesn’t believe, and that’s why he comes up short in every opportunity he has to be a champion. He doesn’t have that championship soul, and heart, work ethic, nothin.”