UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen will soon be opposing coaches on Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter, and you can expect a healthy bit of disrespect thrown each other’s way as the two vocal personalities do their thing on the reality show.
They got a head start on Wednesday’s conference call announcing the appointment and the fact that they will fight for Jones belt in April.
“I respect some things about him, like the way he goes out there and he gets what he wants, everything except for a world championship or any championships,” Jones said. “You know, he’s a good talker, he’s definitely good for the sport in some ways. He’s extremely disrespectful, not much of a championship-level athlete at all, but you know, he has his qualities.
“Most of his qualities are going to come to light when he retires and he’s able to do his TV shows and his commentating and things like that. Right now, it’s as if I’m doing a lot of the people in the sport a favour. I’m doing Chael a favour by showing him what his true color is and that’s using that gift of God and that athletic talent.
“I know who I am and I know who Chael is. I know Chael is a guy with very little class, so if he goes extremely deep and personal, then honestly, I think that might work against him.”
Sonnen also showed very little respect for Jones outside of the cage.
“Chael Sonnen is going to take half of these young men and teach them to be fighters, and Jon Jones is going to take half of these young men and teach them to be selfish. The good news is for Jon’s team, I’m sure when it’s all over, he’ll throw a hell of an after party.”
On the subject of their matchup, especially in terms of their respective wrestling abilities, Jones didn’t seem to hold Sonnen’s in high regard.
“Well, I’ve said time and time again that it isn’t a wrestling match,” Jones said. “I really have pride in never having been taken down, it just has never happened because of how seriously I take wrestling. I’ve fought Rashad Evans — very fast and explosive guy that just powers right through you lifting you off your feet — he couldn’t do it. You know, Matt Matyushenko, Matt Hamill, who else, Jake O’Brien, so Chael Sonnen definitely is a decent, a pretty good wrestler, but the guy was an Olympic alternate. He wasn’t actually on the team.
“No disrespect to any other alternates out there today, but I don’t really consider him, Chael, a legit wrestler. I mean, he was a freaking alternate, so maybe he will get me down. Who cares? If he does, he can get submitted all the time on the top position anyways and I think I have a very solid jiu-jitsu game. It’s on my back and I’ve never been able to display it, so I highly doubt his wrestling will play a gigantic factor in the fight.
“I’ve wrestled since I was a 14-year-old little boy. I still wrestle every day, I freaking love wrestling. I definitely am prepared to use my takedowns against him. If he does get me down, so what, his takedown is very weak and he can’t submit it all the time anyways. I don’t care if he takes me down. I really don’t feel any threat on my back against Chael Sonnen.
“I know for a fact if I get him down, his face is probably going to open up and we’ll definitely work a lot more passes. In my Vitor Belfort fight I was impressed with my own top game. Although I submit things and was in submission, I still was impressed with a lot of things. I just think when it comes to wrestling, I have nothing to worry about it.
“When it comes to that, I have nothing to worry about. When it comes to jiu-jitsu, I think I have a slight edge in jiu-jitsu. When it comes to kickboxing, I know I have a freaking edge in kickboxing. His punching power on his feet is nothing crazy, mine is nothing crazy. I’m not intimated by his kicks. I really don’t see any way for Chael to win this fight, but I’m still going to train like an absolute mad man because losing to Chael is not an option.
I’m going to treat him as if he’s the biggest opponent I’ve ever had and definitely raise a smack down on him for a lot of the things that he’s said about other people – not even me – and I’m just ready to send this guy to the movies.
Sonnen was asked for his response to Jones’ comments and whether he will take him down.
“God, that was so painful, Jon. Try to wrap your answers up, brother. That was just awful,” Sonnen said. “Yes, of course I will take Jon down… repeatedly.”
