Jun 14, 2019; New York, NY, USA; Chael Sonnen is introduced before his fight against Lyoto Machida (not pictured) during Bellator 222 at Madison Square Garden. Machida won the fight. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

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‘Islam Did Everything To Avoid Ilia’ – Chael Sonnen’s Brutal Take On Islam Makhachev Leaving The Division To Avoid Ilia Topuria

Chael Sonnen gives his take on Islam Makhachev's decision to move up instead of fighting Ilia Topuria at lightweight!

MMA has always had its fair share of drama outside the octagon. Fighters call each other out. Champions sometimes avoid dangerous contenders. And analysts never miss a chance to stir the pot. The latest serving of UFC drama comes straight from the mouth of one of the sport’s most notorious trash-talkers, Chael Sonnen.

‘The Bad Guy’ has never been shy about speaking his mind, dating back to his days of calling out Anderson Silva and talking his way into title fights.

Also Read: Gilbert Burns Breaks Down The Reasoning Behind Fight With Lower-Ranked Michael Morales This Weekend

Chael Sonnen’s Take On Islam Makhachev Running From Ilia Topuria

Recently, Sonnen took aim at lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. The Dagestani fighter made a surprising move up to welterweight, leaving his lightweight belt behind. While some see this as a bold quest for double-champion status, Sonnen sees something else entirely. He claims Makhachev is running scared from former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.

“Islam did everything you could conceivably do to not fight Ilia, including leave the division, including leave the championship”

The timing is what makes Sonnen’s accusation stick. Right after Jack Della Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad for the UFC welterweight crown at UFC 315, Makhachev conveniently announced his move up. Sonnen believes this was no coincidence but rather a calculated escape plan.

The legendary trash-talker went even further, suggesting Makhachev’s welterweight matchup was “hand-picked.” When a champion vacates their belt rather than defending it against a rising star, it certainly raises eyebrows. Makhachev might argue he wanted new challenges, but to Sonnen, it looks more like abandoning ship before the toughest battle arrives.

The Double Standard Dilemma For Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria

What really got Sonnen fired up was the apparent contradiction in Makhachev’s reasoning. Before leaving lightweight, Makhachev dismissed Topuria as a worthy challenger. His main argument was that Topuria needed more experience at lightweight before deserving a title shot. But here is where things get awkward. Makhachev himself has zero experience at welterweight. Yet he feels entitled to challenge for that division’s title immediately.

The counter argument to this could be that he has 4 title defenses, he is the pound for pound #1 and has dominated every opponent that has come his way. This was similar to when Alexander Volkanovksi moved up to challenge Makhachev for the lightweight title and no one batted an eye. But to Sonnen, he sees something that fans can’t see. He is a fighter and knows what fighters think.

(Image Credit: Ed Mulholland – Imagn Images)

Chael Sonnen

Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev

Jack Della Maddalena

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!