Chael Sonnen has offered a unique take on his April 2013 fight against Jon Jones at UFC 159, where most fans witnessed Jones dominate with a first-round TKO. While it was widely believed that Jones injured his toe during the bout, Sonnen now humorously claims that he was the cause of Jones’ injury and insists that he “beat” the MMA legend. His comments have added a new layer to the ongoing Jon Jones saga, where fight delays and speculation about Jones’ condition continue to capture attention.
During a recent interview, Sonnen and former rival Daniel Cormier engaged in playful trash talk. Sonnen did not hold back, mocking Cormier for his losses to Jones while revisiting his own bout with the light-heavyweight champion turned heavyweight. He suggested that the toe injury he inflicted on Jones might still be affecting Jones’ ability to fight current heavyweight interim champion Tom Aspinall.
Playful Trash Talk Highlights Sonnen’s Claims
In an exchange with “The Broadcast Boys,” Sonnen boldly stated,
“He lost to Jon Jones. Even if Jon was cheating, he lost,”
while emphasizing,
“I ripped Jon’s toe off. I ripped it off and I threw it into the second row.”
Sonnen went on to proclaim himself as the “lineal champion” over both Jones and Daniel Cormier, implicating that his injury to Jones’ foot is the reason the latter is avoiding facing Aspinall.
He added bluntly,
“I beat Jon and you did not.”
Daniel Cormier declined to engage in further trash talk, acknowledging Sonnen’s skill in mind games by saying,
“I can’t trash talk with this dude,”
and described him as
“one of the greatest trash talkers in the history of the game.”
Behind the Scenes of the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall Fight Delay
Jones’ avoidance of a bout with Tom Aspinall has fueled much speculation in recent weeks. While Aspinall holds the interim heavyweight title after UFC 316, Jones has seemed reluctant to commit to the fight, despite clear fan demand. At 37, the former light-heavyweight and reigning heavyweight champion has been focusing instead on a potential showdown with Francis Ngannou.
However, UFC President Dana White dismissed the Jones-Ngannou fight as unlikely and reiterated that Aspinall is the rightful contender to face Jones. Despite nearly 200,000 fans signing a petition demanding Jones be stripped of his heavyweight belt, White remains supportive of Jones, expressing frustration over the petition’s popularity. He noted,
“Every human on Earth was DM’ing it to me,”
and called the petition “kind of f—— silly,” acknowledging the enormous fanbase and the division within it.
Jones’ Future in UFC Remains Uncertain
With considerable pressure mounting from fans and detractors alike, it appears Jon Jones will be afforded additional time to decide whether he wants to face Tom Aspinall or retire from mixed martial arts altogether. The unresolved status of this matchup keeps the MMA community anxious, as Jones’ decisions will significantly impact heavyweight division dynamics and fan enthusiasm in the coming years.