Chael Sonnen was a fighter known for his bullshit, but even he admits one man scared him to death.
After watching footage of this icon, “The American Gangster” realized that claiming victory might be a bridge too far.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Chael Sonnen was scared to fight Jon Jones
On April 27, 2013, Chael Sonnen went to war with Jon Jones at UFC 159 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA.
The big match marked the Oregon fighter's third attempt at capturing the promotion's world title, making it one of the biggest fights of his career.
Unfortunately, the naturally bigger man was far too good and dominated Sonnen en route to a first-round stoppage.
Perhaps part of the reason behind the icon's demise was that he never really believed he could win at all.
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When asked during an interview with Flagrant if he was ever afraid of an opponent, the 47-year-old said: “Yes. There have been times when I left the locker room feeling like a lamb. I didn't think I was going to beat Jon the night I fought him.
“That was just a tough one where I just looked at him and thought, 'Man, that guy is good.'
“It was okay to look up to Jon, and it was okay to admire Jon because I was in a different weight class. I was a 185-pounder and he was a 205-pounder, I'm 32 years old, I'm never going to see this guy.
“So when I sat and admired and watched him grab his legs and twist at his elbows, saw him do uppercuts into flying knees, and try to copy and imitate things like that, I was safe because I never had to deal with him will get.
“Suddenly I'm a 205-pounder, they put me in a world title fight, here we are on The Ultimate Fighter, now I'm walking out to fight Jon Jones.”
'He hit me so hard it was like a rocket'… Chael Sonnen reveals the one opponent who really drove him 'crazy'
Jones isn't the only legend Sonnen has faced in his career, with the charismatic competitor sharing the cage with the best of the best.
And in a battle with one of the greatest ever, the American felt power like no other.
He claims that the dynamite in this icon's hands was so explosive that it drove him 'mad'.
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