Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen, former UFC fighter and current commentator and analyst, had his say on how Max Holloway should handle his dispute with Elijah Topuria.

"You know what Max should say. I personally would like him to say the following: "Elijah, I'm ready to go down back down to welterweight. You said you'd fight Brian Ortega if I didn't put the BMF belt on the line. But I will go back to the featherweight division and offer that belt to Ortega." Let Brian Ortega make his decision publicly. What would he prefer, a title fight or the BMF belt? I don't think even the UFC realizes how much fighters value BMF status. So I'm not sure it will be that clear-cut for Ortega," MMA News quoted Sonnen as saying.

Retired American mixed martial arts veteran Chel Sonnen has spoken out about the upcoming fight between former UFC two-weight champion Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler.

The Irishman and the American will meet in the main event of UFC 303, scheduled for June 29 in Las Vegas, USA.

"I think McGregor is the better fighter. He's faster, has the advantage in arm span and his style is more awkward. Chandler is straightforward, so I'm leaning towards Conor.

On the other hand, it's tough for a guy to come back after a long layoff, especially in a five-round fight. Conor is coming back from a bad leg injury and he's going to have to fight five rounds right away," Sonnen said on his podcast.

American mixed martial arts veteran Chel Sonnen shared his memories of his fight with Jon Jones, the current holder of the UFC heavyweight title.

"I had the confidence to win. For that fight, it was my first time competing at featherweight and I had more juice in me than Tropicana! He threw me across the octagon, that's when I started looking for a way out. By feel - imagine being trapped in a cage with a bear.

This is the only defeat after which I had no desire for a rematch. I didn't need a second fight, we're doing well. You proved your point, young man," - quotes Sonnen BJ Penn.

Recall that in April 2013, Jones knocked out Sonnen in the first round.

Chael Sonnen, former UFC fighter and current analyst and commentator, explained why a bout between Cyril Gagne and Tom Aspinall, the interim UFC heavyweight champion, is dangerous for the promotion.

"I think if they bring Cyril back to the UFC and he wins and puts the belt on, it's going to be a problem for the promotion. If Jon Jones accepts, the UFC will have to make a rematch between Jon and Cyril. And my guess is that it will be very difficult to do so, given Gan's performance in their previous fight. I don't think there's any scenario for a re-match of this fight. Ghana's belt is a risk for the UFC," Sonnen said on ESPN MMA's YouTube channel.

American mixed martial arts veteran, expert and analyst Chel Sonnen is confident that the UFC management will not create a new weight class up to 165 pounds for the fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, which will be held on June 29 at UFC 303.

The idea was previously floated by the promotion's former two-weight champion Daniel Cormier.

"There's no need for a 165-pound division. The commission won't agree to it. Yeah and the UFC won't want to do it. Plus, Chandler and McGregor have already lost more fights than I have in my entire career. So if anyone is worthy of fighting for the mythical belt, it's yours truly," Sonnen said on his YouTube channel.