UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev was not too happy to hear about Chael Sonnen’s ducking allegations.
The lightweight champ recently made a move to welterweight to compete for the title, but many believe this was his plan to dodge a superfight with featherweight champ Ilia Topuria. Despite the fighter being vocal about his desire to move up for months, fans and fighters like UFC analyst Chael Sonnen believe he is ducking a fight with Topuria and have called him a “coward.”
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“You are so interested in getting away from this guy that you not only leave your belt, you leave your division, and the whole thing is only contingent on you not having to fight [Ilia Topuria],” Sonnen said. “Not for nothing, this is not the way champions conduct themselves.”
Makhachev wasn’t happy about these comments and recently responded to the claims in a post on X.
“Chasing hype and money is not the same as chasing greatness in sport,” Makhachev wrote on Twitter. “But [an] average athlete, who built his way to the top with cheap trash talk, won’t understand that. So please sit and watch how others [are] doing it, Uncle Chael.”
Makhachev has nothing to prove, as he has already set the record for the most title defenses in UFC lightweight history with four in a row. The Russian believes he has accomplished all he needs to in the lightweight division and plans on solidifying his legacy by becoming a two-division UFC champion.
Following his tweet, it didn’t take long for Sonnen to respond to Makhachev.
“So don’t be shy and don’t pick fake fights w/ me to get my attention,” Sonnen wrote. “Your HERO is my ACOLYTE. So is his NEMESIS. SO are YOU.”
