UFC and Bellator MMA veteran Chael Sonnen can now add his name to the list of pundits who have an opinion on the potential boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr and UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor.
Sonnen believes that it would be a disgrace for the sport of boxing of the fight were to take place.
“I think the fact that anybody is weighing in that there’s a contest there is such an incredible disrespect to boxing. If that fight goes more than 30 seconds, it shames boxing. If it goes out of the first round, it humiliates boxing. If I was to tell you in any other sport, ‘Hey, we’ve got a great athlete from one field, that’s never done a sport before, and he’s gonna come on and take on the best current living guy in that sport,’ it’d be laughed at. If I told you, I’ve got a guy who’s never played basketball, sure he’s shot the ball around and been on a court and had the ball in his hand, but he’s never played a competitive game of basketball before, and we’re gonna put him up against LeBron James, it would be laughed at. ‘We’ve got a gal that’s never played tennis before, she’s fooled around with a ball in the gym, she’s gonna take on Serena Williams,’ it would be laughed at,” Sonnen said on the You’re Welcome podcast.
The UFC veteran hasn’t fought himself since a loss to Tito Ortiz at Bellator 170. There's plenty of interest in the potential fight in the combat sports world, and Sonnen can relate.
“The fact that there’s even an interest there - and I’m one of the people that shares the interest - but the fact that there’s even an interest there is so disrespectful to the entire sport of boxing. When that fight’s done, Conor is gonna go more than 30 seconds. He’s likely to go more than one round - he shouldn’t, but he is likely to go more than one round - and it’s going to humiliate boxing,” says Sonnen.
Chael also tweeted out the following on March 16:
Connor vs Floyd is ON!
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) March 17, 2017
