Chael Sonnen put a verbal beatdown on Jon Jones worthy of the Octagon.
In an interview on ESPN, Sonnen called the UFC light heavyweight champion “an entitled brat” who “couldn’t find the courage” to face him at UFC 151 next week.
On Thursday, the UFC was forced to cancel the entire event, which was set to be held Sept. 1 in Las Vegas, when Dan Henderson pulled out of the main event against Jones due to a partially torn MCL and Jones refused to face Sonnen, the No. 2 middleweight in the world, on short notice.
UFC president Dana White said he and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta were “disgusted” with Jones’ “selfish” decision in a conference call.
UFC CANCELS EVENT, PREZ WHITE ‘DISGUSTED’
“I just don’t know why he won’t fight me next Saturday,” Sonnen said on SportsCenter. “What else does he have to do? Is there a wine tasting at a local race track that I didn’t hear about?”
Sonnen said he offered to give Jones his entire purse, which is substantial, because Sonnen says he’s “the highest paid fighter in the UFC.”
“I would do that for the industry, the company I love, the fans I fight for,” Sonnen said.
Jones turned down an interview request from ESPN. Sonnen didn’t pull any punches, trashing Jones for the decision that led to 20 other fighters not getting a pay day next week.
“It’s a difference of eating or skipping a meal for some of those guys down the chain,” Sonnen said. “They’re gonna lose out, because one brat couldn’t find the courage to step up.”
Sonnen left no stone unturned in the interview, even taking a shot at Jones’ May DWI arrest and subsequent suspended license.
“Maybe Jones thought he’d have to drive [to Las Vegas],” Sonnen said.
White said on the conference call that Sonnen offered to fly to Vegas for the fight immediately.
“You think our soldiers get eight days notice when someone throws a bomb their way?” Sonnen said on ESPN. “You have to be ready right now. That’s real life.”
Sonnen headlined one of the biggest shows in UFC history last month, losing to middleweight champion Anderson Silva. He said of Jones’ blue-chip sponsorship that Nike will have to change its slogan to “just do nothing.”
“This guy is an entitled brat,” Sonnen said. “When you get that way with all those people surrounding you, you don’t think of anybody else but yourself.”