Chael Sonnen is in Jorge Masvidal’s territory for UFC 299 fight week.

The biggest MMA event of the weekend will go down in Miami, Fla., on Saturday night, featuring a big-time title fight rematch between the bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera. In town to fulfill his usual media obligations as an analyst, the three-time UFC title challenger Sonnen is currently kept in isolation for safety purposes.

According to Sonnen, Miami native and fellow multi-time UFC title challenger, Masvidal, has put him on a hit list that’s led to some threats of an unspecified nature.

“I am at a separate location than everybody else with two security guards because I have been threatened by Jorge Masvidal,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “I gotta tell you, I went into the tough guy business very early so that I would never have to worry about the very situation that I find myself in right now. There’s guys out there that I would have to worry about, but there’s extremely few and I’m never going to run into one of them outside of a cage because no man would be that foolish — is why a young Chael Sonnen was inspired to learn at some point how to defend himself. Yet here I am with two guys that will not allow me to leave my own room.”

Sonnen, a former middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight competitor, noted that the security precautions weren’t his choice before making some comparisons to his time in Brazil during his rivalries with Anderson Silva and Wanderlei Silva. “The American Gangster,” 46, retired from active competition after a second-round TKO loss to Lyoto Machida in June 2019.

Masvidal, 39, retired after a fourth consecutive defeat at welterweight when on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against Gilbert Burns. The fight coincidentally came at the UFC’s last Miami show before this weekend, UFC 287 in April 2023.

In that period, Masvidal has closed his assault case with bitter rival Colby Covington and let it be known he’s coming out of retirement in 2024. Ideally, “Gamebred” would like a boxing match with either Sonnen or the last man he defeated, Nate Diaz, which came at UFC 244 via third-round TKO (doctor’s stoppage) in November 2019. In the case of Sonnen specifically, Masvidal recently expressed his strong disdain for Sonnen when he highlighted his past use of PEDs amongst various other insults.

Sonnen has shown no indication of wanting to unretire, but Masvidal has certainly demanded his attention if this week is anything to go by.

“I don’t think Jorge Masvidal would do anything, but I’m not certain. I’m not positive,” Sonnen said with a laugh. “There’s a part of me that also knows he would. He’s done it before, but I don’t fully know how we got here. I know why I am not happy with Jorge Masvidal. Because he went on Ariel’s show and said that he was not happy with me. I know why I’m bothered by Mavidal, but I don’t know why he’s bothered with me.

“It’s a very hard thing to imagine. Could you imagine not liking Chael? I’m a charming guy. Charismatic guy. Loyalty and honor and respect. You could apply all of those things to me and Masvidal finds that the Chael charm is not quite as powerful as some. Therefore, I sit before you in a secluded room with my own pool and hot tub.”

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VIDEO STEW

Between the Links.

UFC 299 Pre-fight presser staredowns.

UFC 299 Pre-fight presser.

O’Malley vs. Vera 2 predictions.

Joshua vs. Ngannou pre-show.

Embedded 4.

UFC Connected: Kevin Holland.

Best of Poirier.

One last time for Janet Todd.

Highlights of ONE Fight Night 20 fighters.

O’Malley fight camp.

Behind Burns’ fight week.

Pereira and Seagal...

MORNING MUSIC

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Wild PFL highlights.

Travel.

When in Miami.

Countdown.

Friendly.

Quote.

This does not feel like a PFL event.

Yikes.

Lol.

Mamba.

The afro is taking on a life of its own.

Diamond.

That would have been fun.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Chepe Mariscal (15-6-1) vs. Morgan Charriere (19-9-1); UFC Vegas 90, April 6

Manel Kape (19-6) vs. Matheus Nicolau (19-3-1); UFC Vegas 91, April 27

FINAL THOUGHTS

This has become such a hilariously one-sided beef that I never would have expected. I get why Jorge would be upset by or about Chael and what have you, but how much he said about him was the surprising part. As much as I’d love to, I don’t think we’ll see any Chael comebacks.

Happy Friday, gang. Crazy day and weekend of action. Enjoy and I’ll see you Monday. Thanks for reading!

EXIT POLL

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