Chael Sonnen has a number of reasons why he's not on board with Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler being for a 165-pound title.
Chael Sonnen is not on board with Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler having a 165-pound championship on the line.
Cormier advocated for the UFC to introduce a 165-pound weight class through a title fight between McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC), who square off in a welterweight bout June 29 at UFC 303 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) in Las Vegas.
Chandler mentioned that idea during an interview with The MacLife, and Cormier is all in.
“I believe that if they’re going to do a 165-pound division, it should have a name attached to the weight class that is so big that it draws people’s attention, Conor McGregor being that name,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “Michael Chandler, on the other hand, will benefit from being in the right place at the right time, where these guys would then fight for the super lightweight championship of the world, because that’s what I believe it is.”
Sonnen, however, isn’t a as enthusiastic as Cormier and doesn’t see a 165-pound division happening.
“This is not accurate; it’s entertaining,” Sonnen said. “There is no need for a 165-pound title, for one. Part two, the commission does not sanction 165-pound fights. Part three, the UFC does not contest a 165-pound division.
“Part four, these guys combined are coming off of more losses than I’ve had in my entire career. So, if anybody is coming back to fight for a mythical belt, it will be yours truly.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.
