Chael: There’s one thing about this sport that hasn’t changed

Chael Sonnen is the best trash talker in combat sports since Muhammad Ali, but it’s business not personal. He wound up Tito Ortiz pretty handily ahead of their fight in the main event of Bellator 170 on Saturday night, and has bad intentions, but has no hard feelings.

I’ll wish him well, said Sonnen, as transcribed by Dan Shapiro for Champions. I don’t wish him a bad life, I just wish him a bad night. On January 21st, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that it’s not a great experience for him. But other than that, if he’s ready to move on, I think he’s earned that and he’s earned his place in the sport. I wish him well, but that’ll come on Sunday morning. On January 21, he’s in for a lot of pain and a lot of heartache.

The sport is definitely evolved and it grows … it cycles through where grapplers dominate and then the strikers come back, then a guy in between, then it goes back to the grapplers. A lot has changed in this sport over the years, but one thing that hasn’t is if you put a man on his back and run your fists to his face repeatedly, they’re going to raise your hand at the end of the night.

The sport, as far as the rules and what my specific job is, hasn’t changed at all. I still got to walk out there, I got to make weight. I’ve got to train hard and I’ve got to go out and compete with another guy. Testosterone, that was so helpful for recovery and for repairing the body. But man, those days are gone. As far as training goes, I’m doing the same stuff at the same gym with the same coaches and the same teammates. But I can tell you, at least the recovery, I don’t remember quite being this sore and tired.

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