Sonnen: ‘Full time fighters are lazy’
Chael Sonnen is preparing for the biggest moment of his life. On August 7, Sonnen steps into the Octagon as…
Chael Sonnen is preparing for the biggest moment of his life.
On August 7, Sonnen steps into the Octagon as the number one contender for Anderson Silva’s middleweight title. It’s been a long road to the top for the former University of Oregon wrestler, filled with detours and potholes, but he’s finally where he wants to be.
Sonnen is a unique character in the world of mixed martial arts. The majority of fighters in his position — guys who make it to the top of their respective divisions in the UFC — consider fighting to be their full time job. When they aren’t preparing for a fight, there’s plenty of downtime filled with vacations, video games and other leisure activities.
Sonnen holds down a job as a realtor in his spare time and even briefly campaigned for political office in Oregon. He doesn’t work because he needs the money; his fighting career more than pays the bills. Sonnen simply believes that he can contribute to society in a meaningful way and uses his time accordingly.
“Look, anybody who is a full time fighter is a full time lazy guy. There’s no way. What do we work out for, three hours a day? I’ve got a two hour session with Team Quest and a one hour session on my own each day. That’s three hours a day. I’ve got friends who spend more time playing golf. That leaves you 21 hours a day,” Sonnen told Brawl Sports.
