Sonnen: Tito unloyal scumbag for wanting to fight Liddell in UFC
Chael Sonnen: “First off, unloyal, scumbag move, my opinion. Second off, from a PR perspective, how stupid could you be?”
Tito Ortiz closed his Hall of Fame UFC career at just 1-7-1 before signing a four-fight contract with Bellator MMA. He went 3-1, losing only in a title fight vs. Liam McGeary. Tito’s last win was vs. Chael Sonnen, who was dispatched in just over two minutes. Ortiz the retired and rightly called it a storybook ending.
‘The People’s Champ’ recently expressed an interest in a trilogy fight with Chuck Liddell. Given the huge audiences that Bellator MMA has been able to produce for fighters thought to be over the hill, it was widely assumed that the fight would be in Bellator. However, Ortiz said he wanted it in the UFC.
Chael Sonnen was not impressed at the choice of promotion.
That’s where I’m saying it’s a scumbag move, said Sonnen, as transcribed by Milan Ordoñez for BE. It’s like ‘Tito, after all Scott Coker did for you – I mean they ran you around, you were the face of the company, you were main eventing, you were making a bunch of money – that’s your response? You’re gonna come out of retirement, and you’re gonna fight Chuck in the UFC? You don’t give that to Coker? You’re gonna do it in the UFC?
You finished your career at Bellator. You got treated great at Bellator. You come to the Bellator shows. Whether I like Tito or not – and I don’t – but he is a great face of the sport, people recognize him.
First off, unloyal, scumbag move, my opinion. Second off, from a PR perspective, how stupid could you be? You’re not gonna get that fight in the UFC. That isn’t gonna happen. So now, you’ve showed your loyalty, you’ve showed your cards, and you’re not gonna get it.
So now you’re gonna get rebutted by who you’re apparently trying to impress, and you’re gonna piss off the other side. I just didn’t get any part of it. I don’t understand how or why he would do it, I resent that he did it from a loyalty standpoint.
He never ceases to surprise me when he opens his mouth, how dumb that son of a b**** is. He just doesn’t. It just can’t go away. Sour grapes on my part? Yeah, sure, a little bit. Fair point on my part? Yeah, you’re damn right that’s a fair point.
However, the UFC may be the only place the fight can take place.
“My understanding is that Chuck is still under contract with the UFC, said Bellator president Scott Coker to Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting. I’m not sure. I just thought that to be true. I don’t know the details, but when he retired, I think the contract freezes and they maintain some rights.
Listen, is it a fight that would be fun to watch? I think if they both pass a physical and Tito was healthy and his neck was healthy and he was able to perform at a high level, and they were fighting, to me is it interesting? I would definitely watch it. But would we promote it? I don’t think we can, because Chuck is still under contract with the UFC.
Right now, we’re extremely busy with our World Grand Prix. We’ve got a great tournament going and we have some exciting things you’re gonna hear about in the next couple weeks. I think we’re gonna focus, keep our head down and keep doing what we’re doing and focus on these great events that we’re doing.