Chael Sonnen is the best in the fight game when it comes to promoting fights. People who know nothing about MMA know about Chael P. Sonnen and how he can use his mouth to make you tune into a fight.
Sometimes, his opponent will try to match Sonnen's promotional antics. Anderson Silva did it in a conference call where he promised to rearrange Sonnen's teeth. Jon Jones, who is fighting Sonnen in a light heavyweight title bout next weekend, is leaving most of the promoting to his opponent. This led to the bizarre interview during last weekend's "The Ultimate Fighter" finale, where Jones basically ignored Sonnen's existence.
Or perhaps Jones was just waiting until his appearance on Fuel's "UFC Tonight" to start talking trash. During his interview, Jones said Sonnen has been on steroids his whole career.
"Chael Sonnen is a guy who people know he's done steroids throughout his career," he said. "It's probably the reason why his testosterone is low now. I don't think that's the heart or an attitude of a champion. That's what I meant when I said he lacks a championship soul."
Sonnen tested positive for illegal substances after UFC 117, a fight he lost in the final minutes to Silva. However, he said in testimony in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission that he has never taken steroids. Before his July rematch with Silva, another loss, Sonnen was granted a therapeutic exemption for testosterone use.