Chael Sonnen Reveals Why Even Champions Like Michael Phelps Are Vulnerable to Upsets

Chael Sonnen is diving into the world of upsets ahead of Alex Pereira’s upcoming title defense against Khalil Rountree this weekend. Sonnen likens this situation to that of Olympic legend Michael Phelps, who famously missed out on his 22nd medal by just a stroke. 

In Sonnen’s view, every athlete, no matter how accomplished, can have an off day or face an unexpected challenge that throws them off their game.

With the stakes high and Rountree hungry for a victory, fans are left wondering if this fight could be the perfect setup for an upset. 

Ahead of the event, Sonnen joined Jon Anik and Anthony Smith to dive deeper into his thoughts about the event. 

“And by the way guys, every upset and not just within the sport, I don’t care if it is the night Michael Phelps got beat by a stroke for the 22nd Olympic Gold medal. They all have a couple of commonalities. First of which is you find yourself in a fight that is harder and more competitive that the audience is aware. And those around you have told you this is easy go take care of it.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by UFC (@ufc)

Uncle Chael believes that nearly everyone in the sport is writing Rountree off. As a result, Pereira might not be taking Rountree as seriously as he should. 

The former middleweight is of the opinion that Rountree just needs one moment of perfection out of 25 minutes in the octagon. 

The ‘Bad Guy’ strongly believes Rountree will find that one little moment suspended in time, grab it with both hands and dethrone Alex Pereira. 

Sonnen’s grim prediction for Pereira 

While many believe Rountree doesn’t deserve the shot and that Magomed Ankalaev is the rightful contender, Sonnen sees Rountree as a tough matchup for Pereira. 

“Khalil Rountree is going to walk through Pereira,” he said on his “Good Guy/Bad Guy” podcast with Daniel Cormier.

Sonnen compared the fight to “Smackdown” invading “RAW (a survivor series reference for fans of professional wresting), emphasizing that Rountree has been on a roll, winning five in a row, including a stoppage against former contender Anthony Smith. 

He noted that the American shines when countering kickboxers, which could spell trouble for Pereira. While he acknowledges Pereira’s intimidating presence, he doesn’t think it will faze Rountree.

“If the UFC is trying to protect Alex, they made a big mistake,” he warned, setting the stage for what could be an explosive fight!