While Chael Sonnen may have never picked up UFC gold during his time with the promotion, the UFC Hall of Famer can be proud of his achievements as both a fighter and an analyst.
Sonnen, who competed in three weight divisions across 49 MMA bouts, now hosts the popular Good Guy-Bad Guy podcast with fellow UFC alumni Daniel Cormier. Sonnen is known as the ‘bad guy’ in that duo, with his penchant for trash-talk repackaged as unfiltered opinions regarding MMA’s current crop.
Unsurprisingly, Sonnen has been critical of heavyweight champ Jon Jones’ alleged ducking of interim champion Tom Aspinall. It is the longest-running saga in the UFC, with Aspinall in pursuit of a shot at Jones’ title since becoming the #1 contender in November 2023. A petition to strip Jones of his title, which Aspinall shared via his Instagram story last week, has just passed 185,000 signatures.
Beyond Jones’ recent issues, Sonnen has also criticized his past transgressions, most notably his legal troubles and failed drug tests. Jones and Sonnen are far from friends, and that perceived animosity reared its head again in a recent social media post by ‘Bones’ on X.
“Jon Jones whooped both of y’all, but hey—why not team up on a podcast and gossip about his life? Meanwhile, he’s out here making your annual salary in a week. Stay busy, boys,” wrote Jones in the post.
Jon Jones whooped both of y’all, but hey—why not team up on a podcast and gossip about his life? Meanwhile, he’s out here making your annual salary in a week. Stay busy, boys. ♂️
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) June 6, 2025
Jones referenced his victories over Sonnen and his co-host, Daniel Cormier, in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Jones defended his light heavyweight title in both fights.
An irritated X user reposted the tweet, tagging Sonnen in the reply: “@ChaelSonnen cook this clown,” he wrote. Sonnen’s response was short and sweet, digging deep into his memory.
“I ripped his toe off,” reminded Sonnen, referencing his 2013 encounter with Jones. While not a particularly memorable bout in either fighter’s extensive careers, it is perhaps best remembered for a particularly gruesome toe injury suffered by Jones.
I ripped his toe off. https://t.co/Lee0Ssc6L9
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) June 6, 2025
While Jones’ toe wasn’t actually ‘ripped off’, his big toe was dislocated and almost detached by a freak incident during the fight. Luckily for Jones, he was able to end the fight quickly. Grounding Sonnen, Jones unleashed a relentless series of elbows and punches, leading the referee to intervene and award the champion a round one TKO victory.
However, many fans often revisit that fight with a big ‘what if’ considering how little time there was left on the clock in that first round.
Sonnen might’ve beaten the GOAT
When the referee called the fight between Sonnen and Jones, there were just 27 seconds left on the clock in round one.
As previously iterated, the fight wasn’t particularly memorable outside of that horrible toe injury suffered by Jones. Jumping up from middleweight to light heavyweight to fight the then 17-1 Jon Jones, Sonnen was expected to lose.
Most fans at the time believed that Sonnen’s popularity had earned him the title shot, not his in-ring prowess. This is a fair point when taking into account Sonnen’s previous fight – a middleweight title match loss to Anderson Silva.
Still, many fans wonder what might’ve happened if Sonnen had survived the onslaught and made it to the bell. Jones’ toe injury would’ve been checked by a medic during the break. Arguably, the severity of the dislocation and the possibility of it becoming completely detached may have forced Jones to retire, conceding the loss and his title via TKO to Sonnen.
In their long-running feud, Jones will always have that comprehensive 2013 win in his corner. But the enduring image of Jones’ mangled toe at least gives Sonnen something to shout about whenever his name and Jones’s are mentioned in the same breath.
