UFC Veteran Chael Sonnen Takes a Swipe at Aljamain Sterling for Decision Win at UFC 300 Despite $300,000 Bonus Stakes

Chael Sonnen called out some fighters for not trying hard enough at UFC 300. The former MMA artist believed that with the $300,000 bonus on the line, fighters would want to impress with their performances inside the octagon. However, some of the fights have fallen short of expectations, especially with former champions like Aljamain Sterling fighting in the prelims.

Aljamain Sterling was ecstatic during the UFC 300 press conference when Dana White agreed to a $300,000 bonus. Yet, he did not show the same enthusiasm inside the octagon. Rather, the former champion put up a very safe fight, going to the ground repeatedly to secure points and ground control time. Here’s what Chael Sonnen had to say about the fight card so far:

“For those of you saying 300k WILL MAKE THEM ALL BE EXCITING.. Hope you learned something about stereotyping.”

It almost seemed like Chael Sonnen was hinting toward Sterling’s performance since he posted the Tweet during his fight. Nonetheless, other bouts on the card also ended up going the entire way instead of ending in a knockout or domination.

This is something no one expected since $300,000 is a life-changing amount, especially for the fighters in the prelims and early prelims. Nevertheless, fans did have something to cheer for as Aljamain Sterling suddenly pulled out a WWE move against Calvin Kattar during their face-off.

Aljamain Sterling pulls out a Batista Bomb against Calvin Kattar despite Chael Sonnen’s digs

Aljamain Sterling fought a safe fight against Calvin Kattar for his debut in the featherweight division at UFC 300. ‘Funk Master’ looked to win the fight via decision and was not interested in finishing with a bang. Still, despite what Chal Sonnen insinuated, there was one exciting moment in the last round when Sterling executed a Batista Bomb on Kattar.

This move was the highlight of the fight, and the clip soon went viral on social media. However, the rest of the fight fell flat and Aljamain eventually won via decision.

Surprisingly, despite the win, Sterling did not get a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. This made some wonder whether it was a decision the UFC took due to TV timing. If not for that, such a move would be disrespectful from the UFC.