#3 Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen began his career in 1997 at the age of 19. Sonnen is one of the most hated/popular fighters in the sport of UFC for his well-known antics and punch lines in pre-fight press conferences. Sonnen is another fighter that annoys MMA fans.
Many MMA fans did not like Sonnen for his disrespect towards opponents because he would sometimes cross a personal barrier that shouldn't be crossed. Sonnen made nasty comments about Tito Ortiz’s ex-girlfriend in the Bellator 170 press conference that sparked a boatload of controversy.
This did not sit well with the MMA world because bringing in an opponents' family into trash talk before a fight is frowned upon. Some feel Sonnen runs his mouth to gain attention, which may be true but he can definitely sell a fight.
In many eyes, he is one of the greatest trash talkers in fight game history. Another reason why he is hated is because he embraces being a villain, calling himself “American Gangster.” Sonnen may as well be a gangster; he plead guilty to money laundering and was suspended from UFC consequently.
Sonnen embraces his character and his not afraid of being looked at in a negative light. Sonnen recently made his Bellator debut against Ortiz in which he lost via submission in the first round.
