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In his professional MMA career, Chael Sonnen was well-known for his combat skills and ability to generate hype for his fights with his microphone skills and villainous persona. Sonnen's a self-admitted heel, a term generally used in professional wrestling to refer to a villainous character.
The retired fighter and former UFC star, who eventually transitioned into the role of an MMA analyst, has now put forth his take regarding which fighter could be the biggest villain to be a UFC champion. On "Beyond the Fight", Chael Sonnen named former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington as the fighter capable of being that villain.
In the last few years, Covington has established himself as one of the most polarizing figures in the sport of MMA and the UFC. 'Chaos' is known for his trash talk, going as far as taking personal jibes at some of his rivals and former teammates' families.
From unleashing incredibly personal verbal attacks against former teammates Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal to mocking arch-nemesis Kamaru Usman's father, Colby Covington's villainous acts have earned him detractors, fans and significant attention in the MMA world.
On that note, Sonnen has suggested that Covington could beat reigning undisputed UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards next and become the biggest villain to hold a UFC title. Insinuating that Covington's villainous aura could reach another crescendo if he wins the title, Sonnen said:
"What would happen if Colby Covington won? Colby Covington -- correct me if I'm wrong -- would become the biggest villain to be UFC champion in the sport's history. Do you see it differently? And what would happen then?
"I mean, what would happen when Colby's the champion of the world? Where is he gonna turn it up to then? What opportunities are gonna present themselves? What media? What interviews? What spots? I'm just saying that's a very interesting thing to me."
Furthermore, Chael Sonnen explained that Covington and Edwards are extremely different in regards to their character and presence. Sonnen said:
"Where I'm telling you that Colby might be the biggest villain to be champion ever, Leon might be the nicest champion ever."
Watch Sonnen discuss the topic at 6:36 in the video below:
Chael Sonnen on why Leon Edwards needs to fight Colby Covington next
On 'Beyond the Fight' earlier this month, Chael Sonnen emphasized that the Colby Covington matchup is the biggest fight the UFC can currently book for its welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
He opined that 'Chaos' deserves the next title shot more than the Gilbert Burns-Jorge Masvidal winner, Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Chael Sonnen explained that after maintaining a low profile for about a year, Covington partook in a UFC press conference earlier this month and absolutely dominated the headlines.
Highlighting Covington's star power, he said that Edwards doesn't have the ability to hype his fights like 'Chaos'. Alluding to the fact that UFC president Dana White recently revealed that Covington will indeed face Edwards for the title next, Sonnen said:
"Colby's had his head in the sand for a year. He resurfaced five days ago, and he stomped all of you in the headlines. Stomped you! He has stomped -- It's not even close."
Watch Sonnen's assessment at 9:28 in the video below:
