Do you have respect for Chael Sonnen on any level?

Sonnen is a polarizing character.

* He's a convicted criminal, and has served a suspension for drug taking.

* He seems to think that he's a WWE employee.

* He is not a particularly well-rounded fighter.

* His high-pitched, nasally voice is very annoying.

* He can be extremely disrespectful to other fighters, even ones who haven't provoked him and who he knows he'll never fight.

* Many of his fights are essentially him dry-humping a guy for 15 minutes. (Or 23 minutes. )

We can all agree on these things. :yep


However.


* He has the old-school fighter's mentality. He genuinely will fight anyone, anywhere, at any time. He says "When the day comes that I won't fight somebody, I won't fight anybody." And he means it.

* In the cage he is relentless, very tough, and never gives less than his best effort.

* He is an interesting personality, and seemingly a very fan-friendly guy. He's one of the best interviews in the sport, whether it's promoting a fight or just sitting around bullshitting with Rogan.



Are you impressed with Chael's warrior mentality, and do you give him credit for having the balls to put himself out there and at least attempt to back up his relentless ****-talking?

Or does his personality and self-promotion just turn you off SO much that you simply can't stand him on any level?

:hat

 

I don't find that video disrespectful or evidence of him being chicken****. :conf

Wanderlei talked to him politely, and although this was clearly not a conversation that Sonnen wanted to have, he respectfully let Wanderlei say what he needed to say. He didn't apologize for his trash talk, but he didn't get confrontational either. In fact I think that both men handled it pretty well. Wandy obviously has quite a strong dislike for Chael and he called him out on his behaviour, but he was not a dick about it. And Chael accepted his lecture from an MMA legend in a mature fashion.

What would you have preferred him to do? Stared Wanderlei down, told him to STFU, and initiate a fistfight in a van on the way to an event? :huh

:hat

 

That's why the poll has 4 options. :good

:hat

 

No, that's not what I said at all.

He has an old-school fighting mentality. He'll fight anyone at any time, and he won't moan that he needs 4 months to prepare. He'll get TKOed by the p4p #1, then step up a division to fight the twice-as-big p4p #2 on eight day's notice, because the show must go on and the alternative is an event cancellation. He knows it's 95% certain that he'll get his ass brutally kicked, but it's about competing and stepping up to the challenge. That's an old-school mentality, the trash talk has nothing to do with it. :good

:hat

 

And maybe he would have, if there wasn't a guy holding a videocamera 2 feet away from his face. He responded like a man by accepting Wandy's lecture with a humble manner, and only (rightly) challenging Wanderlei's assertion that he knew nothing of Brazil. Wanderlei already knows it's for show, he doesn't care and doesn't want Chael to do it anyway. And Chael didn't get defensive or aggressive, didn't challenge Wandy or give a fake apology or grovel to him. He handled it like a man. :good

You don't think Sonnen has pride in his performances? :huh

Sonnen talks **** for ONE reason. Because he learned that he is good at it and it works. It gives him opportunities and makes him rich. Have you heard him tell the story about hearing that some fight fell through, texting Joe Silva saying "I'll step in", and Joe Silva texted back saying "Who is this?"

Silva and Sonnen had exchanged texts before, but Silva had deleted Sonnen's number at some stage because Sonnen was basically anonymous and interchangeable, just another ex-college wrestler. That showed Chael where he stood, and he took that as a wake-up call. He decided that from then on he would make sure that people were going to know who he was and either want to see him challenge the top guys, or want to see him get put in his place by the top guys.

And through that effort, he has become a millionaire, a top contender, and has massively overachieved in the second half of his career. Can't hate on the man for the way he has played his hand, IMO. :good

:hat