In a recent interview with MMAMania.com, former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen spoke in-depth about his friend, former WWE Champion CM Punk, and his upcoming debut in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
Sonnen compared Punk’s new contract – which he mentioned is quite substantial – to the old “freak show fights”, where the UFC would bring in special attractions that weren’t necessarily serious fighters.
“Every few years [Dana White] will do something and give a chance to do something that is more based around fun than anything else … Every so often somebody’s lucky number comes up and they do something that is more based on fun. I think that is pretty clearly what is happening here … You have to understand the guys that are doing this, myself included, we are [training] twice a day, every day, since we are nine years old. This is a guy who is 36 and I think he is still picking the gym he is going to.”
The controversial fighter also claims that he may know who CM Punk‘s first opponent is. Sonnen believes that, despite rumors that UFC will start him off against a rookie, that is the wrong move for the company, considering how much they are paying him to step into the Octagon.
“I can tell you this, it doesn’t make any sense to put him against an older guy or an unknown guy. For the money that you got to pay him and the attention that is going to bring, he is likely to lose … You can’t pay Punk the numbers you are paying him and then try and let it coast. You just can’t do it. I think you stick him on a pay-per-view and you have some fun with it and you let him have some fun with it.
Sonnen says that he has “a pretty good idea” of who Punk might face in 2015, and that he is “not a bottom-tier guy”.
“You will know who he is and he will be a pretty-heavy favorite to win. Punk is not going to come in as the favorite.”
