Chael Sonnen: ‘Jon Jones is the best fighter I’ve seen’

UFC light heavyweight Chael Sonnen was his typical self on the TUF 17 conference call that took place on Wednesday.

He was full of praise while also speaking with lots of hyperbole while speaking about the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. The same was true when talking about UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones:

“Jon Jones is the best fighter I’ve ever seen. I would put Randy Couture above him, but he’s fantastic. He’s got techniques, which I don’t even know the names of. But he’s fought a lot of guys who are timid and afraid to fight. I will admit, he’s better skill-for-skill, but I am in better shape.

He hasn’t beaten anybody until he beats me. He’s beaten a broken down guy with no knees in Shogun, a Hollywood extra in Rampage, and a has-been in Vitor Belfort. Who was next? Scott Ferrozzo? I would rather fight in the main event, I would rather fight for the title but, really, I just want to fight that brat Jon Jones.

He continues to act like he’s done something special. He hasn’t. He uses that stupid word ‘disrespectful’ but I couldn’t care less about that – and he will find that out when I see him in Las Vegas.”

I know that Sonnen and Couture are former training partners from Team Quest, but I’m not sure you can still put Couture above Jon Jones at this point. You’ll also notice that Sonnen didn’t include Rashad Evans in the list of guys that Jones has beaten, as he and Rashad are ‘friends’ according to a recent interview by Evans on the “UFC Tonight” show.

Sonnen is correct in a sense about the guys that Jones has defeated. I wouldn’t say there were timid or afraid of Jones, but none of them really brought the fight to Jones as they often allowed him to dictate the pace of the fight. Sonnen isn’t’ one to lay back and wait for his opponents to do something. He’s usually the one coming forward initiating the action in the fight with his formidable wrestling pedigree. However, in this fight with Jones he’ll be giving up tons of size and will be at a distinct reach advantage as well. However, none of that will deter Sonnen from talking the talk all the way until their April 2013 matchup.

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