UFC commentator Chael Sonnen, when he was still competing, carved his career out of trash talk. Sonnen’s abilities on the mic parlayed into his commentary career, and arguably set the stage for the likes of Colby Covington to come along later and build a profile based on antics outside the Octagon rather than within it. On the Beyond the Fight podcast, Sonnen took aim at rising UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall for being too humble on the mic, even sarcastically offering to take over trash talking duty for the British fighter.
“Aspinall does interviews like a 13-year-old fan. Aspinall cuts an interview that he should not receive a title shot. Somebody else should, he’s not ready for it. All right, we got a young guy who wants to show a sense of humility, who never should have done an interview that said that. But everybody’s gotta have a mistake before they can make a correction.
Tom Aspinall Takes Aim at Chael Sonnen Promo: “I don’t need to talk s***”
If I had time and he hadn’t pissed me off so bad, I would offer, ‘Don’t ever say anything else, every interview and press conference that you go to, I will show up with a bullhorn and make a whole big scene of it. You stand there and don’t say anything, I will have you fighting for the belt within 12 months.’ That’s the plan anyway, that you’re getting in the way of!”
Tom Aspinall, who recently delivered a stunning first-round submission win over Alexander Volkov, does not see eye to eye with “The American Gangster” on this one. On Instagram, Aspinall replied to Chael Sonnen, reiterating that he’s happy to let his work speak for itself.
“I’m more than happy being myself thanks and not selling myself out and acting like a [clown] for views and money. I am not a WWE entertainer I’m one of the greatest heavyweights to walk on this [Earth] and it will be shown in my body of work from my UFC debut until I retire in 10 years. I don’t need to talk s***. Happy to be myself.”
Tom Aspinall’s first UFC headliner came this past March, when he headlined a UFC London card that included Molly McCann and Paddy Pimblett. Aspinall’s first-round submission win over Alexander Volkov brought him to 5-0 in the UFC, and earned him a shot at title contender Curtis Blaydes for the next UFC London card this July.
Do you agree with Chael or Tom? Let us know in the comments.
