Chael Sonnen claimed that the “reality” is Jon Jones could defeat boxing legends Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali in the same day.
The former MMA fighter, 43, crossed paths with UFC legend Jones for the light heavyweight championship at UFC 159 in 2013.
But ahead of the event, Sonnen showered the then-young champ with praise and claimed that he underestimated his talent.
The ESPN analyst said during a UFC 159 media conference call: “I don’t think he understands how good he is.
“For him to pay tribute to Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali earlier was a very nice thing for him to do, but the reality is that Jon Jones could beat Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali in the same day.”
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Jones, 32, sealed a first-round TKO victory over Sonnen at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Prior to the event, ‘Bones’ was behind Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell for the most successful light heavyweight title defences in UFC history.
And Jones’ victory at the time allowed him to tie Tito Ortiz’s record at the time for the most successful light heavyweight title defences.
Even before the fight at UFC 159, Sonnen suggested that ‘Bones’ didn’t need to do anything else to prove that he was the best in MMA history.
According to the ex-UFC fighter, Jones is the “best in the weight class” and he is the “best the weight class has ever seen.”
Sonnen explained at the time: “When he says he wants to be the best ever, Jon, newsflash buddy, you are the best.
“As far as tying Tito Ortiz, maybe he had a couple more wins, but he hasn’t had the competition that you’ve faced.
“I’m not going to try to degrade Jon. He’s a world champion, he’s the best in the weight class and he’s the best the weight class has ever seen.”
