• UFC 151

Sonnen slams 'brat' Jones

Chael Sonnen has joined UFC president Dana White in criticising light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones for turning down the opportunity to fight him on 8 days notice.

Sonnen was the only fighter who accepted the opportunity to replace Dan Henderson, who injured his knee in training, only for Jones to then reject the UFC's offer.

Sonnen told ESPN: "Jon Jones has his own way of going about things; this guy is an entitled brat. When you get that way, you're surrounded by people that tell you these things, you don't think of anyone but yourself. He's now with Nike - they're going to have to change their slogan to 'Just Do.... Nothing'!"

"Dan Henderson was on one leg, but did everything he could to still make that date. Dana White flew him out (to Las Vegas), had his own doctor look at his knee who then said you can't go. Dan Henderson on one leg was willing to do something Jon Jones isn't willing to do (on two legs)."

"We're a volunteer army, no one has to fight. But when you choose to sign your name to a contact, when an industry is counting on you - you have to honour your word."

The two-time middleweight title contender took the opportunity for a dig at Jones about his recent driving ban, which he picked up after crashing his car while drunk in May:

"I don't know why he won't fight me, is there some sort of wine tasting at the local racetrack or something I haven't heard about? I don't know, maybe Dana White didn't make it clear enough that he would fly Jon Jones out, maybe he thought he had to drive."

Sonnen said he'd even fight Jones with no pay, if it meant the "show could go on":

"I said I'd give him my entire purse just so the guys on the undercard could get paid. These guys are counting on their $5,000, $10,000 pay checks could pay their mortgages and car payments next month. I would do that for the company, for the industry I love, for the fans that I fight for."

"For the fighters, this is really hard. There's a domino effect to manager and trainers. For some of these guys, it's the difference between eating or skipping a meal. They lose out because one brat couldn't find the courage to step up."

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