Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones are two veteran mixed martial artists who have been rivals since 2010. They first faced each other at UFC 159 in 2013, with Jones winning by TKO. Since then they have gone on to become two of the most recognized and respected MMA fighters in the industry. Both have held championships, faced numerous opponents, and continue to remain competitive.
The rivalry between these two controversial figures has reached a fever pitch within their respective fanbases, with each fighter having a unique ability to generate both attention and revenue with their fight promotions. Both fighters possess a number of impressive skillsets in their respective divisions, which has resulted in numerous exciting matches between the two that have thrilled fans around the world.
This article will explore the fascinating history and rivalry between Sonnen and Jones from 2010 until present day, as well as analyze their individual fighting styles and strategies that make them formidable opponents when they step into the Octagon. Furthermore, this article will discuss how this dynamic duo stands out from other fighters due to their abilities to put on remarkable fights for both hardcore fans as well as casual viewers alike. Finally, we will also explore how this rivalry has evolved over time as each fighter continues to develop and add new elements to his game plan when facing his rival inside the Octagon.
Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen is an MMA fighter who was known as one of the toughest competitors in the sport. His rivalry with Jon Jones is legendary, as the two men have faced off against one another three times, with Jones having the edge in each fight.
In this article, we will take a closer look at Chael Sonnen and his rivalry with Jon Jones.
Early Career
Chael Patrick Sonnen was born in West Linn, Oregon in 1977. After finishing high school, he attended college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and earned a degree in sociology. Following college, he moved back to West Linn to train under Bob Cooper. In April 2000 he signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and began competing on the UFC’s kicking and striking circuits. In 2003 he signed an official contract with the promotion company and participated in his first professional fight against future middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
During his early career in the octagon, Sonnen quickly established himself as a formidable opponent due to his masterful wrestling technique, aggressive jabbing style and incredible cardio strength. His ability to secure takedowns set him apart from many of his peers at the time, helping him secure victories against some of the top contenders in the company. These victories included Submission of The Night honors at UFC Fight Night 3, Knockout of The Night honors at UFC Ultimate Fight Night 10 and most notably a shot at The Light Heavyweight Belt during UFC 125: Resolution after facing off against legend Chuck Liddell. Despite being categorically outmatched by Silva during their first bout – which ended due to physician stoppage – Sonnen would persistently challenge “The Spider” for years to come, eventually leading them into what is widely regarded as one of mixed martial arts’ greatest rivalries: Chael Sonnen vs Jon Jones.
Chael Sonnen vs Jon Jones
Chael Sonnen is a former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight fighter who competed in the sport between 1997-2017. He was known for his brash speaking style, outspoken nature and trash talk which often caused tension and garnered controversy within the UFC.
One of his most well-known rivalries was with Jon Jones, an American mixed martial artist renowned as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. Their rivalry began when Jon Jones called out Chael Sonnen for a fight during a press conference in 2012. It continued over the following years until eventually a fight between the two took place on April 27th, 2013 at UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen held in Prudential Center, Newark NJ.
The bout ended after four rounds when Jon Jones used a guillotine choke to submit Chael Sonnen and go on to defend his Light Heavyweight Championship title. The match was highly anticipated by fans due to other personal altercations between Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones leading up to this bout, including after-the-fact comments from each fighter about the other’s skill set that further fueled their rivalry. Even though it ended with Chael Sonnen submitting to Jon Jones, this fight will remain one of MMA’s greatest rivalries ever due to its heated moments that led up to this match.
Jon Jones
Jon Jones is one of the best mixed martial artists in the world. He has been a UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Interim Light Heavyweight Champion, and a UFC Middleweight Champion. He has a long history of success and has been in the headlines for his rivalry with Chael Sonnen. This rivalry is one of the most famous matchups in mixed martial arts history.
Let’s dive deeper into the details of Jones and his rivalry with Sonnen.
Early Career
Jon Jones is an American professional mixed martial artist and the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was born and raised in New York, where he began training in MMA at an early age. His career in the sport quickly took off, and he earned a reputation as one of the most talented martial artists on the planet.
His early career saw him defeat notable opponents like Stephan Bonnar, Matt Mitrione, Brandon Vera, Vladimir Matyushenko, Ryan Bader and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. By 2012 he had established himself as a top contender for the Light Heavyweight Championship title by defeating Maurício Rua to break Anderson Silva’s record for title defenses. In December of that year Jones finally succeeded Rashad Evans to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
Throughout his reign as champion Jones dominated the division with a 12-0 record before being stripped of his title due to legal issues outside of competition. His rivalry with Chael Sonnen was one of the biggest stories in mixed martial arts history as they clashed with both verbal sparring and skillful displays of technique inside the octagon.
The Rivalry with Chael Sonnen
The rivalry between Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen dates back to 2010, when Sonnen appeared on ESPN Radio and called out the then-Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion. For a number of years, their public feud continued to build in intensity, with both fighters engaging in verbal jabs whenever they were paid.
At UFC 159, their rivalry came to a dramatic climax; Sonnen stepped into the octagon with the Light Heavyweight Championship belt on the line. Throughout most of the fight, Jones dominated and appeared set for an early victory. But just before the fourth round concluded, referee Scott Armstrong stopped the fight and announced that Jones had invoked his corner’s instruction to end it due to an injury he sustained from Sonnen’s illegal strikes.
Despite this outcome, their feud reignited once more at UFC 165 when Jones defended his title against Alexander Gustafson. At this event, during one of his interviews backstage prior to the show-stealer between Gustafson and Jones, Sonnen emerged from nowhere and gave “Bones” some choice words about ending his illustrious career if he decided to move up in weight class instead of face him again. Then again at UFC 175 on July 6th 2014 after another successful defense against Alexander Gustafson – Chael quickly reappeared as he questioned Jon’s legacy should he choose not to fight him one last time before finally walking away from MMA competition altogether.
Their permanently interlinked relationship has been followed all around by fanbase who are eager to see who will win between these two all-time greats when they finally step into Octagon together one more time for one final rivalry showdown — if ever it happens!
The Fight
Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones have had a longstanding rivalry that has spanned across multiple years. The fight between them has been one of the most exciting and highly anticipated matchups in recent years.
This article will take a closer look at the two fighters and their past battles. It will also discuss the potential outcome of this epic rivalry.
The Build-up
The intense rivalry between UFC fighters Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones has been brewing for quite some time. Both athletes have engaged in verbal sparring matches ahead of their fight at UFC 159. Jones and Sonnen have voiced plenty of negative remarks about each other in the press, leading up to their highly anticipated April 27 bout.
The feud between them can be traced back to before their first scheduled matchup at UFC 151 on Sept. 1, 2012, when Sonnen became the replacement fighter for Jones’ original opponent Dan Henderson. The match was ultimately called off since both fighters refused to fight on such short notice, with each citing various injuries as the reason why they couldn’t compete. Since then Jones and Sonnen are looking forward to engaging in a battle which has promised intense action-filled scenes and entertainment that can be seen nowhere else other than inside the octagon.
Following this cancellation, Sonnen declared himself as “the last line of defense against Jon Jones’ unchecked reign of dominance” calling out “Bones’ ego better than anybody else. Subsequently, both competitors began a verbal exchange that was filled with expletives and insults aimed directly towards one another in the press conferences prior to their highly anticipated encounter nearly eight months later at UFC 159 at Newark’s Prudential Center.
With both men putting an emphatic win behind them heading into April 27th (Jones by submission over Vitor Belfort on September 22nd) or (Sonnen beating Mauricio Rua by unanimous decision on December 29th) it will be an emotional night where neither fighter will take a moment off which should create comedy gold moments all while two relentless warriors do whatever they must do to secure victory inside the octagon come fight night!
The Fight
On April 27, 2013 the world of mixed martial arts clashed with the battle between two of the best competitors in the sport at that time – Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones. The fight, which was labeled as ” history in the making,” occurred as part of UFC 159, and saw two rising stars go head-to-head.
Before the fight, Chael Sonnen was on a huge winning streak having won 10 out of 11 fights via submission or TKO. His only loss in that span was to Anderson Silva at UFC 117 in an incredible back-and-forth battle for five rounds. Meanwhile, Jon Jones had climbed his way to fame quickly with a record of 16—1—0 consisting mostly of submissions and knockouts.
The fifth round would prove to be a backbreaker for Jones as Sonnen took advantage with an arm triangle choke submission after securing top position which forced ‘Bones’ to tap out for then only time in his career thus far. With this impressive victory over one of MMA’s biggest stars at the time, it solidified Sonnen’s place within the sport and showed how powerful he could be when going up against some stiff competition.
Although this rivalry has been squashed since then with both men retiring from active competition, they will remain linked through their epic battles inside and outside of the octagon. However, it could be said that this rivalry sits at the pinnacle of MMA’s greatest moments as these two formidable opponents tested each other physical limits – ultimately leading to one memorable fight which ended up defining their legacies forevermore.
