If there’s one thing that former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and rising lightweight star Paddy Pimblett have in common, it’s their thoughts on Chael Sonnen…
During a recent episode of his podcast, Chattin Pony, Pimblett was joined by Ortiz, who recorded five successful defenses during his stint on the UFC’s 205-pound throne between 2000 and 2003.
At one point, their discussion fell on the topic of Sonnen, whom Ortiz submitted back at Bellator 170 in 2017 during a bout that followed years worth of trash talk and animosity. Whilst “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” sharing a negative take on Sonnen has long been the norm, the development of Pimbett’s beef with “The American Gangster” is relatively new.
“The Baddy” only arrived on the UFC scene last September having left the Cage Warriors promotion, where he held featherweight gold, in pursuit of success inside the Octagon. Since then, Pimblett has developed into one of the most talked-about fighters on the roster owing to his trio of stoppage wins and antics outside the cage.
And when there’s someone or something to talk about, best believe Sonnen has a YouTube video covering it…
“To be honest, Chael’s always talking about me,” Pimblett said. “He’s even done videos where I’ve said he’s talking about me, about me mentioning he’s talking about me. It’s just like, what are you doing, lad? Stop making videos about me. I don’t know you. He just does what he does doesn’t he, just talks, talks, talks.”
Ortiz quickly backed up Pimblett’s view, claiming that everything that comes out of Sonnen’s mouth is “bullsh*t.”
“He’s always talk, talk, talk. He’s all bullsh*t, he has nothing to back it,” Ortiz said. “But you know what? if they’re talking about you, it’s good.”
With regards to Pimblett, Sonnen certainly has been talking. A quick YouTube search shows over 10 videos about the Scouser on Sonnen’s channel, varying from “is Paddy the Baddy being fed easy opponents” and “fat Paddy the Baddy & The Monkey King” to “It’s time to make up with Paddy the Baddy.”
Ortiz Shares Pimblett’s Sentiment, Labels Sonnen A “P*ssy”
Describing his own tumultuous relationship with the former middleweight and light heavyweight UFC title challenger, Ortiz suggested that be it inside a cage or on the streets, he’s not done with Sonnen yet.
“I’ll probably compete one more time. We’re trying to get this p*ssy Chael Sonnen to fight, but all he has is a f*cking mouth,” Ortiz said. “I don’t like (him). Either I’m gonna punch him in person and go to jail for it, or I’m gonna get paid for it. So, either one, it’s gonna happen. I just need the guy to stop making excuses.
“His manager Tiki (Ghosn) has to make his contract decisions. Be a f*cking man of your word and step up. You said you tapped me? Let’s see if you can do it again. I made him look like a little b*tch… I just dislike the guy,” Ortiz continued. “That guy kinda (crossed) the line with me. I gave him the opportunity to apologize, and he didn’t… I don’t hate many, but that is one person I do hate.”
It’s clear that Ortiz and Sonnen’s brief time in the Bellator cage together did little to settle their animosity. The bout was won by “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” via submission inside the first round, although Sonnen later claimed that Ortiz had “verbally tapped.”
In the aftermath, Ortiz admitted that he’d held onto the submission beyond the end of the bout due to the trash talk he’d been subjected to pre-fight.
What do you make of Paddy Pimblett and Tito Ortiz’s negative opinions about Chael Sonnen?