Chael Sonnen issues Alex Pereira ultimatum amid accidental feud: "Chama Chael"

The MMA community has often seen former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira as having an aura around him, though it seemingly diminished after his recent loss to Magomed Ankalaev.

Funnily enough, the word 'aura' got three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen in the bad books of 'Poatan.' The 47-year-old's unique way of complimenting got lost in translation.

Sonnen shared how it all went down during his recent appearance on Submission Radio. From 'The American Gangster's' story, it seemed like Daniel Cormier might be somewhat responsible for the situation.

"I said [to Daniel Cormier] I met Alex Pereira, and he had an aura around him. I said he came up and shook my hand, and then he asked me through an interpreter, 'Was that a feminine handshake, or was my handshake strong enough?' I said, 'Hey, I wasn't really testing. Give me another one.' So he gave me a handshake, and I said, 'No, it's not soft. That's a very good handshake,'" Sonnen said.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

After Sonnen shared the story with Cormier, Pereira heard it and misinterpreted Sonnen as being disrespectful. 'Poatan' made his feelings known to 'DC,' and Sonnen soon heard about it.

In this scenario, 'The American Gangster' sent a stern warning to the Brazilian fighter.

"Now, I don't totally know what 'Chama' means, but I know when he says it that you'd rather have it than not have it. So he said, 'No Chama for Chael.' And Pereira needs to know, yes Chama Chael or ostrich boot in your n*ts. Those are Pereira's two choices," Sonnen added.

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments about Alex Pereira below (34:18):

Chael Sonnen believes Alex Pereira can be a bargaining chip for the UFC

As per Chael Sonnen, Alex Pereira is the only fighter who could become a three-division UFC champion. However, the 47-year-old doesn't think that there is enough storyline for 'Poatan' to move up, coming off a loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313.

In this scenario, Sonnen firmly believes that the UFC could use Alex Pereira as a bargaining chip to make the fight between heavyweight champion Jon Jones and the interim titleholder Tom Aspinall. He shared his thoughts on his YouTube channel and said:

"Like if we couldn't get Jones and Aspinall done, what are you going to do? You call Ciryl? What do you do? You put Ciryl with Aspinall? That's where it would be so helpful to have Pereira at heavyweight, just purely as a bargaining chip if needed."

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (0:24):

About the author

Safeer M S is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda, having delved into the sport professionally since 2024. His journey into baseball was sparked by Shohei Ohtani’s remarkable MLB performances, which ignited his passion for the game. Safeer’s enthusiasm for fantasy baseball further fueled his engagement with the sport.

Safeer supports baseball stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge, with Shohei Ohtani's dual-threat dominance being his most memorable baseball moment. He admires Willie Mays for his athleticism and historic achievements in pinch-hitting and stealing bases.

In addition to his baseball expertise, Safeer is deeply passionate about combat sports, which he has been reporting on since 2022. His journey into combat sports began with Karate lessons in school, followed by boxing training. Films like Rocky 4, Never Back Down, and Warrior inspired his love for MMA, and witnessing Demetrious Johnson's victory over Kyoji Horiguchi solidified his commitment to the sport.

When not immersed in sports, Safeer enjoys playing football, working out, and watching anime or thriller movies.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Tejas Rathi