"In the absence of Conor McGregor" - Chael Sonnen claims Tom Aspinall and Ilia Topuria are making a play toward becoming face of the UFC

Chael Sonnen believes there is a gap at the top of the UFC amid Conor McGregor's absense from the sport.

Despite not regularly competing in the octagon since 2016, 'The Notorious' is widely regarded as the biggest star ever MMA has ever produced. The 36-year-old features in all five of the highest ever PPV buys in UFC history and is often credited to be the catalyst that helped push the promotion to the mainstream.

The Dublin native last fought back in 2021 when he suffered an injury during his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. He was then set to make his comeback last year against Michael Chandler, but another injury forced him out of the fight.

In his absense, a number of stars have been making waves in the sport. Tom Aspinall is the interim heavyweight champion and is currenly waiting for a potential record-breaking bout against Jon Jones. Ilia Topuria on the other hand recently reigned supreme at the top the featherweight division and now plans to do the same at lightweight.

Recently, Chael Sonnen offered his thoughts on the gap Conor McGregor has seemingly left at the top of the sport. According to Sonnen, there are a number of fighters looking to take McGregor's place. He said:

"In the absence of Conor McGregor it's a seat that needs to be taken...Right now the battle is between Tom [Aspinall] and Ilia [Topuria]. It's a hard seat to get...It's a risky game man because it's the way that legends are made...If you call it and you get it you're a star, if you don't you open yourself and become susceptible."

Catch Sonnen's comments below (2:05):

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Michael Chandler answers who he'd rather face next between Conor McGregor and Islam Makhachev

Michael Chandler recently opened up his social media to fan questions while he was travelling on a flight. During the exchange, one fan asked the lightweight contender who he would rather fight next, Conor McGregor or Islam Makhachev.

Though the choice would seem obvious to some, considering Makhachev is the current champion, Chandler opted for a different approach. Responding with just one word, the 38-year-old wrote:

“Conor.”

Despite regularly expressing his interest in becoming the undisputed champion before he retires, it appears as though Chandler isn't planning on letting McGregor off. The pair were previously set to face off in the octagon last year, but the bout was canceled due to an injury to the Irishman.

With McGregor still adamant he will return to the octagon, Chandler will almost certainly look to be at the front of the queue.