"It's a very rare thing"- Chael Sonnen explains what Conor McGregor has that Roy Jones Jr. and other combat stars couldn’t achieve

Ex-UFC fighter Chael Sonnen recently reflected on the reasons behind Conor McGregor's success in various fields. The former UFC double champion has launched several successful brands and also made his acting debut in the movie Road House, released in March 2024.

In a recent YouTube video, Sonnen pointed out that McGregor's commercial success in businesses such as Proper 12 Irish Whiskey and Forged Irish Stout, among others, is a rare achievement for an athlete. He elaborated further on the topic:

"That might sound very basic to you, but it's a very rare thing... We've had a number of people that have been very successful athletes and when they tried to cross into entertainment, it wasn't a matter if they weren't very good, they could not get their start. Their fans did not follow them."

Using the commercial success of McGregor and Jake Gyllenhaal-starring movie Road House as a reference, Sonnen elaborated further:

"Conor McGregor goes into movies, and it turns into the most watched movie and whatever that demographic was. Roy Jons could not force somebody to listen to him sing to the point that he sang himself to the ring one time. It was the only way to get boxing fans to watch him sing, to even get him a shot. That's much more common, Roy Jones is much more common. When people like you in one field, they generally, will not follow you to something else."

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (2:55):

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Chael Sonnen indicates Conor McGregor may not return to MMA competition

Conor McGregor has hinted at his return to competition multiple times, but it has yet to happen. In the aforementioned video, Chael Sonnen said:

"When you hear someone that tells you Conor is going to fight again, you've got to store that away as a 'dumb-dumb'. The numbers, simply, are not in that direction!"

Sonnen emphasized that despite McGregor's significant earning potential, he has not competed professionally for any promotion other than UFC since joining the organization. Sonnen believes that during McGregor's inactivity in recent years, the UFC has not encouraged or forced him to fight.

"[McGregor's] promoter doesn't promote him. The guy that has the legal right to have him do combat, doesn't!" [9:25]

This, in his view, suggests that McGregor may not intend to compete professionally again, and he urged promoters and analysts to take cognizance of this fact before initiating the comeback conversation.