"There is zero truth to it" - Chael Sonnen reacts to Daniel Cormier saying Israel Adesanya isn't the middleweight GOAT

Chael Sonnen has refuted Daniel Cormier’s claim that Israel Adesanya is not the greatest middleweight of all time.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier said that middleweight champion Israel Adesanya could not be the greatest because Anderson Silva “existed.” Chael Sonnen, who fought Silva twice during his time in the UFC, disagreed.

According to Sonnen, the GOAT debate is indeed between Adesanya and Silva. However, ‘DC’ cannot put Silva on top because ‘The Last Stylebender’ beat the Brazilian when they fought in 2019. In a recent video on YouTube, Sonnen said:

“There is zero truth to it. Look, If we are at least down to [Israel] Adesanya and Anderson [Silva], we've done a good and fair job as a community because those are the two [middleweight GOAT contenders] if we've at least got it down to them… It’s a valiant effort by Anderson, it was closer than any of us thought it would be, it was a great fight but that still answers the question.”

Sonnen is certain that the GOAT debate can be settled once the fighters involved take each other on. He further stressed that the same philosophy applies to the GOAT debate between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre:

“It has nothing to do, or at least not solely to do with resumes,” he added. “If Anderson beat 15 guys, Adesanya does not have to beat 15 guys to take over the spot of greatest of all time. In fact, we don't actually have to wonder if this is not Khabib [Nurmagomedov] versus Georges St-Pierre. If Khabib and Georges come out and fight so we could finally figure out who the greatest of all time is and not have this discussion.”

Watch Sonnen share his thoughts below:

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Israel Adesanya is not getting carried away by the acclaim

Israel Adesanya's flashy yet accurate striking got fans wondering if he would eclipse Silva. His win over the Brazilian legend was considered by many as a passing of the torch moment.

The reigning champion is set to defend his middleweight title in a rematch with Robert Whittaker at UFC 271. Ahead of the fight, Adesanya confessed that he remains unfazed by all the praise and stays focused on upgrading his "blueprint." In an exclusive interview with The Independent, he said:

"I’ve always been that kid when I came in this game where people used to say, ‘He’s special, he’s special,’ a lot about me," Adesanya admitted. "I kind of shunned it, I shied away from it, even though I learned very fast and was able to learn something today and apply it tomorrow. I’m just tapping back into that and accepting it. I am that guy, I am that kid who has that gift to replicate what he sees really quickly. I have the blueprint and I’ve been beating everyone with my old blueprint, but this is art, this game. Personally it’s... Last year was a bit boring for me, so I want to refresh my art. I’m doing just that.”