Chael Sonnen has been approached to serve as the backup for the upcoming boxing bout featuring Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. Originally slated for June 1 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, the fight has now been rescheduled to take place at The Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, July 6. Boxing Scene was the first to break the news of this venue change.
Speculations were rife regarding Sonnen being offered the backup position for the fight, a claim that he validated during an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. Sonnen made it clear that he wasn’t looking to fight Nate Diaz but was willing to step in if required to face Masvidal. He expressed his frustration at not being given due recognition for the offer and took issue with Masvidal for what he perceived as disrespectful remarks concerning the potential matchup.
Sonnen, who is no stranger to controversies regarding his past use of TRT and PEDs, stated that he would be up for fighting Masvidal under any circumstances, including being enhanced. Nonetheless, he emphasized that he didn’t want to take away the opportunity from Nate Diaz and promptly informed the relevant parties of his decision.
