"I actually come from the point of positivity, I'd really like to see Brock, but I'm not falling for it. That's why I sound like I have a chip on my shoulder, because I'm not getting my way!"
Tuesday 15 September 2020 17:51, UK
Analyst Chael Sonnen believes former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is using MMA organisations, fans and pundits to leverage a better deal elsewhere, most likely the WWE.
Lesnar is now a free agent after his WWE deal reportedly ended after the former UFC champion and WWE chairman Vince McMahon could not agree on a new deal.
Lesnar has not been seen in a WWE ring since April when he lost to Scotland's Drew McIntrye at WrestleMania 36.
Since Lesnar has become a free agent, there has been speculation on whether or not he will make a return to MMA. UFC's Dana White and Bellator's Scott Coker have expressed interest in signing Lesnar, with Coker even going as far as to say that he has spoken to Lesnar's management about signing with the organisation.
While Sonnen agrees that Coker is being used by Lesnar, he told Sky Sports that the Bellator president will not be made look like a fool.
"Will Coker see an advantage to getting his own brand and his own name out there? Nobody is making a fool out of Scott Coker, I can tell you that. So Coker will allow himself to be used as much as he wants to be used," said Sonnen.
"Brock Lesnar is using us, MMA fans and pundits, as nothing more than leverage for him to go and get a better deal. It's very fair game by Brock Lesnar.
"[He's using] a couple of tricks. When they work, you go back to the well and that's what we're seeing.
"Quite frankly, I've got no problem with it! I really don't. It's annoying, but I want to see Brock. I actually come from the point of positivity, I'd really like to see Brock, but I'm not falling for it. That's why I sound like I have a chip on my shoulder, because I'm not getting my way!"
With many MMA fighters crossing over to Sports Entertainment and vice versa - Ken Shamrock, Ronda Rousey and Jack Hager to name a few - could we have seen Sonnen in the squared-circle?
Known as one of the best trash talkers to grace MMA, Sonnen revealed he nearly joined wrestling company WCW - who was eventually brought by WWE back in 2001:
"I mean I looked at that for a period of time, there was a rival company called WCW. WCW had something called a power plant where you went and trained. That would be today what you would think of for NXT for the WWE, but WCW had a power plant. And I went through that process. That was in 1998, and I was going to pursue that. I had two years of college left. WCW went out of business. They closed down, I went into MMA."
