Chael Sonnen has suspected for long that something is off about UFC 294. Specifically, he believes that the Paulo Costa vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight sounds way off than it should. The UFC veteran has said it before and now has uploaded another video backing up his earlier claim.

Both the fighters have had issues in the past with actually getting into the cage. Now, both are scheduled to go against each other in a co-main event in October. However, if Sonnen is to be believed, something doesn’t smell right about it.

Chael Sonnen suspects Paulo Costa vs. Khamzat Chimaev may not happen

Chael Sonnen is smart and outspoken. Those have seen his characteristics from the day he joined the UFC. And now, the retired fighter has alleged that the fight between Costa and Chimaev may not be the number 1 contender’s fight at all.

” … Chimaev and Paulo Costa are getting ready to fight in what we believe is the number one contenders match. Not only has the organization not said that, they haven’t said it,” explained Sonnen. “Those two are acting like they’re not getting ready to fight each other, by the way, that could be a conversation for another day. There is something that is very off about the promotion, or lack thereof, between those two about that fight.”

Sonnen has also projected doubt about the lack of backup fighters for the co-main event. He accused the UFC of trying to protect a match that might not happen by not having backup fighters. Having backup would mean confirming that the match has some issues and so that’s a risky move on the part of the organization. The lack of conversations between the fighters has also bothered the veteran for long.

“They’re both just as busy on social media, by the way. They’re just not talking about each other,” said Sonnen. Usually before a fight, there is at least a little bit of beef or conversation between the fighters. Especially if those fighters are Costa and Chimaev. The lack of even a tiny bit of going at each other on social media might feel like a sign to some, including Sonnen.

Also Read: “Scared Sh*tless” Khamzat Chimaev Accused of Playing Spoilsport to Dana White and UFC’s Year-Long Plans in Colby Covington’s All-Revealing Rant

Sonnen’s points are valid, especially considering the change in the divisional throne at UFC 293. With Sean Strickland as the new champion, either Chimaev or Costa could easily call for a title shot with a dominant win at UFC 294. This would make way for some fresh matchups in the upper echelons of the UFC middleweight division. So what is holding the UFC back?

Is the UFC not betting on Costa vs. Chimaev?

The suspicions are probably because of the fighters’ previous fight trajectory. Chimaev’s last fight was against Kevin Holland in September last year. The only reason he fought Holland was because he missed weight to actually fight Nate Diaz.

On the other hand, Paulo Costa had pulled out of a fight against Ikram Aliskerov on short notice. Now, he’ll be saving up his fuel and strength to fight Chimaev instead. The fight is scheduled to go down on October 22nd. Two fighters with a history of missing weight and pulling out is always a cause for concern for the promotion.

So it remains to be seen how the mysterious fight will go down and who will emerge victorious. Maybe Sonnen will have another video detailing everything once it happens.

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