Former UFC star Chel Sonnen hit again at Jorge Masvidal with recent feedback on Ariel Helwani, turning the previous BMF champion’s steroid-style jab into a pointy criticism of how Masvidal has approached his personal profession. The alternate comes as Masvidal’s bare-knuckle promotion, Gamebred FC, prepares for 2026 tournaments within the Dominican Republic and Miami, with a mixed prize pool of $500,000 in heavyweight and light-weight tournaments.
Masvidal sparked the spherical in late April by calling Sonnen “mendacity” on his podcast about Masvidal’s return to the UFC and accusing him of utilizing “seven kinds of PEDs” throughout his profession. He then issued a proper problem, demanding that Sonnen cross over to Gamebred for a bare-knuckle blended martial arts match, taunting him with gender-related slurs and the road that he would “beat the shit out of lesbians” when he moved as much as heavyweight.
Chel Sonnen bounces Jorge Masvidal’s steroid jab: ‘I ought to have put the needle in’
In an interview with Helwani, Sonnen as a substitute reframed Masvidal’s drug-free report as a form of risk-averse profession alternative. “Jorge Masvidal did not respect his profession sufficient to stay a needle in his ass once in a while. He is in one of many dirtiest gyms within the historical past of the game, however he is achieved it the correct approach. I’ve to provide it to him. He is by no means cheated.” This quote displays Sonnen’s longstanding tendency to internalize his PED historical past whereas viewing his clean-cut rival as much less dedicated.
Sonnen’s feedback draw an precise chapter from his personal report. After shedding to Anderson Silva at UFC 117 in 2010, he examined constructive for elevated testosterone ranges, which later turned one of the cited drug incidents in trendy MMA. The episode has since come up repeatedly each time Masvidal mentions “seven totally different PEDs,” however Sonnen maintains that using performance-enhancing medication is only one of many boundaries a fighter can cross.
For now, the dispute stays extra a battle of phrases and social media clips than a signed contract. Gamebred’s 2026 schedule provides Masvidal a corporate-sponsored stage to amplify his calls, whereas Sonnen’s platform as a podcaster and media character ensures a fast response to each volley.
