Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has responded to Jorge Masvidal’s accusations about steroid use, reframing Masvidal’s career choices in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani. This exchange occurs as Masvidal’s bare-knuckle promotion, Gamebred FC, prepares for upcoming events in the Dominican Republic and Miami, featuring tournaments with a substantial prize pool.
Masvidal initially provoked this discussion in late April, alleging on a podcast that Sonnen was “lying” about UFC return talks and accusing him of using “seven different PEDs” throughout his career. Masvidal then extended a challenge for a bare-knuckle MMA bout under the Gamebred banner, employing derogatory language and suggesting he could defeat Sonnen, even at heavyweight.
Chael Sonnen Reverses Masvidal’s Steroid Insult: “Should Have Injected Himself”
During his conversation with Helwani, Sonnen reinterpreted Masvidal’s clean record as a reluctance to fully commit to his career. Sonnen stated, “Jorge Masvidal did not respect his own career enough to inject himself now and then. He trained at one of the most notoriously tough gyms in sporting history, but he competed legitimately. I must give him credit for that – he never cheated.” This sentiment aligns with Sonnen’s consistent acknowledgment of his own past PED use while suggesting that rivals who remained clean might have been less dedicated.
Sonnen’s perspective is rooted in his personal history. Following his UFC 117 loss to Anderson Silva in 2010, he tested positive for elevated testosterone levels, a case that became a prominent example of doping in modern MMA. This incident frequently resurfaces when Masvidal references “seven different PEDs,” though Sonnen has previously argued that PED use is simply one of many boundaries fighters might choose to cross.
Currently, this conflict remains a verbal and social media battle, with no official fight contract in place. Masvidal’s Gamebred promotion provides a platform for him to continue his challenges, while Sonnen’s role as a podcast host and media personality ensures his swift responses to each public statement.