Islam Makhachev is not having any of the flak thrown at him. Since he decided to move up to the welterweight division, Makhachev has been facing criticism. And one of those came from the former UFC star, Chael Sonnen. Reprimanding the decision, Sonnen termed it as ‘cowardly.’ And this is not something that sat well with the former lightweight champion.
Taking to his social media recently, Makhachev hit back at Sonnen in a brutal manner. Calling Sonnen an ‘average’ fighter, Makhachev stated that he was unable to fathom what chasing greatness looked and felt like. The Dagestani also criticized Sonnen for gaining popularity with ‘cheap trash talks.’
“Chasing hype and money is not the same as chasing greatness in sport. But average athlete, who built his way to the top with cheap trash talk, won’t understand that. So please seat and watch how others doing it, uncle Chael,” Makhachev wrote.
Islam Makhachev fires back after Chael Sonnen calls his impending move to welterweight a 'cowardly act' 🗣️🔥 pic.twitter.com/TZSEcmnk3i
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) May 22, 2025
Surely, the resounding reply from the lightweight king holds a lot of weight. This is not a sudden move from Makhachev. He has been teasing the idea of becoming a double champion for a long time. Meanwhile, as Makhachev has already hit the gym to bulk up for his next fight, here’s what Chael Sonnen said about Islam Makhachev.
Chael Sonnen Claims Islam Makhachev ‘Ran Away’ From Ilia Topuria
Chael Sonnen recently had a brutal criticism of Makhachev’s move to the lightweight division. Terming the move as a ‘sign of cowardice,’ Sonnen opined that the Dagestani ‘ran away’ from Ilia Topuria. Speaking on a recent episode of ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ podcast, the former UFC star mentioned that while Topuria was chasing him down, Makhachev had no intention of accepting the challenge.
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“You have an undefeated, #1 ranked world champion who’s chasing you down… You are so interested in getting away from this guy, that you leave your belt,” Sonnen opined.
Chael Sonnen says Islam Makhachev moving up to 170 is a ‘sign of cowardice’ 😬
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 19, 2025
“You have an undefeated, #1 ranked world champion who’s chasing you down…
You are so interested in getting away from this guy, that you leave your belt.”
🎥 @espnmma #UFCpic.twitter.com/2KIHEyBC4u
Thus, with shots being fired from both ends, it now remains to be seen how things pan out in the future.
Also Read: UFC Veteran Gives Surprising Take On Ilia Topuria Moving To Lightweight
