EXCLUSIVE | Chael Sonnen explains why he truly believed Chuck Liddell fight would happen

Not long ago, there seemed to be real reason to believe that MMA legend Chuck Liddell was ready to make a comeback. Most rumors on this subject suggested that this possible Liddell comeback would occur in the Bellator cage, and that his opponent would be three-time UFC title challenger and current Bellator star Chael Sonnen.

Even Sonnen believed this is the way things were going to down, as he repeated eluded to this fight in interviews and on social media. Unfortunately, “The American Gangster” now feels this much-discussed scrap is a no-go.

“I thought there was some legs to [the Chuck Liddell fight],” Sonnen said on the latest edition of BJ Penn Radio. “If you would have asked me a couple of months ago, if you had asked me if that was going to happen, I had good evidence to believe it was. You know as well as anybody, in this sport, where there’s smoke there’s fire, every single time. There’s never a rumor that isn’t true, because our community is so small. Everybody tattles, everybody calls a friend. There’s a few ways to get a message out. You can telephone, telegraph or a tell a fighter, cause either way, the information’s going to get out there. And you know, Chuck said he wanted to fight again. He lost that job with the UFC, which was very public. He needed some money, and then he went back to the gym. He went to Thailand and kicked off a training camp. He goes to Jay Glazer’s gym, Unbreakable, every day. I go to that gym every time I’m in LA, so I know all those guys, and [they said] Chuck’s in there every single day. So I go ‘Ok, Chuck’s getting ready to fight. If he comes to Bellator, I’m the guy.”

“Well, no, I had it wrong,” Sonnen continued. “He’s not looking to fight. They sat down with him a couple of times, and he’s not looking to fight. He’s not signing the contract. But he does go to the gym everyday, so using the few clues that I have, a guy going to the gym every day and saying he wants to fight… [that guy] usually fights! But apparently he’s not. I don’t know what the end-game is there, if he’s just kind of enjoying getting in shape and the notoriety that comes along with it… I don’t know. I can only guess. But that matchup isn’t going to happen. So as far as what’s coming next, I’m waiting to hear.”

“I’m expecting a fight early next year. A few times next year in total. I’m training, I’ve been practicing every day, and I’m waiting for my phone to ring.”

Would you have been interested in a fight between Chael Sonnen and Chuck Liddell?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 10/26/2017.