Chael Sonnen questions Justin Gaethje over denial of potential staph infection ahead of UFC 324

UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen isn’t buying Justin Gaethje’s recent dismissal of a possible staph infection suffered ahead of UFC 324.

Justin Gaethje will get his second chance at winning an interim lightweight title later this month when he clashes with Paddy Pimblett in the UFC 324 main event. Gaethje and Pimblett will fight for the interim belt amid Ilia Topuria’s ongoing hiatus from competition.

Gaethje is looking to hand Pimblett his first UFC defeat when they meet in the Octagon in Las Vegas. However, ahead of UFC 324, Gaethje raised eyebrows when an image of him in camp showed a concerning bruise on his neck, prompting some to speculate that he may be suffering from a staph infection that could impact the event.

Gaethje addressed speculation quickly, claiming it was an ingrown hair that won’t jeopardize his upcoming fight at UFC 324. But UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen isn’t buying what Gaethje is selling.

Chael Sonnen on Justin Gaethje: “Will the fight go on?”

In a recent segment on his YouTube channel, Sonnen dismissed Gaethje’s recent dismissal after fans feared he suffered a staph infection that could cancel the UFC 324 headliner.

“First off, will the fight go on?” Sonnen said. “Is that a question we’re asking? I’m rather confident that it will. A general staph infection like a wrestler or grappler would get, it takes three days to solve something like this. Secondly, would it affect the fight because you’re talking about a medication taken?—This is how I’m interpreting the question—No, I don’t think so. I also don’t know what it is that Justin has on his neck. I know it is not an ingrown hair.

“That’s my only concern is that he came out—the cover-up is always worse than the crime. So if he thinks he has an ingrown hair, let’s just say for example—I can tell you that’s not an ingrown hair—but if he genuinely thinks that, that’s not just a cover story, then it could be staph, which means it could spread. And when it’s this visible, it could be an issue. But I think we’re talking about nothing.” (h/t MMA Fighting)

As of this writing, Gaethje vs. Pimblett remains a go for UFC 324.