Chael Sonnen responds to Jorge Masvidal’s bare-knuckle challenge and fiery rant: ‘Struck a nerve!’

UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen responded to Jorge Masvidal’s recent callout as the two reignited their long-standing feud.

Inaugural BMF champion Jorge Masvidal continues to tease a return to the UFC Octagon as he plans to end his retirement stemming from UFC 287. After a loss to former UFC title challenger Gilbert Burns, Masvidal announced his retirement in front of his hometown crowd in Miami.

Three years after his retirement, Masvidal wants to return to the cage against a marquee name. Conor McGregor was briefly floated around as a potential opponent for Masvidal, before those rumors fizzled in recent weeks.

Amidst Masvidal’s uncertain return timeline, Chael Sonnen accused Masvidal of ‘putting on a work’ and not being fully truthful about his fight plans. This prompted Masvidal to call out Sonnen for a bare-knuckle fight in an X-rated rant on his Death Row MMA podcast.

Chael Sonnen/Jorge Masvidal feud escalates after bare-knuckle callout

In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen hit back at Masvidal.

“I only said one thing, that Jorge isn’t returning to the UFC,” Sonnen said of Masvidal.

“He came after me very hard, from a personal standpoint. Angry, fighting back, that’s the part that made me feel bad. I wasn’t trying to go for Jorge’s jugular, and I could tell that I struck a nerve. In Jorge’s response, he never once touched on the only thing that I said. He never once touched on and said ‘I’m returning to the UFC’ or that he was working a character.

“He never addressed the only thing that I brought up, and that made me feel bad. I didn’t say that to hurt Jorge’s feelings!”

As of this writing, it’s uncertain if Masvidal and Sonnen’s feud will transition into a fight in the cage or boxing ring between the two former UFC stars. Sonnen returned to combat sports in a boxing match against two-time UFC rival Anderson Silva in June 2024.

Who wins in a Jorge Masvidal vs. Chael Sonnen bare-knuckle fight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!