Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has voiced strong criticism regarding the main event of UFC 327, where Jiri Prochazka is set to face Carlos Ulberg for the vacant light heavyweight championship. The fight was scheduled after former champion Alex Pereira relinquished the title to pursue glory in the heavyweight division.
Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division, enters the bout on a two-fight win streak, having secured victories over Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. by knockout. Ulberg, ranked third, boasts an impressive nine-fight winning streak within the UFC, with notable wins against Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz.
Despite the seemingly logical matchup between two top contenders for a vacant title, Sonnen believes the UFC has made a mistake. In a recent video shared on his channel, Sonnen argued that either Khalil Rountree Jr., Jamahal Hill, or Magomed Ankalaev would have been more appropriate choices for the title shot than Ulberg or Prochazka.
“I have no idea why Jiri Prochazka is fighting Ulberg, other than Alex Pereira left,” Sonnen stated. “I have no idea why we have a world title fight at 205 pounds that does not involve the most exciting 205-pounder, Rountree, the most compelling 205-pounder, Jamahal, or the most decorated 205-pounder, Ankalaev.”
Sonnen further elaborated on his dissatisfaction with the fight’s narrative, declaring, “The storyline on this fight is so poor… Neither guy is the right guy. We have got two wrong guys… I’m well aware that I could get on the scale and go whip both of these guys’ asses. That’s not the point. I’m not going to. I’m going to be on the outside calling the fight.”
Expressing his frustration, he added, “I can’t put lipstick on this pig!… But sometimes… You gotta shoot on the son of a bitch. That’s the way you handle this. Let me shoot on the son of a bitch. Not only do we have the wrong guy in this fight, we have two wrong guys! Where is Ankalaev?”
It is worth noting that the fighters Sonnen suggested as more deserving contenders—Khalil Rountree Jr., Jamahal Hill, and Magomed Ankalaev—are all coming off recent losses and have not yet secured a win in their latest outings. Rountree Jr. was defeated by Jiri Prochazka via TKO. Jamahal Hill is currently on a three-fight losing streak, with his last victory in 2023. Magomed Ankalaev lost his title to Alex Pereira last year in their rematch.
Chael Sonnen Criticizes UFC 327 Main Event
Chael Sonnen has strongly criticized the UFC 327 headliner, featuring Jiri Prochazka against Carlos Ulberg for the vacant light heavyweight title. According to the former fighter, the matchup is incorrect for a world title fight.
Sonnen believes that fighters like Khalil Rountree Jr., Jamahal Hill, or Magomed Ankalaev would have been more suitable contenders. He expressed his bewilderment on his YouTube channel:
“I don’t understand why Jiri Prochazka is fighting Ulberg, other than Alex Pereira vacating. It’s baffling that a world title fight at light heavyweight doesn’t include the most exciting contender, Rountree; the most compelling, Jamahal; or the most accomplished, Ankalaev.”
He further commented on the lack of compelling narrative for the fight:
“The story behind this fight is weak… Neither participant is the correct choice. We have two unsuitable fighters… I know I could defeat both of them, but that’s not the point. My role is to comment from the outside.”
Sonnen concluded with frustration:
“I can’t make this fight sound appealing!… But sometimes, you have to address the situation directly. It’s the only way to handle it. Not only is one of the fighters in this bout the wrong choice, but both are. Where is Ankalaev?”
It’s important to note that the fighters Sonnen advocates for—Rountree Jr., Hill, and Ankalaev—have all experienced recent losses. Rountree Jr. lost to Prochazka, Hill has a three-fight losing streak, and Ankalaev was defeated by Pereira.
Chael Sonnen Slams UFC 327 Main Event: “Wrong Fight”
Chael Sonnen has vocally disapproved of the UFC 327 main event, which pits Jiri Prochazka against Carlos Ulberg for the vacant light heavyweight championship. Sonnen argues that this matchup is not the right one for a world title bout.
In a recent video, Sonnen expressed his confusion as to why fighters like Khalil Rountree Jr., Jamahal Hill, or Magomed Ankalaev were not chosen instead of Ulberg or Prochazka. He stated:
“I can’t fathom why Jiri Prochazka is facing Ulberg, especially with Alex Pereira vacating. It’s perplexing that a light heavyweight world title fight doesn’t feature the most exciting 205-pounder, Rountree; the most compelling, Jamahal; or the most decorated, Ankalaev.”
He further criticized the fight’s lack of compelling appeal:
“The narrative surrounding this fight is incredibly weak… Both fighters chosen are the wrong ones… I’m confident I could beat both of them, but that’s beside the point. My job is to provide commentary from the outside.”
Sonnen concluded his critique with strong disapproval:
“I can’t spin this fight positively!… But sometimes, you have to call it as it is. This is the only way to address it. We don’t just have one wrong fighter in this main event; we have two! What about Ankalaev?”
It’s worth mentioning that the contenders Sonnen proposed—Rountree Jr., Hill, and Ankalaev—are all coming off recent defeats. Rountree Jr. lost to Prochazka, Hill is on a three-fight losing streak, and Ankalaev lost his title to Pereira.
English Translation:
Chael Sonnen has gone on a rampage about the UFC 327 main event. This weekend, in the UFC 327 headliner, Jiri Prochazka will face Carlos Ulberg, with the vacant light heavyweight strap up for grabs.
The promotion set up this matchup after two-time 205-pound titleholder Alex Pereira vacated the title and moved up to 265 pounds in pursuit of three-division glory.
Prochazka, the No. 2-ranked light heavyweight contender, is riding a two-fight win streak and has knocked out Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. in his last two bouts.
Meanwhile, Ulberg, the No. 3-ranked contender, is riding a nine-fight UFC win streak and boasts wins over Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz, among others.
A clash between two top contenders for the light heavyweight title makes perfect sense, but Chael Sonnen sees it differently.
Chael Sonnen Blasts UFC 327 Main Event
According to the UFC Hall of Famer, ‘two wrong guys are fighting for the world title.’ During a recent video on his channel, Sonnen opined that Khalil Rountree Jr., Jamahal Hill, or Magomed Ankalaev should have received the golden ticket instead of Ulberg or Prochazka. He said:
“I’ve got no idea why Jiri Prochazka is fighting Ulberg other than Alex Pereira left. I have no idea why we have a world title fight at 205 pounds that does not involve the most exciting 205-pounder, Rountree, the most compelling 205-pounder, Jamahal, or the most decorated 205-pounder, Ankalaev.”
“The storyline on this fight is so poor… Neither guy is the right guy. We have got two wrong guys… I’m well aware that I could get on the scale and go whip both of these guys’ asses. That’s not the point. I’m not going to. I’m going to be on the outside calling the fight.”
He went all out on the UFC 327 main event, adding:
“I can’t put lipstick on this pig!… But sometimes… You gotta shoot on the son of a bitch. That’s the way you handle this. Let me shoot on the son of a bitch. Not only do we have the wrong guy in this fight, we have two wrong guys! Where is Ankalaev?”
All three fighters Chael Sonnen named as deserving contenders for the light heavyweight title at UFC 327 are coming off losses and have yet to bounce back. Khalil Rountree Jr. suffered a TKO defeat to Jiri Prochazka, while Jamahal Hill is currently on a three-fight losing skid, with his last win dating back to 2023. Meanwhile, Magomed Ankalaev was dethroned by Alex Pereira last year in their rematch.