An interview between Ariel Helwani and Chael Sonnen turned into a heated argument over Francis Ngannou‘s pay for a boxing match, with Sonnen threatening Helwani and ultimately ending the interview.
An interview between Ariel Helwani and Chael Sonnen turned into a fierce confrontation during Wednesday’s edition of The MMA Hour. The discussion initially revolved around Francis Ngannou’s recent split decision loss to Tyson Fury, where Sonnen was asked to address his previous remarks on the fight. However, the conversation quickly escalated into a heated argument about Ngannou’s earnings and the success of the boxing match.
Sonnen disputed Helwani’s report that Ngannou could earn between $10-20 million from the fight, claiming that the pay-per-view event did not perform as well as reported. As the tension grew, Sonnen even went so far as to threaten Helwani, saying he would “strangle” him, while Helwani repeatedly referred to Sonnen as a “liar.” The animosity between the former ESPN co-hosts persisted throughout their discussion.
The interview abruptly concluded when Sonnen decided to end the conversation. Helwani, unsure if Sonnen’s anger was genuine or not, acknowledged their history of contentious debates over the business aspect of MMA during their time as co-hosts on Ariel and The Bad Guy.
To watch the entire intense interview between Helwani and Sonnen, you can find the video above.