Chael Sonnen doesn’t believe Floyd Mayweather Jr. and company are being truthful with the product being put out.

Mayweather has retired from professional boxing. However, since his final win against Conor McGregor in Aug. 2017 which saw him obtain a flawless 50-0, he’s performed in three exhibition matches. The first of the bunch came as a massive surprise when Mayweather found his way into Japan-based MMA giant RIZIN Fighting Federation. In that Dec. 2018 New Year’s clash atop RIZIN 14, Mayweather knocked out undefeated superstar kickboxing prodigy Tenshin Nasukawa in two minutes and 20 seconds.

This weekend at Super RIZIN on Sept. 25, the 45-year-old legend returns for a showdown with former RIZIN title challenger, Mikuru Asakura. Many people questioned Mayweather’s legitimacy, but the Sonnen will be there.

“Floyd is claiming he’s gonna get $20 million for this — I call it ‘rassling because they’re not actually [fighting] — but whatever they’re getting ready to do in Japan, whatever that is that’s going to look like boxing, he’s getting $8 million,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. Eight is an impressive number. But he claimed he was getting 20. So I feel because I know the real number, that I can’t let it go. You guys, I have to come. I have a journalistic obligation to come and inform you it’s actually $8 million and he’s exaggerating.

“He is going to exhibit? It’s called something. He’s doing ‘little guys that are terrible.’ He’s getting good exposure making a bunch of money and he’s having a really good time. These things are troubling to me. He shouldn’t have a bad time. No fighter gets to have fun. No fighter that’s 40 years old that isn’t doing actual fights, only pretending to go against terrible competition that can barely sell … These guys are unable to even claim that they have been knocked out. It’s not all that good. They don’t get to have fun and make millions of dollars.”

Mayweather had two matches following Nasukawa against very different opponents. The first was a eight round no loss against Logan Paul, a YouTube sensation who is physically larger than “Money”. This past May, he then went to Abu Dhabi for what wound up as another no decision against his old training partner Don Moore.

Unlike Nasukawa — a kickboxer around 126-pounds — Asakura would likely provide Mayweather with a much better challenge simply for his similarity in size alone. Regardless, speaking at a press conference earlier this week, Mayweather highlighted how he doesn’t train much these days and just wants to “travel and enjoy life.”

Mayweather referred to the Asakura matchup as “between a plane and a fly .”

“Floyd’s going to go make $8 million to not actually compete with a guy who if he did compete with he would destroy in 30 seconds,” Sonnen said. “Other people that are actually willing to fight, not call it an exhibition, not go out for eight rounds, not shorten the time limits to two a piece instead of three … can’t make a 10th of that. Why would I tease Floyd? It sounds like Floyd is the one who figured it all out.

“If Floyd can go in there and get $8 million for whatever that is and he doesn’t have to work very hard, he doesn’t have to train at all because the script is on his side and they’ve already told him who’s going down and when, isn’t that something I’d want to emulate? Floyd is going over to Dubai and will do something. This will be the second time he has done this. He’s sure to make millions. I don’t know, I think in Dubai, they’re actual competition, they’re just with bums. Those might also be scripted like the stuff he’s doing in Japan, I don’t actually know that, I haven’t got to see one, they’re like little private events.”

Sonnen’s belief in fight fixing isn’t an allegation any organization wants to be bestowed upon them. For RIZIN, the closing of its 2021 campaign was followed by the same controversy stemming from the result of a bout between Atsushi “Shibatar” Saito and Yuta Kubo.

In his second appearance at RIZIN, Shibatar, a YouTube star, won a wild victory with an armbar in the first round that led to fixed-fight claims. The promotion has since gone out of its way to state the fight was legitimate and has distanced itself entirely from Shibatar and Kubo.

In the end, Mayweather’s match with Asakura won’t be the only wacky spectacle taking place at Super RIZIN. The co-main event actually has it beat in the “freakshow” factor, featuring the combat sports debut of Mayweather’s bodyguard Ray “Jizzy Mack” Sadeghi when he takes on 30-plus fight kickboxing veteran, Koji “Kouzi” Tanaka.

” This is his second trip back [to Japan],” Sonnen stated. People use Floyd once and then they stop going back. This was an awful deal. These guys are. They paid him $8 million, gave him a script, bringing him back again, giving him $8 million, have him read the script.”

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VIDEO STEW

Between The Links.

Bellator 285 weigh-ins.

Bellator 285 main card fighter finishes.

The history maker.

Free fight.

Sterling’s hard cardio workout.

Adesanya prep.

Fancy on Aldo.

Poirier and Chandler hash it out.

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LISTEN UP

Heck of a Morning. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck discusses Kevin Holland’s possible retirement, Raul Ross Jr.’s making history and much more.

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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Jake has been created.

Accurate.

Buds.

Nate, and Beej.

Art can be described as pain.

War dye for the champ ahead of the semifinals.

Proposal.

MMA comedy.

Respect.

Welcome to Shredsville…

Immortal.

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Daniel Rodriguez (17-2) vs. Neil Magny (26-10); UFC Vegas 62, Oct. 15

Darrick Minner (26-13) vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (38-10); UFC Vegas 64, Nov. 5

Saori Oshima (9-3) vs. Mizuki Furuse (9-9); Deep 110 Impact, Nov. 12

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FINAL THOUGHTS

The claim that RIZIN fixed the Tenshin fight had been made repeatedly. Let’s bring in a 40-year-old Mayweather to embarrass one of the biggest combat sports stars in not just the promotion, but the country, if not the biggest. Oh, then let’s do it again with yet another one of those superstars.

No matter his age, it’d be enough for one of the guys from their team to defeat Floyd Mayweather. Exhibition or not. It’s worth taking the chance to see him fight — there is no joke business.

Happy Friday, gang. Have a great weekend, UFCless! And as always, thank you for reading.

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EXIT POLL

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