Sonnen: UFC Missed Chance for Khabib vs. McGregor Rematch at Welterweight

According to former UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen, one of the biggest rematches in UFC history never happened because the promotion stayed locked into the wrong weight class. Sonnen believes that a fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor could have been booked if the UFC had moved the matchup from lightweight to welterweight.

Nurmagomedov retired in 2020 with a perfect 29-0 record, citing a promise to his mother after the passing of his father. However, Sonnen suggests that Nurmagomedov's career was marked by brutal weight cuts to reach the 155-pound limit, and that a higher weight class could have kept him active for longer.

Sonnen also argues that the UFC's reluctance to add a 165-pound division was a missed opportunity, as that could have been the ideal compromise for a Nurmagomedov-McGregor rematch. "The reason we didn't get Khabib vs. Conor 2 is they didn't look at the right number. If they would have made that 170 pounds as opposed to 155 pounds, they would have gotten that fight," Sonnen said.

Separately, Sonnen has repeatedly questioned the official explanation for McGregor's canceled return at UFC 303 last year. While McGregor blamed a broken toe, Sonnen suggests the former two-division champion may have entered rehab ahead of the fight, arguing that a fighter who once finished a round with a snapped leg withdrawing over a minor injury seems implausible.