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Chael Sonnen says he is ready to face BJJ star this weekend following heated callout

Originally posted on HITC | By Donagh Corby | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 3:26 PM ET

Chael Sonnen has verbally agreed to take on the man of the hour at this weekend’s Craig Jones Invitational.

Sonnen, a former UFC title challenger at both middleweight and light-heavyweight, has not fought in MMA since 2019. He did step back into the ring last summer for an exhibition boxing match against Anderson Silva, though it was more of a sparring session than a serious bout.

Now he has stepped up to face one of the sport’s most well-known grapplers, Craig Jones. The Australian was originally scheduled to face Olympic gold medallist Gable Steveson, but after Steveson pulled out with a questionable foot injury, he may have ended up with an even bigger name.

Chael Sonnen set to face Craig Jones after stepping in on short notice

After Gable Steveson pulled out of the Craig Jones Invitational, the main event needed a new opponent. Craig Jones turned his attention to Chael Sonnen, and the former UFC star didn’t waste any time accepting the invitation.

“Was he calling me out, was this the call out? He disguised it as a friendly phone call. You can tell Craig Jones not only do I accept, but I’m p—ed off about it.

“Do you know what I would do to Gable Steveson? This is a massive step up. The last time I saw Gable I put him in a headlock and I gave him a noogie right after I signed an autograph for him. Goodbye, turkey. I will see you at CJI,” Sonnen said on FloGrappling today.

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Craig Jones Invitational returns with $1million tournament

Craig Jones’ return is the headline draw at CJI 2, but the event’s format centres on a team tournament featuring eight squads of five fighters, with 10th Planet, New Wave, Atos, B-Team, and Daisy Fresh among them.

Three regional sides representing America, Australasia, and Europe will also compete.

The event will mark the final match of Jones’ career, as he prepares to step away from competition and his role as B-Team’s head coach.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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