Chael Sonnen’s future in UFC broadcasting is uncertain.
The former two-time title challenger has been a popular analyst for ESPN since 2014, years before the UFC signed a deal with the network. Like the UFC, however, Sonnen’s contract with ESPN expires as 2026 begins, and he’s uncertain whether or not there will be a position for him at Paramount. Per Sonnen, it’s unclear what additional broadcasting Paramount intends to provide for their UFC events or whether all the production will come in-house
from the promotion itself.
“My ESPN deal will expire on January 1st,” Sonnen explained to Ariel Helwani. “I worked last day, but they have to pay me until the first of the year. As far as Paramount goes, I don’t know. I don’t know how that works. I don’t know if Paramount is even bringing in a crew or if the UFC [crew] is all going to happen at the Apex. I don’t know from a production standpoint how that all works or what that means for me.”
It would be rather surprising to stop seeing Sonnen around high-profile UFC events, but then, Paramount has already changed the game greatly by moving away from pay-per-view (PPV) entirely. Perhaps the company is looking for a fresh start in terms of analysts, or there’s always a chance Sonnen is saving his announcement for a more high-profile reveal.
Either way, Sonnen should be expected to land on his feet in this new era. He still has that legendary gift of gab, as well as over a million followers on YouTube, so the Sonnen hot takes are likely to disappear entirely. At the very least, he can always team up with Craig Jones and save jiu-jitsu again!
