Former UFC star Chael Sonnen admitted to falsely claiming a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt early in his career. In a recent interview, he reflected on his early MMA days in Eugene, Oregon, in the late 1990s, when he was still wrestling at the University of Oregon and cross-training in kickboxing at Hard Knocks gym. Despite minimal jiu-jitsu experience, Sonnen openly told others he held a black belt, which eventually led to an invitation from two legitimate purple belts, Ryan Kelly and Harold Utterback, students of Megaton Dias.
Sonnen vividly described his mindset at the time, stating, “I wanted to be like Don Fry. I said, ‘Hey, why be as good as Don Fry?’ He said, ‘Oh yeah?’ And he… Don wears shoes, Don doesn’t even throw kicks. I teach you kicks… you know, Don’s a boxer and a wrestler. I’m just sharing for you this time frame.” He continued, “Now I was also a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and that part wasn’t a secret. I would tell people I was a black belt in jiu-jitsu. In fact, the fact that I was a black belt in jiu-jitsu got to two purple belts under Megaton, who happens to be Mackenzie Dern’s father.”
Reflecting on his initial struggles in the sport, Sonnen explained the difficulty of learning to accept submission, remarking, “I can’t even tell you… learning how to tap is not a natural thing. You think that looks normal; it’s not… You have to practice and lose positions to where you’re in a spot to tap, just to learn how to tap.”
Justifying his false claims, Sonnen shared that Mark Schultz had allegedly advised him that “in jiu-jitsu, you are whatever belt you’re willing to defend.” However, he admitted Schultz later questioned saying this, and Sonnen acknowledged, “There’s a chance that he didn’t. There’s a chance that he told me something close to that… I think it was that, but there’s a chance that I misunderstood.” Reflecting on his self-assessment, he concluded, “So, I’m a fake black belt.”
In preparation for his professional fight against Trevor Pringley at the Rosland Theater, Sonnen recalled his confidence and his plans to dominate the competition, humorously sharing, “I had this whole thing figured out… be the UFC champion, go in there, kick Mark Kerr in the leg, and I’m going to take Dan Severn down.” Yet, he soon realized his limitations when he faced Trevor Pringley, recounting, “He puts me in something called a triangle choke… the problem was not the techniques; the problem was… I believed them. I truly believed them.”
Sonnen expressed his disillusionment after the fight, highlighting how his lofty ambitions were crushed by reality. He even confided, “I remember a girl I took to the prom, and I told her I was going to be the UFC champion… The only way you can lose is to tap out, and I will never tap out.” Reflecting on the experience, he acknowledged the gap between his aspirations and his actual skill level, saying, “I believed this.”
Sonnen justified his false claims by citing advice allegedly received from Mark Schultz, suggesting that “in Jiu-Jitsu, you are whatever belt you’re willing to defend.” However, Sonnen acknowledged that Schultz later questioned ever making such a statement, admitting there’s a chance he misunderstood or misremembered the conversation.
