Chael Sonnen claims that he ‘doesn’t know’ if he was ‘ever offered a spot’ in the upcoming Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament
The “American Gangster” claims that he only learned he was set to feature in the eight-man event when he saw his face on the official poster:
“I don’t know if I was ever offered a spot in this tournament,” Sonnen told Ariel Helwani.
“I can’t remember if (Scott) Coker or (Mike) Kogan ever called and said, ‘Do you want in the heavyweight tournament?’ I think that might have happened, but I might have found out about it when the poster came out.
“I never knew there was for a heavyweight championship – I don’t think it was explained to anybody. I don’t talk to a whole bunch of the guys, but I don’t know if anybody knew this was for the championship and this is how they were going to settle it.
“They have been saying for a long time, ‘Why doesn’t the heavyweight division have a belt?’ Coker has been saying, ‘we’re getting to it’. I don’t know if anyone knew that was going to be the prize at the end of the rainbow if you entered this thing.”