Former UFC star Chel Sonnen has given his thoughts on the recent tense exchange between Joaquin Buckley and Ariel Helwani. MMA hour.
Buckley defeated Vicente Luque by TKO last Saturday at UFC Atlantic City. This was probably the biggest win of his career and skyrocketed his stock in the UFC welterweight division.
A few days after his big win, Buckley made headlines in the MMA media.One of his stops was on MMA hourwhere he and Helwani had an awkward interview.
During the interview, Buckley accused Helwani of trying to hurt the fighters with conversational tactics. He directly accused Helwani of trying to get UFC executives and fighters into trouble by asking questions from several angles.
Sonnen, who made a living in the media during and after his career, believes Buckley can use the awkward encounter as a learning experience.
Chel Sonnen gives advice to Joaquin Buckley after stress MMA hour interview
In a recent YouTube segment, Sonnen advised Buckley on how to handle future media obligations.
“You're not being subpoenaed, you're not required to be here, you're not being sworn in,” Sonnen told Buckley. “It's not about answering questions, it's about dealing with questions…It's just a mindset. If you let your guard down a little bit, you don't have to answer questions, so it doesn't matter what Ariel asks. This is an interrogation. You're not here to have a conversation, you're here to address questions…
“Use this as a bridge to respond to your agenda…make sure you understand it's a conversation. If you find yourself in a situation where you feel like you're being interrogated, to get out of it, ask: [the interviewer] question. “
Despite his thoughts on the MMA media, Buckley has continued to shine since moving full-time to welterweight. He is on a three-fight winning streak, including a wild head kick knockout victory over Andre Fialho in 2023.
Sonnen also explained how impressed he has been with Buckley during his recent winning streak. He believes a different approach to interviewing can have big benefits.
While Buckley awaits his next UFC test, he will receive even more media attention, and it might not be a bad idea to take some advice from one of the best personalities in UFC history.
