​​By Ag. Fight for FloCombat

Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen is never short on opinions. 

Speaking recently to Ag. Fight for FloCombat, Sonnen dished on the rumored boxing match between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and boxing great Floyd Mayweather.

As controversial as ever, the current Bellator star indicated that all the responsibility and pressure is on the boxer's side, claiming that if the fist-fighter doesn't beat the Irish MMA superstar within the first 30 seconds, the reputation of the entire sport will be at risk.

"I love McGregor against Mayweather (but) I don't feel it's a fight between boxing and MMA," Sonnen said. "It's boxing versus its own reputation. If Conor makes it more than 30 seconds, it discredits the entire sport of boxing. If Conor makes it out of the first round, boxing is ruined. You're taking a guy who has never lost in professional boxing against a guy who has never done professional boxing.

"I come from an amateur wrestling background and the best wrestler we have right now is a guy named David Taylor, and if you brought someone over who has never wrestled before and put him against David Taylor, they would not make it 30 seconds. Definitely not. Maybe 12 seconds--I'm exaggerating to say 30." 

Furthermore, Sonnen sees the fact that many boxing insiders give McGregor any sort of chance as a smear on Mayweather's own skills. 

"Just to get to my point -- you're telling me that insiders from the sport of boxing are giving Conor McGregor a chance," Sonnen continued. "That's not a knock on Conor--that's a knock on Floyd. It's an embarrassment for the entire sport of boxing. Boxing is on the ropes right now and it should be, the sport sucks, its leadership sucks, it's boring, it's unparticipated in.

"I'm a professional fighter. I was 28 years old when I met my first boxer. I used to live at the Olympic training center that had a boxing program, and I was 28 years old when I met my first man who'd ever been in a ring and actually laced them up and boxed on a Saturday night. It's a fringe sport at best, but I respect it. I've been stunned to find out that other people don't."

At age 39, Chael Sonnen is coming off two straight defeats, one in the UFC and one in Bellator, and will have the chance to get back on track against Wanderlei Silva in the biggest event in Bellator history. Also set to compete on the card are names like Fedor Emelianenko and Douglas Lima, the promotion's welterweight champion.