Masvidal Challenged Sonnen to Bare-Knuckle MMA
Jorge Masvidal publicly challenged Chael Sonnen to fight under Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA rules in April 2026. The exchange followed a dispute over Masvidal’s possible UFC return, but it did not result in a signed bout or an announced event.
The callout followed a public dispute
Sonnen had questioned Masvidal’s claims about comeback discussions. Masvidal answered on a podcast and offered to fight Sonnen under the rules of his own Gamebred promotion, which features MMA competition without gloves.
The challenge was a verbal callout rather than a formal booking. At the time of the report, neither a date, venue, contract nor official promotion announcement had emerged for a Masvidal–Sonnen contest.
Masvidal had retired from active UFC competition after losing to Gilbert Burns in April 2023. He later discussed a return, while Sonnen remained retired from competition. Those circumstances informed the public back-and-forth.
A challenge is not a scheduled fight
Sherdog reported the challenge on April 25, 2026, quoting Masvidal’s offer to bring Sonnen to Gamebred. The report does not say the fighters had agreed to terms or that a bout was finalized.
That distinction is important for readers: the headline event was a challenge, not a confirmed matchup. Any later agreement would require a separate announcement from the fighters or promotion.
The available reporting supports describing the exchange and its context, but not presenting the contest as scheduled. The article therefore records the callout as a public proposal and avoids speculation about whether Sonnen would accept.
Sources
- Sherdog: report on Masvidal’s challenge
- UFC: Masvidal’s official career record
- Gamebred FC: promotion information
