Things are starting to get real between Cedric and Jaleel… 😳#BellatorParis
| Friday, May 17th pic.twitter.com/FfHV84XhEl
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen)
May 8, 2024
Chell Sonnen is one of the greatest heels in mixed martial arts history, but even he thinks Jahlil Willis is approaching dangerous territory.
By the time Willis takes on French kickboxing phenom Cedric Deumbe at the Accor Arena in the Bellator Champions Series Paris co-main event on May 17, he’s become the most hated man in Paris. There may be. The Memphis native’s rants were non-stop, much to the delight of “America’s Gangster.”
Sonnen praised Willis on his X (formerly Twitter) account Wednesday after Willis insulted the French fan base’s knowledge of mixed martial arts, but he did warn him. Willis (16-5) criticized Doumbe (5-1) for his lack of cage time and implied that fans are only supporting him because they don’t know any better.
“When you call yourself a veteran, you’re calling your opponent inexperienced,” Sonnen said. “And if a guy like Cedric did that well, he probably wouldn’t have been in the cage and heard the door slam so many times, but he could have walked between the ropes. I knew it would be a huge insult.”
Sonnen added that he hasn’t seen the country disrespect an opponent since his own days in the cage.
“I know a thing or two about this,” he said. “I’ve been down that road myself trying to get into a frenzy with a guy’s fans, and they didn’t like it. It enriches the environment. Before I knew it, I was in a bulletproof building with armed guards. I had to drive around. Jaleel was one step away from riding in the same car.”
Doumbe quickly became France’s hottest MMA prospect, but it was Willis who added some spice to the Bellator Champions Series Paris co-headliner, which will be streamed live on HBO’s Max app. Willis will be the underdog against the former two-time Glory Kickboxing Welterweight Champion after suffering a first-round knockout loss to Ramazan Kramagomedov, but The Realest reports Doumbe is not the real deal. I say no.
“I’ve been doing this long enough to take a peek at this. [someone is] Worried about me,” Willis recently wrote on his Instagram Story. “Everyone please keep promoting him and on May 17th [I’m going to] crush him
[motherfu–ing] Open your head wide. ”
If Willis and Doumbe continue their ups and downs, their grudge match could be one of the most interesting matches of the year. Doumbe is out for blood, and Willis is willing to help in his search.
“I feel like once this case is over, we’re going to be talking about this the same way,” Sonnen said.
