Chael Sonnen found a fresh target Sunday night — NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns. After Towns nailed a clutch 3-pointer to lift the New York Knicks to a 94-93 win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of their playoff series, Sonnen couldn’t resist a sarcastic jab on social media.
Chael Sonnen Reacts to Karl-Anthony Towns’ Heroic Push
Detroit had two chances to take the lead back after Towns’ shot. First, Cade Cunningham lost the ball on a drive to the basket. Then, after Jalen Brunson missed a floater, the Pistons had one final opportunity. Cunningham attempted a jumper from the foul line but missed, and though Tim Hardaway Jr. appeared to be fouled on a last-second follow-up shot, no call was made.
Towns delivered a strong performance, finishing with 27 points and nine rebounds while hitting five of his seven attempts from beyond the arc. He scored the Knicks’ final five points, starting with a tough fallaway jumper from the baseline to cut Detroit’s lead to 93-91 before his game-winning 3-pointer.
UFC veteran Chael Sonnen, never one to miss a chance to stir the pot, weighed in. Reposting a clip of Towns’ decisive shot, Sonnen fired off a sarcastic jab on his official X account.
Yeah. Dude took the ball, threw it all through the air, then made it go right into the basket. Never seen anything like it. https://t.co/oLOBMT1hDW
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) April 27, 2025
“Yeah. Dude took the ball, threw it all through the air, then made it go right into the basket. Never seen anything like it.”
Chael Sonnen Doubts UFC Would Ever Strip Islam Makhachev’s Title
While Sonnen’s jab at Towns drew laughs, he had a much more serious take when discussing the future of UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Speaking with Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier, Sonnen shut down rumors suggesting Makhachev could be stripped of his title if he doesn’t defend against Ilia Topuria.
“I heard that too, but there’s no way that that’s true! Nobody would dare cross King Khabib,” Sonnen said, referencing Makhachev’s mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov. He explained that even when Khabib relinquished his own title voluntarily, UFC officials hesitated, showing the respect the promotion has for the former champion and, by extension, Makhachev.
“No way, not in this case. They wouldn’t even… when Khabib tried to give his own damn belt back, they wouldn’t accept it. He was shoving it in their face, and they were like, ‘We won’t put our hands on it.’ So, they’re not going to take it off of his heir apparent. That’s not gonna happen.”
Sonnen also weighed in on Topuria’s situation, pushing back against the narrative that Topuria “vacated” his featherweight belt.
“They’re trying to insist to us that Ilia Topuria vacated the title. I’m willing to play along, but they only vacated the title because they say he vacated the title. If you see the actions of what actually happened, he was stripped,” Sonnen insisted.
Given Nurmagomedov’s legendary status and the close relationship between him and UFC management, Sonnen argued it’s highly unlikely the organization would force Makhachev into any unwanted matchups, let alone threaten his championship reign.