Chael Sonnen is getting destroyed on YouTube. People are clicking on his videos, but they’re not watching them. They’re just forcing him to deal with his reprehensible take on the Raja Jackson disgusting display.

Chael thought he’d be super cool and “take the heat” by being the contrarian badass, defend his friend, and actually get views on his dead channel in the process. Instead, he’s become a pariah in the MMA YouTube community and his already dying channel (he doesn’t actually say anything in 65% of his videos) will become even more irrelevant.

He was soooo lucky to get that happenstance invite to CJI2. As we wrote about, this was a desparately needed distraction that broke the string of YouTube comments berating him.

But there’s still a strong force of commenters who will not let this go. Hopefully the onslaught continues.

Craig, the only reason you’re meeting so much conflict is because you’re close to breaking through.

We know you’re going away for awhile, but, when you get back, keep reshaping BJJ if it’s what you really want.

The UFC has thrown a roadblock, but that’s all it is.

Craig Jones first had to deal with Gable Stevenson’s rug pull (possibly UFC assisted) and then he let on that Chael Sonnen demanded a court jester’s ransom to show up and lose twice in 30 seconds at the last minute.

Gabi Garcia was drunk. The BJJ matches were so sluggish the co-promoter had to offer $50k bonuses for submissions.

We might see Craig again for awhile.

Craig Jones has the ability to take a nice slice of the MMA viewership pie and the UFC obviously hates him for it. Can one man take on the biggest operation in MMA?

Probably.

Also, what’s obnoxious is the UFC acting like this while also putting on horrible, pathetic cards. Why not do something with the lead, jackasses.

It’s been rough times for the sunflower from West Linn. He defended Raja Jackson attempting to murder a pro wrestler who had no idea Raja would pick him up to power slam him unconscious. Then he doubled down on his defense with a second video.

YouTube commenters have since cancelled Cousin Chael. But amidst a flurry of MMA videos nobody cared about (where commenters poured on reminders of how defeated Chael was), Chael got a lucky lifeline: Gable Stevenson pulled out and he got called in as a replacement opponent for Craig Jones at CJI2.

Of course, Chael lost miserably (twice), getting choked unconcious by the same “buggy” choke from Jones.

But it doesn’t matter, the event marked a huge break in the YouTube – Raja Jackson comment chain.

Contrarian genius Zabit Magomedsharipov retired at age 28 right when he was on the verge of being the UFC featherweight champion and then played doctor until 34 and now he’s seemingly ready to come back, fresh out of his prime. At least so indicates Ali Abdelaziz.

That was extremely dumb. We’re glad to see him back, but that was really damn dumb. You only get one fighting prime and this guy blew it. What an absolute waste of talent. Here’s hoping he still manages to capture UFC gold.

He’s got the grift of gab and it’s coming back to haunt him. Chael Sonnen’s YouTube channel is still alive, but it’s now more of a content wasteland where Chael churns out video after video to squeeze every dollar he can. But clearly Chael has burned his bridges with subscribers and fans.

You can’t trust the guy to not waste your time with a long meandering story that goes nowwhere. Too many clickbait titles and too many wordsmithing shenanigans now mean that people won’t click his videos for fear of being looped into another content grift.

Chael had the potential to grow an enormous channel (1.2 million subscribers), but his content is another grift and so nobody watches him anymore.

Daniel Cormier is afraid that if he harshly criticizes Jones, he’ll come off as bitter or something along those lines. Cormier continues to be extremely gentle when it comes to covering Jon Jones. In fact, we say too gentle. Cormier understandably can’t stand Johnny Meat (Twitter), but now in his post-UFC media career, Cormier does things like insists Jon Jones isn’t scared to fight Tom Aspinall when he very clearly is.

And Cormier has a case that his losses to Jones aren’t as enormous as they’re remembered to be:

1. Cormier was leaving or out of his athletic prime when they fought. Jones was at the beginning of his.
2. Jon Jones was on PEDs. Cormier probably wasn’t.
3. Cormier was at a significant height and reach disadvantage.

5’10 vs. 6’4 is already an uphill battle. Jones had all of the physical advantages, including the artificial ones.

We wish Cormier would stop trying to overcompensate to appear as if he isn’t bitter (and we’re not saying he is) and just be more objective.

When a fighter won’t fight another fighter, they’re scared.

Ariel Helwani, once a substantial figure in MMA media, is struggling to maintain relevance. Without top-tier fighters appearing on his show, his influence and viewership are fading. The numbers don’t lie — Helwani’s videos are consistently underperforming, and we can’t see a recent six-figure view video in sight.

Don’t tell Ariel’s ego this, but it was never him that people cared about and now that less and less big name fighters are willing to go on his show, there’s not much left.

Yahoo bought in just as the ship was/is sinking.

The Decline in Viewership

Recent uploads paint a clear picture. Despite using high-profile names like Conor McGregor, Jake Paul, Logan Paul, Oleksandr Usyk, and Tyson Fury in his titles, Helwani’s videos are drawing tepid interest at best. Even with big names in the titles, his content isn’t pulling the audience it once did.

Without big name appeal, Helwani is now down to the likes of Tyron Woodley, Kai Kara-France, and Paul Hughes in recent weeks. No disrespect to any of those names, but they’re simply not draws.

Desperation Controversy

Three weeks ago Ariel desperately contrived his own controversy to try and get back into the spotlight. He posted a video titled “Ariel Ethers Jake Shields” featuring Belal Muhammad (and his problems with Belal) that managed just 28,000 views in nearly two weeks.

Ariel’s been known for ignoring smaller channels like Jake Shield’s Fight Back Podcast in the past, but not now. He’s clutching for anything he can to try to maintain relevance.

Shield’s podcast has had some steady growth and currently sits at 27,900 subscribers. Give Shields a few months and he might have more views than Ariel.

The Fighter Problem

Of course, the biggest reason behind Helwani’s decline is his deteriorating relationship with fighters. While Tom Aspinall remains amenable to going on his show, most other big names avoid Helwani like the plague.

Beyond everything else that goes on behind the scenes, the guy just isn’t likeable. If you want an example, just look at his video with Chael Sonnen post Ngannou-Fury.

What’s also embarrassing is when he tries to act like he’s an alpha male, just like he did on the Shield’s video (and the Sonnen appearance). He’d never talk that way to Jake Shield’s so why even feign it on camera?

Cringy Thumbnails

We haven’t even hit 2025 and Ariel’s throwing the kitchen sink at getting views. He’s now resorted to posting exaggerated, stupid facial expressions in his video thumbnails like YouTubers who have to thumbnail clickbait you in to get a view.

A Brand in Trouble

Despite boasting 225,000 subscribers, Helwani’s channel struggles to generate consistent viewership. His older videos, even those from two or three weeks ago, fail to gain traction (i.e., get views). The Uncrowned brand might be a bust before it ever got off the ground.

Helwani’s struggle to secure big-name guests, combined with an unlikeable personality is contributing to his rapid decline.

We really like the Colby Covington hard push into social media. With all of the eyes of the MMA world on him for UFC Fight Night Tampa, Colby picked up a win by quickly launching his own media channels, including his own website, ColbyChaos.com.

He already has several ultra high production videos on YouTube and he’s been extremely active on Twitch, giving fans unprecedented access to his life beyond fighting.

And it doesn’t stop there – his content is being repurposed on TikTok and other channels.

Behind the Scenes on YouTube and Twitch

Covington’s YouTube and Twitch channels have become the cornerstone of his new media push. After his fight with Joaquin Buckley, Covington began sharing behind-the-scenes footage that offers a rare glimpse into post-fight moments and conversations that fans typically never see. The production quality on his YouTube videos stands out, enhancing the viewer experience.

On Twitch, Covington engages in lengthy live streams where he not only interacts with fans but also promotes BC Game, a platform for which he serves as an ambassador. These streams showcase Covington’s personality and allow him to answer fan questions directly, creating a more personal connection with his audience.

ColbyChaos.com and Sponsorships

In addition to streaming and social media, Covington launched his website, ColbyChaos.com. The site serves as a hub for his content and personal brand. His partnerships with brands like Happy Dad and BC Game are prominently displayed, signaling Covington’s smooth transition into leveraging his public persona for sponsorship deals.

Following the Footsteps of Other Fighters

Covington’s pivot towards media mirrors moves made by other high-profile fighters such as Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, and Sean O’Malley, all of whom have successfully expanded their brands through online content and personal channels. As Covington approaches the latter stages of his fighting career, this diversification allows him to remain relevant and financially secure.

Expanding His Reach

Covington has maintained an active Twitter presence for years, but his expansion into other platforms signals a broader strategy. He recently appeared on the MMA Guru YouTube channel for an interview, complementing his regular appearances on outlets like Submission Radio. By branching out to different audiences, Covington continues to grow his following across various demographics.

A Few Points Off

While Covington’s media push is impressive, one area that could use refinement is consistency in his social media handles. Varying usernames across platforms creates brand inconsistency and you want it to be just one name, ideally – it’s not always possible, but it’s what you’d like to see.

We like the domain name for his website, but ColbyCovington.com is just sitting out there for $5,000. That seems like a worthy pick up.

A Fighter’s Evolution

Covington’s transition reflects a broader trend among fighters who recognize the value of cultivating their own platforms. His Twitch streams, website, and growing social media presence are all testaments to his adaptability and business acumen. For fans, it’s an opportunity to engage with Covington in new ways, while for Covington, it’s a pathway to longevity beyond fighting.

Colby Covington is doing more than just fighting; he’s building something that could sustain him long after he leaves the octagon. With each video, stream, and post, Covington is proving that fighters can thrive outside the cage by taking control of their own narrative.