Donald Trump apparently has the MMA vote locked up.
Retired UFC fighter, current MMA commentator and notoriously enthusiastic trash talker Chael Sonnen has thrown his weight behind Trump's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. He did so in an interview with Damon Martin of Fox Sports, which was published Wednesday.
"I'm a huge supporter of Trump," Sonnen said. "Whether you agree with him or you don't, it's absolutely secondary to the fact that he has courage. I listen to these pundits all the time breaking down Trump. 'He's brash and he's bold and he's successful,' and none of those are what it is. There's one word to sum it up. ...In his case, it's one word and it's courage. I find it compelling and go Trump."
Sonnen, who does MMA commentary for ESPN and serves as a color analyst on World Series of Fighting broadcasts, also had a few words for the politically inclined of his fellow pundits.
"Not one of them predicted he was going to run or that he was going to lead in the polls, or that he could maintain a lead with the smallest fundraising and not accepting money from political action committees," Sonnen said. "They all lose and he wins."
Trump, a real estate tycoon and reality TV star who is financing his campaign out of his own sizable coffers, lost the Iowa caucus to Ted Cruz earlier this week but maintains strong footing in national polls.
Sonnen is no stranger to politics. In 2010, he ran for a seat in the Oregon State Senate but withdrew from the race because of a "legal issue."
The following year, Sonnen pled guilty to money laundering in connection with his real estate business. He was later sentenced to 24 months probation and a $10,000 fine.
Sonnen also is no stranger to the large brand of smack talk that has become a Trump signature during (and before) the campaign. In a run-up to his 2010 fight and 2012 rematch with then-UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Sonnen launched broadside after broadside toward Silva and his native Brazil. Much of the talk, however, appeared to be in jest.
Sonnen retired from MMA competition in 2014 with a professional record of 29-14-1.
In December, UFC President Dana White also said Trump "will get my vote" for president.
During his campaign, Trump has pledged to, among other things, compel the Mexican government to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and ban all Muslims from traveling to the United States.
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