Chael Sonnen has apologized to Tai Tuivasa for previous comments he made about the UFC heavyweight contender.

Last Saturday night at UFC 271, Tai Tuivasa exploded into the top five of the UFC’s heavyweight division with an emphatic knockout win over Derrick Lewis. The victory stunned a lot of fans and pundits alike but “Bam Bam” himself seemed pretty confident heading into the contest that he was going to do some damage.

The aforementioned Sonnen, who has been known to make controversial comments in the past, once criticized Tuivasa by suggesting he wasn’t actually that good. Now, “The Bad Guy” has had to retract those remarks.

“What I meant by Tai Tuivasa doesn’t have a belt is that he doesn’t have a belt in taekwondo, karate, kung-fu, jiu-jitsu, he does not know what the hell he’s doing. He’s going to be a handful for anybody because he likes this line of work, because he’s hard to get under if you want to grapple and he’s gonna put these [his fists] on your head, and he can take a hell of a shot – but he’s not very good. That statement must be amended. Tai Tuivasa, words I never thought I would speak, is now the number three ranked heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship…”

“What I needed to see was Tai Tuivasa thrown down to the mat like a sack of potatoes, turn over, find an underhook and stand back up. That is what I needed to see. That is more skill than Tai Tuivasa has ever shown. If you think I’m insulting him guys you’re hearing me wrong – I am praising him.”

Do you think we will see Tai Tuivasa challenge for the UFC heavyweight title before the end of 2022? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!