Laila Ali, Who Once Fought a ‘Bar Fighter’, Tells Chael Sonnen About the ‘Biggest Regret’ in Her Career

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali is widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. And is often considered one of the most influential sports icons of the 20th century. His daughter, Laila Ali, is a superstar in her own right. In a beautiful tribute to her father’s legacy, she retired undefeated, having previously held the WBC, WIBA, IWBF, and IBA female super middleweight titles. Meanwhile, she once told Chael Sonnen about the biggest regret in her career.

Sonnen was talking at the latest episode of his ‘Beyond The Fight’ show. Moreover, during the show, he shed light on how the popularity of fighters, in a way, determines their skill set.

Laila Ali talks about her biggest regret

In conversation, he took Ali and her pugilistic popularity as an example. And also gave an insight into an interview he previously had with ‘She Bee Stingin’.

Talking about their conversation, Sonnen said, “I did an interview with Laila Ali. And she was not brash or arrogant in the least. As a matter of fact, she said her biggest regret, she was the champion, the world champion, undefeated.”

He further went on to quote Ali, saying, “And she told me. ‘Well, I thought I was. From sparring, and training, and going around, we got a pretty tight community. I think I was the best in the world. It’s really hard for me to know that. I wished that I would have gone to the Olympic games.'”

READ MORE – ‘Don’t Ever Compare Her to My Father’: Furious Laila Ali Blasted Everyone for Ronda Rousey-Muhammad Ali Comparison 2 Years After Latter’s Biggest Loss

Ali felt that the tournament format of the Olympics was a foolproof way to judge an individual’s skill set.

She once fought a ‘bar girl’

Ali also opened up to Sonnen about a rather interesting fight in her career. And mentioned that she had undergone intense training sessions for the same. Talking about the fight, Sonnen said, “She said they brought in a girl that was a bar fighter. Wasn’t really familiar with that term. Well, it meant just what you might think. The girl was kind of like a tough girl, at the local bar. Put her in there with Laila. Put her on TV, they do this fancy thing and Laila knows the truth.”

Taking this fight as an example, Sonnen mentioned that he is unsure who the greatest players in the world are. But he knows the champions because of the competitions.

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What are your thoughts on Ali’s statement? Let us know in the comments below.