John Fury has been labelled "one of the greatest characters in boxing" by UFC legend Chael Sonnen.
Sonnen has praised Fury for having "one of the great moments" when he tore off his shirt and confronted Jake Paul in Dubai in November. The elder Fury, whose son Tommy is attempting to make a fight with the YouTuber-turned-boxer finally happen after two cancellations, was enraged when Paul called out his son at ringside after his exhibition bout on the Floyd Mayweather vs Deji undercard. The American mocked Fury relentlessly during his farcical bout with Rolly Lambert from the commentary desk.
Paul had been warned not to get in the ring by the promotion Global Titans, instead inviting either one of the Fury men to come out and face him at ringside. And despite Tommy attempting to gain headlines by storming out, it was his dad who had the memorable moment when he ripped his shirt off and went after Paul in a truly outlandish exchange.
In a recent YouTube video, Sonnen surprisingly heaped praise on the Fury patriarch. He told fans: "Remember that moment when the old man took the shirt off and started shadow-boxing?
"The old man is one of the great characters in boxing, he is a carny and he understands this to a level that he took his shirt off.
"He knew his son can't do enough, he knew his son has been very close and this is his moment and he's face-to-face not only with the guy but with the guy that's going to make the decision on if my son gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"He didn't believe that his son could close the deal so he took his shirt off and he shadow-boxed.
"And it was one of the great moments, it truly was one of the great moments from an entertainment standpoint in 2022, you've got all the pieces there. And that's the fight that I have been against, I don't want Fury to get put in that spot, he doesn't want the match he can't win the match, that's okay."
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Sonnen has been an outspoken critic of the Paul vs Fury match-up, which has now been made twice and fallen apart both times due to different issues involving the Brit.
He was injured two weeks out from their first meeting, forcing Tyron Woodley to step in for a short-notice rematch, and then missed their second bout in August due to being unable to travel to America over a visa issue.
And the former UFC middleweight and light-heavyweight title contender believes that Fury is not keen on risking his reputation as a 'legitimate boxer' by fighting, and losing to, Paul. Fury was a Love Island star, but had turned professional before the show and believes that he can pursue a real career after amassing an 8-0 record.
