The tension around Ronda Rousey‘s recent words against Joe Rogan has stirred up much more than a typical disagreement between a fighter and a commentator. It’s emotional and multilayered and touches the part of the sport where ego, legacy, and criticism collide. Some fans see ‘Rowdy’ as a truth teller, while others believe she is reopening past wounds that have never fully healed.

Somewhere in the midst of all that noise, Chael Sonnen stepped in with a perspective that cuts a little differently. Instead of firing back at Ronda Rousey or taking a side, ‘The American Gangster’ attempted to zoom out and discuss something larger: how fighters deal with reality checks when the spotlight dims or the narrative is no longer favorable. In fact, to illustrate his argument, he used an unexpected example: WWE legend Bill Goldberg.

Chael Sonnen name-drops Goldberg to explain Ronda Rousey’s strong reaction

Before he even began, Chael Sonnen made it clear that he was not aiming to bury Ronda. In fact, the UFC legend appreciates her story, respects her run, and makes it obvious that he is not trying to hurt her feelings. However, commentary is not always meant to provide comfort. “You’ve got to say what you see,” he said, which is why he mentioned Goldberg.

According to ‘The American Gangster,’ Goldberg is the perfect example to represent someone who couldn’t accept what was going on around him. Why? When the WWE legend was nearing the end of his professional wrestling career, the promotion essentially wrote his final chapter for him. The send-off, the symbolism, all of it was right there. But according to Sonnen, Goldberg missed it entirely.

He missed the occasion, the message, and the signs that everyone else understood right away. ‘The American Gangster’ said, “They wanted him to know. And Goldberg didn’t.” It became so confusing backstage that fans actually asked Sonnen to create a video clarifying that the company had already given Goldberg his silent “receipt,” a final nod, a final message, a quiet “this is it.”

He said on his YouTube channel, “He didn’t know to the fact that they reached out to me and had me make a piece on it to make sure that he knew that they gave him a receipt and that they walked. It was this whole thing.” Chael Sonnen said it genuinely surprised him that Goldberg was unable to see the reality he was in. He had a successful career, but, according to him, it ended chaotically: his farewell cut short and a rushed buildup, and he felt blindsided by details everyone else seemed to understand.

That’s the parallel Chael Sonnen was making with Ronda Rousey. In his opinion, ‘Rowdy’ is doing something similar: she is missing out on what the sport is attempting to show her. She is still stung by feedback and treats criticism as betrayal. She dismisses Joe Rogan because he “never fought,” neglecting the fact that his job is to report what he sees, not to protect feelings.

And, in Chael Sonnen’s viewpoint, Rousey may be missing the same larger fact Goldberg did: she had a tremendous run, a massive spotlight, and a legacy most fighters would dream of, but none of that protects you from honest criticism or how fans shift once the wins stop. And to cement things even further, earlier this month, another UFC legend jumped in to defend the JRE host.

Valentina Shevchenko launches impassioned defense of Joe Rogan

While Chael Sonnen suggested that Ronda Rousey may be taking things too personally, Valentina Shevchenko took a totally different approach; not emotional, not confrontational, just steady. ‘Bullet’ had watched the video of Ronda dismissing Rogan as “just a fan,” and rather than argue with her, she simply explained what Rogan represents to her.

It was a quiet counterpoint to all the noise around the situation. She complimented the UFC commentator as a genuine martial arts expert, having spent decades immersed in fighters, techniques, and the combat sports culture. Her message was brief, but it conveyed enough: she regards his voice as earned, not borrowed.

She wrote on X, “I see Joe Rogan as huge expert of martial arts, noble man, hunter, sportsman, and a good example for youth!” Coming from someone as renowned and regarded as Valentina Shevchenko, it carried weight that didn’t require any further explanation. And surely enough, fans took up on that right away.

Her message went viral, with people praising how direct and grounded her statement was. It was a reminder that not everyone in the sport views Rogan or criticism in the same way Ronda Rousey does, and that sometimes a simple, honest perspective is more powerful than any back-and-forth.