Oregon’s own Chael Sonnen may be trading fight commentary for politics — and he’s not shy about his party line. The 48-year-old West Linn native, former UFC star, and outspoken Republican revealed that if his broadcast role at ESPN doesn’t survive the UFC’s new $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, he’s ready to file papers and run for governor of Oregon.
The UFC recently announced it will move from ESPN to Paramount beginning in 2026, leaving the future of longtime analysts like Sonnen up in the air. While he says he’s happy where he is, the uncertainty has him looking toward Salem.
“I love the job, but I am planning to run for governor in Oregon,” Sonnen said in a recent interview. “If this TV thing all gets played out, the music stops and there’s no chair for Chael, I am going to go file and I’m going to be Oregon’s next governor.”
It wouldn’t be Sonnen’s first dip into politics. Back in 2010, he filed as a Republican candidate for Oregon’s House District 37, though he dropped out due to a past legal issue. His political ambitions, however, never disappeared. Sonnen has often spoken about wanting to give back to his home state and sees the governor’s office as the ultimate opportunity.
Known worldwide as “The American Gangster,” Sonnen has built a second career as a brash, entertaining analyst since retiring from MMA competition in 2019. Most recently, he’s kept busy with grappling matches and even an exhibition boxing draw with Anderson Silva in 2024. But his larger-than-life personality may soon be stepping into a much different kind of fight: Oregon politics.
If he enters, Sonnen’s earliest chance would be this upcoming election cycle, with the possibility of taking office in November 2026. And in true Sonnen fashion, he isn’t shy about declaring victory before the bell even rings.
