Mirko Cro Cop claims Chael Sonnen has the IQ of a "children's shoe size", insisting it is difficult to get mad at the UFC middleweight because he does not know what he's saying.
Sonnen angered a clutch of big-name fighters with recent comments regarding former promotion Pride. The American claimed fights were fixed, prompting angry reactions from the likes of Rampage Jackson and now Cro Cop.
In his prime, Cro Cop was widely recognised as one of the world's most lethal exponents of mixed martial arts. Asked for his views on Sonnen, Cro Cop attempted to keep his composure but clearly had some things to get off his chest.
"I don't want your viewers to get offended," Cro Cop told Gol.hr. "I am not the creator of any anthropological theories, but you can tell by his face that the man is slow -- that he is stupid and he has the IQ of a children's shoe size. You can tell this by his face.
"Let's not get into his calling out of people like [Minotauro] Nogueira, diminishing Fedor's or Wanderlei Silva's or my accomplishments and so on -- people whose heights he will never reach.
"Is he crazy? He obviously is, but I'm not mad at him. It's just as I can't get mad at my eight-month-old son, Fillip. The other day he walked over, took my glove and threw it on the floor. Should I get mad? That's a child who doesn't understand.
"It's the same with Sonnen. He doesn't understand. I can't be mad at him about such accusations about fixed fights. That is a man who no one should pay attention to."
Cro Cop also claimed that high-ranked officials inside the UFC realise Sonnen is desperate for attention. The Croatian hinted the promotion is forced to treat Sonnen like a child in order to get the best out of him.
"I had the opportunity when I was in the United States to ask some people who work for the UFC, 'Is this man crazy or is he just craving attention?'" Cro Cop explained. "A man higher up in the UFC told me, 'He's both,' which means he is crazy and is also craving attention."
