Chael Sonnen does not think the almighty is a fight-sports fan.       

In a recent interview the middleweight contender took issue with those fighters who use their post-fight victory speeches to give thanks to ‘god’ or ‘jesus’ for their win.

The most recent example was Edson Barboza’s profuse denials of responsibility for his spin-kick KO of Terry Etim. He repeatedly pointed at the sky to indicate that the kick had been divinely ordained.

“You know, these guys want to talk about God. 'Oh, I want to thank God. I want to thank God.’” he told MMA Fighting.

“Listen, I'm a God-fearing man, go to church every Sunday and have since I was a boy. But if I ever found out that God cared one way or another about a borderline illegal fist-fight on Saturday night, I would be so greatly disappointed that it would make rethink my entire belief system.”

Sonnen’s comments are a rarity for an American athlete; al public figures in the US routinely shy away from any statement or act that might be interpreted as being in any way critical of or negative towards religion. In the national conscious, religion is a very sensitive subject. 

In fact, numerous studies have shown that atheism is considered on par with racism by many Americans - especially in the mid-west and so-called ‘bible belt’ regions - and that is why no politician running for office in America would ever admit to atheism.

The same is true for sports figures. There are very few who will openly admit to not believing in god or profess any faith while in contrast there are many who wear their religion like a badge of honour. Tim Tebow, limited in his quarterback abilities, is one of the most famous athletes in the US thanks to his habit of kneeling and praying beside the pitch.

In 2006, a study undertaken by the University of Minnesota polled 2,000 households at random across the US. Incredibly, it found atheists to be the most distrusted of ‘minorities’ - they polled lower than Muslims, recent immigrants, and homosexuals on the ‘trustworthiness’ rating.

Many of those polled also suggested that atheism went hand in hand with immoral behaviour and criminality. However, the survey was placed in context - researchers found that attitudes towards atheists appeared to be dictated by the culture one grew up in. “More educated East and West Coast Americans [were] more accepting of atheists than their Midwestern counterparts,” it revealed.

Interestingly, one person who has openly admitted to atheism is UFC president Dana White. Back in 2008 he told Playboy magazine, "I don't believe in God, the devil, ghosts or any of that s--t. But I'm still fascinated by religion, how violent and crazy it is. That stuff sticks with you."