Chael Sonnen: LeBron James Is a 'Dork,' NBA Title Doesn't Make Him a World Champ

LeBron James may be the best basketball player in the world, but to Chael Sonnen, he's just a dork masquerading around as a world champion.

The UFC light heavyweight star was recently a guest on "Jim Rome on Showtime," where he talked about "King James" and the difference between a national champion and a world champion:

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"I think LeBron's a dork. It frustrates me to hear that these guys are world champions. He won one world championship, and it was in the Olympic games. It's so aggravating to hear somebody win an NBA title and be called a world champion when it's only done in America. If you're not a global event where everybody can participate, you didn't win a world title. You won a national title."

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Perhaps the most shocking part of the interview comes at the end, where Sonnen even takes a shot at two-time Super Bowl champ and future NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis:

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"You got this guy LeBron's a wimp, you got this nerd named Ray Lewis, it's like if I saw these guys I'd smack them both at the same time on principle."

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There is obviously a degree of sensitivity for Sonnen, a former Olympian and UFC title contender, when it comes to throwing around the term "world champion."

The NBA is based in the United States, which puts every championship within its confines on a national level. Sure, the NBA has the best players and the highest level of basketball in the world, but this is established through Olympic play, not the NBA Finals.

With that said, Sonnen probably would slap both James and Lewis, if given an opportunity. This is the same guy who sat at a UFC press conference in Rio de Janeiro and insulted the entire country of Brazil.

As for James, he'll be looking to lead the Miami Heat to victory on Thursday night when they meet the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Any MMA fan would be quick to advise NBA fans not to be too offended by Sonnen's comments. No one is off limits when the self-proclaimed Oregon gangster decides to speak his mind.

The life of a "dork" must be really challenging though, especially as an Olympic gold medalist, four-time NBA MVP, one-time NBA champion and Forbes' No. 4 highest-paid athlete in the world.