Before Chael Sonnen comes on UFC Tonight on Fuel TV and talks a big game about a potential retirement, let’s break this down.
Sonnen started his MMA career in 1997 (aged 19) and made his UFC debut (age 27) in a light heavyweight bout against former IFC Light Heavyweight Champion Renato Sobral at UFC 55 where Sonnen tapped to his greatest nemesis, the triangle choke. Does anyone remember Sonnen’s first triangle choke loss? (answer at bottom)
A lot of fans don’t realize that Sonnen has been doing this for awhile and has fought top competition all over the world. In Sonnen’s second fight (middleweight debut), he ended Jason “Mayhem” Miller‘s 5 fight winning streak and gave him his first loss.
Sonnen has always been a grinder and tough competitor. The always brush, slightly non-confrontational Sonnen became more aggressive and verbal after his dad passed away. The Sonnen that fought for the WEC, and even the Sonnen that made his UFC debut against Demain Maia is not the “American Gangster” that we all know today.
After the Maia loss, Sonnen became more aggressive and motivated. He went on a 3 fight winning streak, earning a title fight against Anderson Silva where he was seconds away from the biggest upset in UFC history. Sonnen has went 5-4 inside the UFC and has lost two straight title fights against Silva and Jones.
Sonnen sells fights, sells tickets, and knows how to plant a seed for a fight. He told Joe Rogan in the post fight that he felt there wasn’t really anything left.
“I’m not going to be one of the guys who hangs around if he doesn’t have a road to the title,” Sonnen said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “I believe that was my last opportunity.”
Sonnen loves to fight, loves to sell fights, and is a great commentator, but there is still one guy out there and it’s no secret Sonnen has always wanted to fight him. Hint, he mentioned his name this past weekend.
“I’m terrible,” Sonnen said. “I lost to (Jones and middleweight champion Anderson Silva). What are they going to do? Put me in with Wanderlei Silva? Who else am I supposed to beat around here?”
It was no accident that the “The Ax Murderer’s” name came out of “The Peoples Champ’s” mouth. Sonnen doesn’t just mention names for no reason. I expect him to go on Fuel TV tonight and praise Jon Jones, promote a potential “super fight” between Silva/Jones, and officially call out Wanderlei Silva.
It’s no secret that these two don’t like each other. Sonnen has mocked Silva for sometime now and if he wants that fight, he will probably get it. Silva doesn’t back down from anything and I guarantee he wasn’t too happy about his name coming out of the verbal masters mouth.
This fight could easily main event on Fuel TV or co-main event on Fox, and the fans would eat it up. Silva beat Stann for a reason, for us to see the Sonnen/Silva fight in all it’s glory. Silva only takes big fights, and I don’t see the fact that Sonnen is coming off two losses being a problem for Silva to accept this challenge.
Answer: Sonnen’s first triangle choke loss?
We all know Sonnen’s kryptonite has always been the triangle choke. Sonnen has lost four fights by triangle, but his first one was against TUF 1 champion (before his was on the show) Forrest Griffin at IFC: Global Domination in 2003.