Three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.
The 37-year-old American spoke with Kenny Florian on UFC Tonight, addressing the issue of a recently failed drug test that showed positive traces of banned Estrogen blockers. Sonnen’s previous use of the controversial Testosterone Replacement Therapy is well documented, and following the TRT ban earlier this year, Sonnen expressed that it would be a challenge for both himself and other users to continue their progress, and that he would need to compensate in some way to improve his testosterone levels.
Despite a 17-year career dating back to 1997, Sonnen (28-14-1) took off as one of the sport’s biggest names in 2010. A dominant 3-fight win streak streak saw him challenge Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 117. Sonnen lost the bout dramatically in the final round, submitting to a last gasp triangle choke from Silva, but had already shocked the world by overwhelming the champion through the entire fight leading up to the sudden finish. Sonnen failed the post-fight drug test with elevated testosterone levels, but returned to claim two further victories, earning himself a rematch with Silva in what was the biggest fight in UFC history. This time, Silva would go on to claim victory much sooner via TKO in the second round at UFC 148.
Sonnen’s polarizing charisma is like nothing seen before in MMA, and this played a big role in his pursuit of Jon Jones and the UFC light-heavyweight title. Sonnen lost to Jones at UFC 158, falling victim to a first round TKO, however ‘The American Gangster’ reestablished himself with at UFC Fight Night on Aug.26, 2013 by finishing former champion ‘Shogun’ Rua with a first round guillotine choke submission.
Perhaps the most controversial fighter in UFC history, Sonnen will go down as one of the most loathed yet entertaining fighters to compete in the Octagon. With notable wins over Michael Bisping, ‘Shogun’ Rua, Nate Marquardt, and Yushin Okami, Sonnen established himself as one of the most watched and talked about fighters in MMA history.
