The MMA world saw one of its most exuberant and enduring personalities walk away on Friday night.
Moments after a second-round TKO loss to Lyoto Machida in the co-main event of Bellator 222 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Chael Sonnen announced that he would be retiring from competition. It was the 49th bout of Sonnen’s career.
Sonnen, 42, made no excuses for his loss, nor did he appear to want to romanticize the end of his journey. By his own account, he simply could not fight the way he used to and that was reason enough to call it a day.