Chael Sonnen Retires from MMA Following Bellator 222

cbdMD has been incredibly proud to sponsor one of the legends of mixed martial arts. Chael Sonnen, whose career lasted 22 action packed years, has retired from the sport after a tough loss to Lyoto Machida at Bellator 222.

After the fight, Sonnen gave a heartfelt speech thanking fans and supporters before leaving his gloves in the middle of the octagon to signal his departure from a sport he loved. With a combined record of 39-17-1, Sonnen will be remembered for his exceptional flair, self-promotion, and tenacity. 

His career saw him line up fights in both the UFC and Bellator against some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Fedor Emelianenko, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, and Tito Ortiz for Bellator, with a previous UFC stint that saw him fight Anderson Silva twice, Jon Jones, Michael Bisping, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Rashad Evans, and Demian Maia.

His personality and special ability for self-promotion through classic “heel” antics helped usher in the entertainment aesthetic to MMA fighting. We can only hope that Sonnen continues to be a presence in MMA as a promoter and commentator for years to come. 

cbdMD was exceptionally proud to partner with Sonnen for the last part of his career. We wish him well in his future endeavors and hope to see him continue to be involved with the sport of mixed martial arts.