Former three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen retired from the sport of mixed martial arts this past weekend following a knockout loss to Lyoto Machida at Bellator 222.<\/p>\n
The setback served as Sonnen’s second in a row, as he was previously defeated by MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko in the semifinals of the Bellator<\/a> heavyweight grand prix.<\/p>\n Chael Sonnen, Who turned 42 years old this past April, explained his decision to retire at the Bellator 222 post-fight press conference.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I didn\u2019t have that planned,\u201d Chael Sonnen said. \u201cI thought I was going to win this fight and call out Ryan Bader. Everything was going my way until it wasn\u2019t. But no, I don\u2019t regret it. It was a No. 1 contender\u2019s match, and I thought it was a big opportunity, and it was. It\u2019s somebody else\u2019s turn.\u201d<\/p>\n Chael Sonnen continued,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be tough in this sport,\u201d Sonnen said. \u201cI feel like I used all of my toughness up. There was some positions in there that, before in my career, I would have walked right through them. I did mind losing to him in his spots \u2013 you know, some of the stuff on our feet and those jumping knees and whatnot. But I did mind losing to him in my spots. He was on top of me, and I didn\u2019t think he\u2019d be on top of me. I thought I could have scrambled. I thought I could have gotten up. I used to be tougher. I used to want it more. I used to have more grit, and I just felt like maybe I fired my last bullet. I didn\u2019t have that same grit, and it\u2019s time to move on.\u201d<\/p>\n Shortly following the retirement announcement from Chael Sonnen, fellow MMA veteran Phil Baroni took to Twitter where he issued some strong words against ‘The American Gangster’.<\/p>\n Id love to fight him. Chael was always 4th string behind Tanner Lindland & Hendo. I\u2019m 1st String Hammer House Lyoto couldn\u2019t take out @bjpenndotcom<\/a><\/p>\n — phil baroni (@philbaroni) June 15, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n