It was recently announced that Chael Sonnen will return to the UFC after completing his two year suspension. Sonnen has been keeping busy since getting suspended and announcing his retirement. He runs a successful podcast and competes in Metamoris. There is simply no reason for him to jeopardize his health anymore. In one of his podcasts, Chael tells a chilling tale about suffering head trauma, and then not remembering showing up to a liquor store in his bathrobe.
Health is not the only reason that Chael should retire. His record sits at 28-14-1, and his UFC record is 7-7. Sonnen’s last fight was one where he took a beating at the hands of Rashad Evans. Before that he had defeated the aging Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua via submission. The simple fact is that Chael is no longer relevant in MMA. He is past his prime. The only fights that would make sense for him are ones against aging veterans, who are also past their prime.
The final reason he should not compete anymore is because, let’s face it, he’s a cheater. Sonnen has a history of not following the drug policy. Chael had abnormally high testosterone levels after his first fight with Anderson Silva, and failed his random drug test before his scheduled fight against Wanderlei Silva. Now, he has only gotten olde, so the temptation of PED’s might be too much for him to withstand.
In many ways, Chael Sonnen has transcended the sport of MMA. He works for ESPN as an analyst, has a podcast, and competes in grappling. He has a lot of things going for him at this point in his life. Risking all of this to pursue further brain damage is just idiotic.
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