Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the heavy weight division of Bellator MMA. Chael has been a professional MMA competitor ever since 1997, having also fought in the UFC, WEC, and Pancrase. Chael is also currently an MMA analyst for ESPN, having made his debut on November 14th previewing UFC 180. He is also an expert analyst for the professional werestling promotion Global Force Wrestling, as well as part of the broadcast team for the World Series of Fighting. Chael also has his own podcasts “Beyond The Fight” and “You’re Welcome With Chael Sonnen” where he regularly speaks his mind and gives his unique perspective from the world of mixed martial arts on his official YouTube channel.

Achievements

Chael Sonnen has won numerous titles in both Amateur wrestling and Mixed Martial arts.

Amateur wrestling

• National Collegiate Athletic Association
• NCAA Division I All-American out of University of Oregon (1998)
• NCAA Division I 190 lb – 8th place out of University of Oregon (1998)
• Pac-10 Conference 197 lb – 2nd place out of University of Oregon (1999)
• Pac-10 Conference 197 lb – 2nd place out of University of Oregon (2001)

University National Greco-Roman Championships

• 187.25 lb – 3rd place out of University of Oregon (1997)
• 187.25 lb – 2nd place out of University of Oregon (1998)
• 187.25 lb – 1st place out of University of Oregon (1999)
• 187.25 lb – 1st place out of University of Oregon (2000)
  • Awarded "Most Outstanding Wrestler" of 2000 tournament

World University Greco-Roman Championships

• 187.25 lb – 2nd place (2000)

Senior National Greco-Roman Championships

• 187.25 lb – 4th place (2000)
• 185 lb – 4th place (2002)

2000 US Greco-Roman Olympic Team Trials

• 187.25 lb West Regional Champion
• 187.25 lb – 3rd place

US Greco-Roman World Team Trials

• 211.75 lb – 4th place (2002)

Dave Schultz Memorial International Greco-Roman

• 187.25 lb – 1st place (2000)
• 213.75 lb – 1st place (2001)

University National Freestyle Championships

• 187.25 lb – 5th place out of University of Oregon (1998)
• 187.25 lb – 3rd place out of University of Oregon (1999)
• 187.25 lb – 2nd place out of University of Oregon (2000)

Championship Belt Series Winner, University Level (2000)

Mixed Martial Arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship

• Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Nate Marquardt and Anderson Silva
• Submission of the Night (One time) vs. Maurício Rua

DangerZone

• DangerZone Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
• DangerZone Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner

George Tragos / Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame

• George Tragos Award (2016)

Gladiator Challenge

• Gladiator Challenge Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)

Hitman Fighting Productions

• Hitman Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)

World MMA Awards

• Fight of the Year (2010) vs. Anderson Silva on August 17
• Personality of the Year (2013)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

• Best on Interviews (2010)

Instruction

Chael Sonnen Shows All The Takedowns, Passes &Submissions That He Has Used To Submit High Level Black Belts In UFC Main Events – And Many More On The Mean Streets Of West Linn Oregon

Chael Sonnen is a household name in the MMA community, and it is for a very simple reason - he talks a big game, and then he backs it up.

The Chael Sonnen blueprint is really pretty simple at its base: take the person down, smash through the guard, and start hunting for chokes and joint locks. This is the formula that he has used to fight more world champions than anyone else, with incredible and consistent success. See the techniques that brought us epic main events like the vice-like Guillotine that he used to choke Shogun Rua unconscious, or the throws and passes he used to edge out greats like Michael Bisping and Wanderlei Silva. In fact, Chael is so confident in these BJJ hacks that he has competed at the highest levels of submission grappling, including 3 trips to ADCC, where he has always won in the early rounds and a huge win in a Superfight where he defeated the legend Leo Viera in 2017.

GANGSTER GRAPPLING BY CHAEL SONNEN

Chael Is An Old School Wrestler With Easy-To-Learn, Practical Techniques.

Chael was an NCAA All American wrestler for Oregon State and a USA Wrestling Olympic Alternate in Greco-Roman Wrestling.

Chael Sonnen Shows The All The Takedowns, Passes &Submissions That He's Used To Submit High Level Black Belts In UFC Main Events – And Many More On The Mean Streets Of West Linn Oregon

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Chael Sonnen Biography

Chael Sonnen was born in West Linn, Oregon and started wrestling when he was very young. Sonnen began training boxing in 1996. In high school, Sonnen has aspirations of competing in the UFC upon graduating. After graduating high school, Sonnen went to Bringham Young University and then transferred to the University of Oregon when BYU cut their wrestling program. It was here at the University of Oregon that Sonnen earned many accolades as a wrestler. Chael Sonnen earned all American Honors, a silver medal at the 2000 Greco Roman World University Championships, a two time PAC 10 runner up, and a two time Dave Schultz memorial international Greco Roman winner. Sonnen attended a try out for World Champion Wrestling at the WCW Power Plant in 1998 as he became interested in perusing a career in professional wrestling.

Chael Sonnen started his MMA career at age 19 when he defeated Ben Hailey. Next he defeated the future ICON Sport Middleweight Champion Jason “Mayhem” Miller. He went 6 – 0 in his MMA career before losing to Trevor Prangley. Sonnen would make his debut in the UFC in a Light Heavy Weight bout against former IFC Light Heavy Weight Champ Renato Sobral at UFC 55. Chael would submit to Renato to a triangle choke in the second round. To avenge his loss, Chael Sonnen would go on to win by unanimous decision over Trevor Prangley at UFC Ultimate Fight Night 4. Chael would be released from the UFC after UFC 60 having lost his bout with Jeremy Horn.

Chael Sonnen would go on to fight Tim Credeur, Alexey Oleinik, Tim McKenzie, UFC and PRIDE veteran Amar Suloev, and future Ultimate Fighter Kyacey Uscola during his short stint with Bodog Fight in 2006. Soon thereafter, in 2007 Chael would move to World Extreme Cage Fighting to fight Paulo Filho for the WEC Middleweight Championship. Here he would lost by a controversial submission in the second round. Sonnen did not tap but he screamed in pain which prompted the referee to stop the right, considering it to be a verbal submission. After a rematch with Filho was cancelled in 2008, Sonnen would face undefeated contender Bryan Baker. Sonnen ended up dominating him in this fight for a win by unanimous decision. Sonnen and Filho eventually fought again in November, 2008 where Sonnen won by unanimous decision.

When WEC dissolved their middle weight division, Chael Sonnen returned to the UFC. During his time here, Chael would face Demain Maia, Dan Miller, Okami, Nate Marquardt, and most notably Anderson Silva. With Sonnen’s victory over Marquardt he became the number one contender to face Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship. This would end up happening at UFC 117, where Silva tapped Sonnen with a triangle arm bar in the final round while trailing behind Sonnen on the judges’ score cards. This bout would earn both fighters ‘Fight of the Year’ by many critics as well as the World MMA Awards.

Chael’s MMA career would be halted when a urinalysis conducted after his loss to Anderson Silva showed an unallowably high testosterone / epitestosterone ratio of 16.9 to 1 (an average man has a T/E ratio of 1:1). Chael was fined $2,500 and suspended for a year by the California State Athletic Commission, causing his scheduled rematch with Silva to be cancelled.

Sonnen returned to the UFC in October, 2011 at UFC 136 with a second round arm triangle choke against Brian Stann. Chael Sonnen would then go on to face Michael Bisping, and a rematch with Anderson Silva. Sonnen would then return to the light heavy weight division for a bout with Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavy weight championship at UFC 159. Jones dispatched Sonnen using his own style against him to defeat him via TKO in the first round. Amazingly enough, despite the dominant performance from Jones, Chael would have likely won the fight and consequently the title after it was later discovered that Jones has suffered a serious toe injury while defending a take down that could have results in a doctor’s stoppage.

Chael was expected to have a bout against his long time rival Wanderlei Silva at UFC 175, however Silva was pulled from the fight after a refusal to undergo a random drug test. Silva was replaced by Vitor Belfort, however, Sonnen subsequently failed a random drug test and was removed from the card. It was here following the controversy of his second failed drug testing that Chael Sonnen ultimately decided it was time to retire from MMA. He announced his retirement during June, 2014 on an episode of UFC Tonight. It was later revealed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that Sonnen had failed a second drug test, making it the third failed drug test throughout his MMA career. The NSAC would go on to ban Sonnen for 2 years from any martial arts competition world wide. It was then that people learned Sonnen’s contract had been terminated by the UFC as well as his contract with Fox Sports as a UFC analyst.

On September 15, 2016, it was reported that Chael Sonnen had signed a contract with Bellator MMA for multiple fights. It was in Bellator that Chael would have bouts against Tito Ortiz, Wanderlei Silva, Quinton Jackson, and Fedor Emelianenko.

MMA Fights

Chael Sonnen VS Rampage Jackson Highlights

 

Also find out Wrestling Fundamentals From The Bad Guy by Chael Sonnen

Or a complete collection of Chael Sonnen's instructional videos.

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