Although nearly three years have passed since he last fought, Chael Sonnen is still in fighting shape. 

But Sonnen is adamant his days of stepping in the Octagon are over. He seems at ease with his decision. That's a rare thing in a sport where athletes often stick around long after their skills decline. But that's not to say he doesn't think about returning. He does. 

“I get asked this a lot. All I can say is I think about it every day. I think about wrestling matches I had in college and it will keep me up at night," Sonnen told FloCombat. "What if I had done this or that and would it have made a difference? That stuff is never going to go away.”

Sonnen fought for UFC titles in multiple weight classes, and he lost each of those championship bouts. He was involved in controversies, but despite the losses and the bad times, he believes people will remember the good times and overlook the bumps in the road. 

Of all the things Sonnen accomplished during his career, it is his mastery of promotional arts that will likely define him. Sonnen dropped gem after gem when the spotlight was on. His post-fight interview at UFC 136, where he delivered the now-classic line, “Anderson Silva, You absolutely suck” will be remembered for years to come. In that moment, and in so many others, Sonnen stole the show. 

Sonnen knew how to seize the moment, and it frustrates him that others won't follow his lead. 

“If you grab a microphone and you don’t say anything to make people care, then they won’t,” he said said. "There is a way to do it, but there are very few guys who know how. There is a chance to embrace that, but a lot of guys get scared to do it because it puts them in a corner. A lot of guys really do feel they are the best. I was one of the guys who was willing to say it. 

“It’s easier to say nothing then go out there and compete, but I wanted people to watch. I didn’t want to just go out and fight, I wanted people to watch me do it. More than money or fame it was an ego thing. I liked those pats on the back. I liked when friends from the neighborhood new when there was a fight or a match coming up and was tuning in to watch me.”



Although Sonnen had been in the professional ranks for more than a decade, it was his pursuit of middleweight king Anderson Silva that elevated his profile. At the time, Silva was destroying everyone in his path. That dominance helped turn him into one of the greatest fighters ever.

No one wanted to fight Silva. But Sonnen did, and he used every opportunity available to let the world know. 

“I didn’t reinvent the wheel,” Sonnen said. “Guys had come along before me. I stole some from them, and they stole some from the guys before them. Now I see guys today stealing and borrowing some from me and good for them. If something works, then take it. I wish they’d do more of it. 

“I was really just good with dates more than anything else. I would let people know when they could tune in to watch. I’d say, ‘10 o’clock in the east, 7 in the west and only on pay-per-view.’ I was just a guy who would provide the info. If people were entertained by it, great.”

Many view Sonnen as one of the best interviews ever. But Sonnen said he believes Quinton Jackson was the best. When a Rampage fight would end, Sonnen would hush the room and turn up the TV because he wanted to hear what Jackson would say. Just like Sonnen, Jackson often used that time to build his next fight. 

“The moment one fight ends the marketing for the next fight begins. It’s right then and that is your chance right there on that microphone," Sonnen said. "Some guys do it and some guys don’t, but the ones who do it well is a rare thing. There is a formula and a process where the promotion has to catch up with the guy’s skills. They don’t always go hand in hand. The skills may be there first—and you have this great talent—but he’s on the undercard. Everyone is on the undercard until they’re not.

“One of the last fights I had, I was the main event and Conor McGregor was on the undercard. He wasn’t even on the pay-per-view portion of the card. He fought on free TV. That isn’t me trying to put myself over Conor in any way. I’m just saying Conor wasn’t Conor until he was Conor.”



Sonnen has had no difficulty transitioning from active competition into a busy retirement. In addition to his role as an analyst on ESPN and commentator for WSOF, Sonnen also hosts a popular podcast. And he'll finally put on a promoter's hat for "Submission Underground," a grappling event that streams exclusively on FloCombat next month. 

Put simply, Sonnen refuses to stand still. 

“I’m going to move forward no matter what,” Sonnen said. “I don’t get stuck in the cracks because the world is a big place. I do see people get stuck in the cracks no matter what it is. I believe in one simple philosophy: If you had a good day at work then what happened? You got up, put your boots on and went out the front door. If you had a bad day at work then what happened? You got up, put your boots on and you walked out the door. You just move forward and do the best you can. You don’t get stuck in the cracks.

“I’ve had plenty of heartbreaking experiences on a personal level and a professional level, but you move forward. The only way out is to move forward.”