Some may know the story of Chael Sonnen, a tale of UFC Middleweight glory, defeat and the ultimate rude awakening, however, for those who don't know, allow me to educate you.
.Chael Sonnen: The ManChael Patrick Sonnen was born an only child, April 3, 1977 to a young Republican couple in the beautiful town of West Linn, Oregon. Chael's father was a man's man; a hard working blue collar man that at times sacrificed his health to supply his own family with the luxuries they deserved. His mother on the other hand is a lovely youthful woman, reminiscent of a woman of the 50's, honest, pure and housebroken. It was this household that would thrust young Chael into the world of wrestling.
From a young age, little Chael was a fan of the Hulk Hogans and Macho Men of the world; and always strived to apply pure athleticism to the entertainment of a crowd. Young Chael was only an elementary school student when he joined his first wrestling team. Running into the hard work would be a lot to handle for the young boy, but, his character was developing and he liked the man he was becoming. His earliest years in wrestling were difficult and centered around the fundamental aspects of the complicated sport, he had the support of both his parents and the guidance of a tremendous wrestling instructor. Though a star athlete, little Chael was keen to keeping to himself and didn't have many other friends, but, from the morals his father taught him, the friends Chael did have, were the best friends in the world.
Upon entry into competitive wrestling (Greco Roman), Chael became an instant standout promoting his rank to NCAA Division 1 All American through his formative years at the University of Oregon. During this time he also accomplished the feat of University National champion in Greco Roman. His years at the University of Oregon were more than just a launch for his outstanding career in amateur wrestling, but, they created the elements of a great man. Through the University of Oregon, Chael Sonnen earned his Real Estate License and found an interest in the political realm. It was in politics more than anywhere that he truly stood out as a straight talker and an honest good old fashioned Republican.
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Chael Sonnen: The FighterAt the young age of 19, while still a youth, Chael Sonnen accepted an offer to apply his lengthy wrestling career to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). It was, 1997 and the sport was still new to most people, though Sonnen had been introduced to it through training partners Dan Henderson, Matt Lindland and Randy Couture - founders of Team Quest. The teenage Sonnen faced a man named Ben Hailey and won the match in Vancouver, Washington via Unaniomous Decision. This would be his only professional MMA match until March of 2002.
Chael Sonnen would take time off from training for MMA to develop his wrestling skills for the United States Olympic team. He successfully made the team as an alternate and it is here as well as his political life that Chael would mimic his best friend and fellow fighter, Matt Lindland.
As a fighter, Chael Sonnen has developed extremely unorthodox, yet effective striking. He is known best for utilizing leg kicks as a boxer would utilize a jab. He uses the lead outside leg kick to create distance and set-up his left straight, a punch that he would drop Pound for Pound king and UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva with. Upon establishing his leg kick and applying his boxing Sonnen would use his Greco Roman background in takedowns, typically using the double leg takedown to subdue his opponent on the mat. Once pinning his opponent to the mat, Sonnen is known for transitioning to dominant positions and 'ground and pounding' his opponents, until submission or doctor stoppage. Sonnen does not have a highly developed jiu-jitsu game and therefore has in the past had trouble passing guard on highly ranked jiu jitsu black belts. In these situations he is best known for laying in his opponents guard and using punches and elbow strikes to attack his opponent. Unfortunately for Sonnen, this method of attack is very risky and has at times led to Sonnen himself being submitted.
Chael Sonnen has fought a laundry list of the best athletes in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions (184-205 lbs). These names include Forrest Griffin, Nate Marquardt, Paulo Filho, Anderson Silva, Demian Maia, Dan Miller, Jason 'Mayhem' Miller, Jeremy Horn, Trevor Prangly and Japanese standout Yushin Okami. Sonnen has competed all over the world and competed for both the WEC and UFC Middleweight Championships.
.The Downfall of an American IconFor Chael Sonnen, the life of a fighter is sometimes harder than getting in the gym and training. In 2008, Sonnen was diagnosed with hypogonadism, this disorder involves dangerously low levels of testerone production in the body and does not allow the body to enter puberty. As instructed by physicians, Chael injected pure testosterone into his body so he would be able to compete at a high level in the sport. This would ultimately be his downfall.
On August 7, 2010, Chael Sonnen faced UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. Sonnen dominated the fight for 4 and a half rounds before succumbing to a triangle choke-arm bar combination. This loss broke the heart of the young American Hero, but what happened after would destroy his every dream.
The California State Athletic Commission suspended Sonnen for 6 months after his loss to Anderson Silva. They cited abnormally high levels of testosterone as the reason for the ruling. After arranging a hearing with the commission, at which Sonnen was ridiculed and teased by a commission attorney, Chael looked forward to his return to MMA against Yoshihiro Akiyama. Not so fast.
On January 3, 2011 Chael Sonnen pled guilty to charges of money laundering and mortgage fraud indefinitely putting his MMA career on hold. It is expected that Sonnen has agreed to cooperate with investigators reducing his possible sentence from 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine to a more appropriate 2 years probation and $10,000 fine. Through this difficult time in Sonnen's life he has made no public comment and remains away from media. The UFC has froze Sonnen's contract and expects him to return to his Middleweight title run as soon as his legal and personal issues have been attended to.
Sonnen is currently awaiting the court's final ruling on his money laundering charge and anxiously awaiting his UFC return.
1. Cain Velasquez
