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Who is Chael Sonnen?
Chael Sonnen is a former MMA fighter, MMA analyst, and promoter of submission grappling. He began his MMA career in 1997. Chael played in the “Light Heavyweight” category and “Middleweight” category in the “Ultimate Fighting Championship” (UFC). He has also played in the “WEC”, “Bellator MMA” and “Pancrase.” Chael has been successful to win the match against champions like Paulo Filho, Nate Marquardt, Wanderlei Silva, Michael Bisping, Quinton Jackson, and Mauricio Rua.
| Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Chael Patrick Sonnen |
| Date Of Birth | 3rd April 1977 |
| Birth Place | West Linn, Oregon |
| Parent(s) | Not Known |
| Profession | Mixed Martial Artist MMA Promoter |
| Spouse | Brittany |
| Age | 43 Years |
| Height | 6 ft 1in |
| Children | 2 |
| Net Worth | USD $10 million |
Despite being an amazing MMA fighter, he was not successful to win a single “UFC Championship.” Chael began his journey as an MMA analyst in “ESPN” in 2014. He also formed the “Submission Underground” (SUG). It was the promotional program of the “Submission Wrestling” in July 2016. Chael is also popular for his “Trash Talking” in MMA.
Early Life
The birthplace of Chael is West Linn, Oregon. He came into the world on 3rd April 1977. Chael started his wrestling training at the age of nine. There are not many details about his family life and childhood available.
Education
Chael went to “West Linn High School.” He started to finish in the state championship as a “state-runner up.” Chael started his training in boxing in 1996. It was his training to start his UFC career after the completion of his high school. Chael went to “Brigham Young University.” Then, Chael transferred to the “University of Oregon” in order to continue his wrestling career. He also received a lot of “All-American” honors and became the runner-up of the “PAC-10” two-times.
Chael even earned a “silver medal” in the “2000 Greco-Roman World University Championships.” He had even won “Dave Schultz Memorial International Greco-Roman” two times. He completed his graduation with a Bachelor of Science in sociology from the “University of Oregon” in 2001. During the university days, he joined the “World Championship Wrestling” during the summer of the “WCW Power Plant” in 1998.
Career
MMA Career
Chael started his MMA fighting career when he was only nineteen years old. He defeated Ben Hailey in the match in 1997. He also won the match against Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Chael also succeeded to win the match against Forest Griffin through “triangle choke submission” at the ending of 2003.
UFC
Likewise, Chael started his journey in the “Ultimate Fighting Championship” through the “Light Heavyweight Championship” during “UFC 55” against Renato Sobral. Sonnen succeeded to win through a “triangle choke” in the second division. Chael lost the match against Trevor Prangley during the “UFC Ultimate Fight Night 4.” He also lost the match against Jeremy Horn during “UFC 60.”
Bodog Fight
Moreover, Chael Sonnen began his journey in “Bodog Fight.” He won the match against Tim Credeur through “TKO” in the first match in May 2006. He also won the match against Alexey Oleinik through a unanimous decision. Chael defeated Tim McKenzie through TKO. Chael succeeded to win the match against Amar Suloev through “TKO.” He also won the match against Kyacey Uscola during “SuperFight 20: Homecoming.”
World Extreme Cagefighting
Chael Sonnen won the match against Paulo Filho during the “WEC Middleweight Championship” in December 2007. He lost the match through submission in round two. This result came into controversy. Chael had not given any verbal submission but has screamed in pain which was misinterpreted as a submission. Chael had even replied of not submitting in the match when the referee had asked about his opinion to submit.
The organizers even managed to schedule a rematch but after Paulo Filho underwent a drug rehabilitation program, he fought Bryan Baker on 26th March 2008. He won the match through the unanimous decision in the third round. He fought a match against Paulo on 5th November 2008. Chael won the match through a unanimous decision. The fight became a “non-title match” as Paulo had seven more pounds than the “185-pound” category.
Back to UFC
Chael Sonnen decided to join the “UFC” again after the “middleweight” category of “WEC” dissolved. He won the match against Demain Maia through “triangle choke submission” during the “UFC 95.” He even defeated Dan Miller through a “unanimous decision” during “UFC 98” in May 2009. Chael succeeded to win the match against “Yushin Okami” during “UFC 104” through a unanimous decision. Chael succeeded to win the match against Nate Marquardt during “UFC 109” on 6th February 2009. He won the match through a unanimous decision.
Likewise, Chael Sonnen won the match against Anderson Silva in the final round through the “triangle armbar” for the “UFC Middleweight Championship.” Both of the fighters succeeded to win the “Fight of The Night” for their performances. The “World MMA Awards” even honored the fight as “Fight of the Year.” After, through urinalysis, it was found that the “T/E” ratio was seventeen times higher than of any normal man and four times more than that of maximum range permitted for an athlete. Chael had to clear a fine of $2500 and even had to face suspension for one year.
Failed Drug Tests
Moreover, Chael Sonnen decided to court after the unfair punishment from “CSAC.” He had a medical justification for the high amount of testosterone and the hearing of the case was placed on 2nd December 2010. His physician Dr. Mark Czarnecki was in the hearing. He showed evidence of suffering from “hypogonadism” in 2008. Chael also disclosed that he was using “Testosterone Replacement Therapy” (TRT). His treatment acquired “Self-Injecting Testosterone” twice a week. The Executive Director Keith Kizer of the “Nevada State Athletic Commission” (NSAC) had approved for the “TRT” without the need of informing about the treatment again before the match. Even the “NSAC” had supported the decision.
Retirement
Chael Sonnen had even informed the condition to “CSAC” before playing the match against Yushin Okami on 24th October 2009. This reduced his punishment to six months. He went through a lot of ups and downs throughout the career. Chael lost his last match against Lyoto Machida through TKO in the second round during “Bellator 222” on 14th June 2019. He declared his retirement after the match.
Relationship, and Personal Life
Chael Sonnen tied knots with Brittany in July 2013. They welcomed their first baby boy on 4th June 2015. They named him Thero. The couple welcomed their baby girl Blauna Dian in 2016. But both the students died just after the birth.
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Chael Sonnen is active on social media platforms. He goes with the name of “@sonnench” on Instagram with 494K followers and “Chael Sonnen” on Twitter with 635.2K followers. His Facebook page “Chael Sonnen” has 408K followers. He also has an official website www.chaelsonnen.com.
Net Worth
Chael Sonnen had been active in the sports fraternity for more than twenty years. He has won a lot of matches. According to celebritynetworth.net, he has an approximate net worth of $10 million.
Nutshell Bio, Height, Weight, and Age
The full name of Chael is Chael Patrick Sonnen. His nationality is American. The current age of Chael is 43. He has an attractive height of 6 feet 1 inch along with a complimentary weight of 93 kg. Chael belongs to the white ethnicity.
