Chael Sonnen just recently announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts. His career was highlighted by a rivalry with Anderson Silva that no one will soon forget. His mouth got him as many fights as his skills, but at the end of the day he delivered in the Octagon. So In honor of the ‘American Gangster’ here are some stats! Enjoy!
(All stats are from Fightmetric)
- Strike Accuracy: 44% (UFC Only)
- Strikes Avoided: 63% (UFC Only)
- Takedown Accuracy: 59% (UFC Only)
- Takedowns Avoided: 67% (UFC Only)
- Record: 28-14-1
- KO/TKO victories: 7
- Submission victories: 5 (Guillotine Choke) (Brabo Choke) (Forearm Choke) (Punches) (Arm-Triangle Choke)
- Decision victories: 16
- KO/TKO losses: 5
- Submission losses: 8 (Triangle choke x4) (Armbar x3) (Guillotine Choke)
- Decision losses: 1
- Opponents combined record: 669-316 (All records obtained from Sherdog.com)
- Facts:
- Sonnen’s first fight was in 1997
- 56% of Sonnen’s strikes landed were ground strikes (UFC only)
- Sonnen completed 46 takedowns in the UFC
- Sonnen was a US Olympic team alternate for wrestling
- Sonne has a degree in Sociology from the University of Oregon
Chael Sonnen will always be remembered for his mouth more than his skills. Even though he had the tendency to succumb to submissions on occasion, he was still a very good fighter who knew how to sell a pay-per-view!
I have some respect for Sonnen as someone who dedicated himself to be a fighter, but i lost all respect for him in the Silva vs Sonnen 2 fight. He criticized Silva for wearing his hat backwards like a “gangster”, then you later say him wearing his the same way. Umrn…