Chael Sonnen, one of the most colorful and entertaining fighters in UFC history is calling it quits after a failed drug test knocked him off the UFC 175 fight card, where he was supposed to clash with Vitor Belfort.
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Sonnen released a statement explaining his decision, which appears sudden. It is not often a fighter is scheduled for a fight mere weeks away, then abruptly leaves the sport. In his statement, Sonnen cited confusing rules regarding TRT that finally pushed him out of the octagon for good.
"I want to stay within the rules, and I don't fully understand them. I have to put my health first. I have to put my family first. If I know what I know now, and I know that this is going to work, and I'm going to be able to get my wife pregnant and look forward to having a family, I am going to do the exact same thing 20 more times, which is going to put me out of compliance 20 more times," Sonnen said.
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"So let's just stop with that - let me just remove myself. There is going to be a day where I am no longer going to have the title of fighter. That's just a reality. But I don't ever want there to be a day where I don't have the ability to have the title as parent and father and husband. My health has got to come first."
Sonnen ends his career with a record of 28-14, with a bevy of notable fights under his belt. He gave special thanks to Anderson "The Spider" Silva, against whom he truly became a star in the UFC. He had beaten Silva for much of the full five rounds in their August 2010 fight, only to get locked in a triangle choke late in the fifth round.
Their rematch, which Silva won by TKO, was one of the most hyped fights in the sport's history. "I want to thank the single most important opponent that I've ever had," Sonnen said. "I couldn't have gotten to where I am without this dance partner, and that is of course, you, Anderson Silva.
"Thank you for the opportunity, thank for the memories, thank you for the invitation to the barbecue even though I didn't take you up on it."
Sonnen also has wins over the likes of Michael Bisping and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. His notable losses include his final fight at UFC 167 against Rashad Evans, and a light heavyweight title fight defeat against Jon Jones.
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