Chael Sonnen is not done with fighting: “I have a lot of goals, I’m not going to reach them if I retire.”

UFC on FOX 2: Evans v Davis

 

I don’t think anyone really thought Chael was going to retire after his loss to Bones Jones, his body just doesn’t contain the type of DNA required to go out on a loss like that. But, the clock is still ticking on his 36-year-old body, and with the UFC upping it’s stance against TRT (I’m sure if an exemption is made for anyone, it’s Chael) perhaps Chael only has a few good fights left in him.

Item number one on Chael’s post-championship run agenda is Wanderlei Silva. Both guys have been active on Twitter calling each other out (kind of):

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Chael went on UFC Tonight to make his stay official:

I’ll fight at 205. I’m not retiring. I’m 36 years old. I have a lot of goals and I’m not going to reach them if I retire. I don’t have a lot of options at 185. I’ve fought everyone in the top 10, including the champion a couple of times. So I moved up to 205, but I lost to the champ and it wasn’t a competitive enough match to warrant another chance. So what do I do? It was a lot better experience, not having to get the weight off. I’ll give up the size, but have a smile on my face. I could be talked into going back down if that’s where the fights are. The landscape changes quickly. I think there will be a big shakeup on July 4th weekend when Weidman gets his hands on Anderson.”

What was it like fighting Bones:

“This was like getting into a bear cage. This guy was a monster of a man. We weighed in at the same size the day before, and I don’t know how that was possible. I put my arms around him and I thought, ‘oh my god, you’re a big guy.’ As far as the match went, I got beat up.”

Chael on the stoppage:

“It’s two-fold, any time the ref helps you and stops a fight to keep you from getting hurt, you never want to come out and say anything that could disparage his judgment. At the same time, we’re in the middle of an ass-whipping contest, let us get after it. When I had my hands up because a guy is punching me, that’s called defense. But I never want to question a referee.”

Sonnen could’ve been champ due to Bones’ toe if the fight didn’t get stopped.  This is what he thought about that:

“Diplomatically you don’t ever want to win that way. The ones that hurt are the ones you’re supposed to win and then you blow it. But if it was given to me, I would have grabbed that belt, I would have held it up, grabbed the mic and told the crowd the golden rule is ‘he with the gold rules,’ and I would have walked out of the place and never looked back.”

Sonnen on his gameplan:

“I was going to have to grind him down. I could see him he poses a lot of problems. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s got the wing span of a radioactive condor. I knew he’d take me down, but I never thought that he could take me down repeatedly. That was a surprise. And the fact that he tried so quickly, I was thrown off a little.”