9 Reasons Chael Sonnen's Retirement Is A Big Blow To The UFC
7. Promotion & Marketability
No other fighter on the entire UFC roster has been able to hype a fight to the level of success that Chael Sonnen has. A master of self-promotion, the persona hes crafted for himself as the brash, arrogant egotist underdog is a fascinating mixture of Superstar Billy Graham, Rocky Balboa and Ronald Reagan. It was his ability to trash talk, much more than his actual track record, that convinced the MMA world that he had a chance against Anderson Silva, and judging from their first fight, he even managed to convince Silva himself. Whenever he was involved in a fight, Sonnen could always be depended on to singlehandedly drum up interest through his promotional tactics. The American Gangster managed to talk his way into a title shot at light heavyweight against champion Jon Bones Jones, despite a record of just 2-2 in his prior four fights, and none of those were at 205 lbs. Dana White and company knew that the mere presence of Chael in a title fight vs. Jones would guarantee eyes on the product, and were willing to risk credibility by inserting him into the bout. UFC lacks another fighter who can cut the money promo, stir up anticipation and build interest the way that Chael Sonnen could. Some of the best fighters in the world, men like Jose Aldo and Renan Barao, might as well be automatons when it comes to personality. With a seemingly infinite roster of athletes, the organization is in desperate need of transcendent superstars who stand out among the crowd. Chael Sonnen was one of those few.
Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.
