Sherdog’s Top 10: Late Bloomers

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2. Chael Sonnen

Sonnen’s career will likely feature a glaring asterisk next to it because of his repeated use of performance-enhancing drugs. Prior to any of that, Sonnen’s rise from journeyman to elite-level middleweight was a sight to behold.

Sonnen was 14-6-1 when he first set foot in the Octagon, having already fought the likes of Jason Miller and Forrest Griffin. His debut at UFC 55 came against Renato Sobral and resulted in the first of two losses in three fights. The stint ended with Sonnen being released. Having already suffered several defeats in an unforgiving sport, he fought his way back to relevance, landing a title shot in the World Extreme Cagefighting. He lost by submission to Paulo Filho, only to rebound to win their bizarre, non-title rematch. His performance earned him another shot in the Octagon and a chance to face the formidable Demian Maia at UFC 95. Again, he was defeated, stretching his record to 22-10-1. However, Sonnen slowly started to make headway in the UFC. First it was a fight on short notice against Dan Miller, then a bout against Yushin Okami and finally a clash with Nate Marquardt. Quickly the tables turned, and “The American Gangster” had garnered a title shot against the great Anderson Silva. Nothing would be the same again.

It was not only his winning streak but his gift of gab that put him next in line. Sonnen did everything he could to hype the matchup with the Brazilian juggernaut. While he came up a round short against Silva at UFC 117, he fought back into the title picture with wins against Brian Stann and Michael Bisping. He hyped the rematch with “The Spider” brilliantly, bringing out the inner beast in Silva at UFC 148 and cementing an incredible rivalry that will not soon be forgotten. Sonnen lost to Silva in more decisive fashion the second time around and returned to light heavyweight to take on champion Jon Jones at UFC 159. A loss to “Bones” was followed by a submission victory over Mauricio Rua and a technical knockout loss to Rashad Evans in what would prove to be his final appearance at UFC 167.

Which milestone or controversy will the now-suspended and retired Sonnen be remembered for? Time will tell.

Number 1 » Matt Brown