Lyoto Machida was all class when he discussed Chael Sonnen’s decision to retire.
Machida took on Sonnen on Friday night (June 14) in the co-main event of Bellator 222. The action took place inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. “The Dragon” dropped Sonnen in the opening frame with a flush flying knee. Sonnen survived the round, but was stopped in the second stanza after eating a jumping knee and some ground-and-pound.
Machida Comments On Sonnen’s Retirement
After the bout, Sonnen took off his gloves and announced that he’s walking away from mixed martial arts competition. During the post-fight press conference, MMA News asked Machida if he feels Sonnen made the right decision to retire. “The Dragon” had the following to say:
“It’s up to him. It’s hard to say anything about that because you gotta respect the time of everyone. So if Chael thinks that he has to retire, we just have to respect his decision and appreciate what he has been doing for the sport. He’s considered one of the legends in the sport so we gotta respect that.”
With the win over Sonnen, Machida is now 2-0 under the Bellator banner. “The Dragon” is riding a four-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since Oct. 2017.
