Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Chael Sonnen breaks his silence after being choked to sleep twice in return to action by BJJ legend

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Donagh Corby | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 8:59 AM ET

Chael Sonnen has told fans ‘I forgive you’ after a supposed misunderstanding of his brutal loss last night.

The legendary former UFC middleweight and light-heavyweight title contender flew over four hours on the day of competition before taking on the legendary Craig Jones in a grappling match. Unfortunately, Sonnen’s wrestling base wasn’t enough to defend against elite jiu-jitsu.

Within seconds, Sonnen was choked unconscious by Jones, before complaining to the referee until a second bout was called. However, he didn’t fare much better in that one and was again choked to sleep by the Australian.

Chael Sonnen speaks out after Craig Jones Invitational defeats

Following his disastrous performance in what is expected to be Craig Jones’ final match, Chael Sonnen has been typically comical in his response. He has taken to X to tell fans ‘I forgive you’ for misunderstanding what was truly going on.

Chael Sonnen was choked unconscious in 20 seconds by Craig Jones pic.twitter.com/TaV4ERPKWj
— Ben Davis (@BenTheBaneDavis) September 1, 2025

After initially claiming that “The contract said 3 out of 5,” Sonnen wrote: “The first thing you do in a position like that is relax. That’s all that was. I don’t blame anybody and I’m not upset. Misinterpretations happen. I forgive you.”

Sonnen is infamous for his claim to be ‘undefeated and undisputed’ in MMA despite actually holding a record of 30-18-1. He is one of the most renowned talkers in the sport’s history and is beloved by fans after years of playing the heel during his fighting days.

Chael Sonnen replaced Olympic gold medallist Gable Steveson in Craig Jones super-fight

Sonnen stepped in on short notice in order to save Jones’ final super-fight after Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson pulled out with an injury. The legendary fighter last competed in MMA in 2019, but remains training particularly in wrestling.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by FloGrappling (@flograppling)

Steveson’s pull-out was controversial with Jones, who has claimed it was done with an ulterior motive of harming the event. The wrestling star is due to compete on September 12 in his MMA debut, but was unable to take part on August 31.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: