Chael Sonnen announced his retirement from mixed martial arts after a loss to Lyoto Machida at Bellator 222.
The 42-year-old was stopped in the second round of the 205-pound bout that was co-headlining the event inside Madison Square Garden in New York.
"I've got one thing to say - I had a hell of a lot of fun," he said in his post-fight interview after laying his gloves down inside the cage.
"I had a good run but ladies and gentlemen, I'm walking out. I appreciate the memories and goodbye."
Nicknamed 'The American Gangster', Sonnen – a former collegiate wrestler at the University of Oregon - compiled a 30-17-1 record in a 22-year MMA career.
His time in UFC included two unsuccessful attempts to dethrone then-middleweight champion Anderson Silva. He lost their first meeting in 2010 by submission in the final round before suffering a second-round TKO defeat in the rematch two years later.
