Much has been made about Chael Sonnen making the move to Bellator MMA, as opposed to re-signing with the UFC. It was the right call.
Sonnen will never be accused of being a spring chicken -- the man is 39 years old. He's won one fight in four-and-a-half years. He's had issues with failing drug tests.
None of that matters in Bellator MMA.
Bellator has carved out its niche in the 'freak show fight' market. Perhaps that's a little insulting to say of Sonnen, who competed at nothing but the top level for years, but he's also not competed in three years. His fights in Bellator are much more likely to be against names such as Tito Ortiz and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson than Rory MacDonald, Rafael Carvalho and Liam McGeary. There's nothing wrong with that.
Sonnen joins the ranks of Stephan Bonnar, Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie, Wanderlei Silva, Bobby Lashley, Josh Koscheck, and the aforementioned Jackson and Ortiz as big names likely past their prime that Bellator has invested in. Company President Scott Coker understands that the UFC has a stranglehold on some of the elite, top talents in MMA, but that doesn't prevent his company getting their paws on interesting ones.
The blueprint is one that has drawn comparisons to pro wrestling, and rightfully so. Even if the combatants in the cage have lost a step as it pertains to skill, emotional investment is a giant part of the fight game -- one that MMA has no shortage of these days. There's plenty to go around.
Sonnen is a really realistic guy, whether you'd like to believe that or not. He had trouble competing at the top levels of MMA three-plus years ago, there's no doubt Sonnen would struggle today at age 39. That shouldn't prevent the guy from making money, especially when six figures per fight is on the table.
While I'll not accuse the man of lying or using, drug testing is significantly relaxed in Bellator MMA compared to the UFC. In Bellator, Sonnen is much more likely to only get tested the night of a fight, as opposed to at random, and at the mercy of the United States Anti-Doping agency. Yeah, that's a pretty sweet deal. Sonnen said on a media call that if he fails a drug test, he'll be fined $100,000 and 100 percent of his purse. I can't say I believe that, but Chael is always the salesman.
Was Sonnen's move the right one? Hell yeah, it was. More money, less testing, an opportunity to help a promotion compete. Chael Sonnen went to the place where he made the most difference, and the place that made the most difference to him. Bellator is slowly but surely becoming a player, using anything that they can grab ahold of to do so.
