Watch: Chael Sonnen Submits to Unconsciousness Twice – Asks For a Third at CJI 2
Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen endured a difficult night at the Craig Jones Invitational 2 on August 31, 2025, falling unconscious twice to the same submission technique during his grappling match against tournament namesake Craig Jones at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Chael Sonnen vs. Craig Jones
Chael Sonnen stepped in as a late replacement for Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson, who withdrew due to a toe injury sustained during training. The 48-year-old former middleweight and light heavyweight title contender faced Jones in what was scheduled as a three-round, five-minute per round superfight.
CJI 2
The match began with Chael Sonnen immediately attempting a single-leg takedown before transitioning to a rear body lock, successfully taking Jones to the mat and establishing side control. However, Jones quickly countered from the bottom position, setting up a buggy choke that rendered Sonnen unconscious within 30 seconds.
After Sonnen regained consciousness, both fighters agreed to continue the match. The sequence repeated itself almost identically, with Sonnen again securing a takedown and briefly threatening with a leg lock before Jones locked in another buggy choke, putting Sonnen to sleep for the second time within one minute.
Following the second submission, referee John McCarthy stopped the contest despite Sonnen’s request to continue in a best-of-five format. The veteran referee was reportedly laughing at the unusual situation of the same fighter being rendered unconscious twice in one match.
The buggy choke, a relatively rare submission technique in grappling, combines elements of both leg and arm triangles. The submission targets the neck by using one’s legs to create a triangle while simultaneously trapping the opponent’s head and arm. The technique requires significant flexibility and proper positioning, typically applied from bottom side control.
Prior to the match, Sonnen delivered his signature promotional speech to the Las Vegas crowd, telling them to “shut up” while he spoke and declaring himself the greatest fighter in the world. The former UFC star maintained his character throughout, challenging Jones to “beat me if you can” before the action began.
This marked the second time Jones defeated Sonnen in grappling competition, having previously submitted him at an ADCC event in Finland in 2017. Sonnen, whose background is primarily in wrestling, had challenged for UFC titles three times between 2009 and 2013, falling short against Anderson Silva twice and Jon Jones once, all via stoppage.
The Craig Jones Invitational 2 featured a team-based tournament format with a $1 million prize, ultimately won by the B-Team. The event also included a women’s tournament for $100,000, won by Helena Crevar. Jones created the tournament to provide higher payouts for athletes than traditional grappling competitions, with each participant receiving at least $10,001.
The unusual nature of Sonnen being submitted twice in the same match with the same technique generated significant social media reaction, with fans joking about the former UFC star’s persistence in not tapping out and technically maintaining his “undefeated” status by going unconscious rather than submitting.
