Becoming a mixed martial artist and fighting in the biggest organizations is something that most people don’t achieve. Very few athletes make it to the top, and Chael Sonnen is one of those big stars to emerge from the world of MMA. He recently shared a story in a YouTube video, reminiscing about the days when he practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in a parking lot.

Chael Sonnen is one of MMA’s biggest export. His portrayal of the ‘bad guy’ and immense trash-talking skills, which also landed him in trouble, made him one of the most popular fighters ever. However, the road to becoming a top fighter wasn’t as easy as many people think.

Chael Sonnen used to train with the help of a magazine

‘The American Gangster’ talked about how some fighters use unconventional ways of training to make it at the top of the MMA industry. He then narrated a story that involved him and one of his friends training in the parking lot. Sonnen said, “My buddy Justin, and I used to go to 7-Eleven in Tualatin, Oregon, every thirty days because a new edition of Black Belt Magazine had come out.”

The UFC legend added there the Black Belt Magazine would have a few pages of instructions for various jiu-jitsu moves which they would use as a reference to train. “Somewhere right around the middle [of the magazine]… there would be about a three-page, but it would be instructional,” said Chael Sonnen.

‘The American Gangster’ and his friend used to train in the parking lot

Sonnen mentions that the Black Belt Magazine would show a trainer providing a step-by-step manual for various moves in the Black Belt Magazine. He and his friends would later go to the parking lot of the 7-Eleven and work things out.

“We go on the parking lot and we’d practice it, ‘okay it’s almost this way,'” said Sonnen. However, The UFC legend didn’t have any money to buy the magazine. He added, “So we didn’t have the money to buy the magazine. So we go before and [practice] and then go back in and we look again and we’d go back at it. It was just one of those things.”

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Chael Sonnen may not have won any championships in the major MMA promotions in the world. However, he became one of the biggest draws in MMA history. He still remains one of UFC fans’ all-time favorites.

What do you make of Sonnen’s story? Let us know in the comments down below.

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