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After three years away, Chael Sonnen admits he had ‘some deer in the headlights’ moments at Bellator 170

Chael Sonnen’s long-anticipated return to mixed martial arts ended in disappointment.

Sonnen lost to Tito Ortiz in the main event of Bellator 170 on Saturday night, tapping to a first-round rear-naked choke in his first fight since Nov. 2013. The performance threw cold water on what was supposed to be a grand return for Sonnen, but after spending over three years on the sidelines, “The American Gangster” was able to at least glean a few positives from an otherwise frustrating debut in the Bellator cage.

“Look, tonight is helpful for me,” Sonnen said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.