“You get knocked down sometimes in life and you have to put one foot in front of the other,” Sonnen said. “You’ve got to learn to shake things off and you have to keep your eye on the ball.

“You can’t get down. You can’t get depressed. Every single day you get up, you’ve got to make the most of it. I really believe that if you’re going to be in this company [UFC], and take up a spot, you’ve got to be chasing a championship.”

Belt or no, that man is a true champion.