After three years away from the fight game, Chael Sonnen made his long-awaited return to the cage Saturday night at Bellator 170 in Los Angeles. 

The former multi-division UFC title challenger made his official debut under the Bellator banner, and in classic "Gangster from West Linn" fashion, Sonnen did so in one of the most biggest main events in the promotion's history. The brash-talking hype machine squared off against MMA legend Tito Ortiz, in a fight that promised to bring an end to the months of verbal sparring that dominated the buildup.

And while the back-and-forth exchanges between the two MMA pioneers danced in and out of humor and intensity throughout, the actual fight was figured to only consist of the latter element. That said, following a lackluster showing that ended in Ortiz putting Sonnen away with a rear-naked choke early in the fight, it would be inaccurate to say the comedic tinges remained.

After a passionate and sincere speech, the former UFC light heavyweight king Ortiz left his gloves inside the cage to mark his official retirement. Saturday night was Ortiz's to be had and one he'll remember for years to come, but in the same, Bellator 170 is one Sonnen won't be able to forget quick enough.

"The fight was going OK," Sonnen told ESPN. "Tito threw a straight right down the middle early. I threw a kick, he countered and it connected pretty hard. All of a sudden we ended up in a grappling contest. I had a submission hold, I could feel the excitement and thought he was going to tap out. He reversed the position and all of a sudden I couldn't breathe. That's the end of the night.

"I had an amazing experience but for me this is a long-term play. I was out for over three years, and I knew I had to get in there and get some minutes inside the ring. I had to make that walk to knock a little bit of that rust off. I'm going to be back in the gym on Monday. This is a marathon for me; it's not a sprint.

"I lost one position tonight. It hurts and it's embarrassing to lost a contest like this, especially to a guy who is on his way out. You want to win those. You want him to pass the torch and stick around. I had to get those minutes in at full speed. It's a hard experience, but it's what I need.

"This was the full sellout in company history. They've been moving in this direction, and the needle has been moving. I'm very confident with myself, Tito and all the players that were on this card that when the ratings come in Monday morning we are going to have the new record. I think business is looking good over here."