Chael Sonnen pays tribute to his teammate Benji Radach after his tragic death: “It’s a difficult moment”

Chael Sonnen thinks about his teammate Benji Radach

In a recently uploaded video on his YouTube Channel, Sonnen spoke about Radach’s legacy and life.

“I had a teammate named Benji Radach, and that guy was great,” Sonnen said. “Benji wasn't what you'd expect a cage fighter to be. Like, college dropout, didn't have much support at home, was always in trouble… this was none of those things. [with Benji]…he had a girlfriend and treated her wonderfully. He treated everyone very nicely…I knew he had a successful life as an electrician, beautiful children and everything was going his way. All I wanted for him was for him to live his dream. To get into the UFC…

“To build that portfolio and say, 'Oh crap, look at what I did in my spare time when I was younger.' There was a change in Benji's mind, the sport he played very carelessly… there was a time when those memories weren't enough, he needed a championship,” Sonnen continued. “He lost a fight and he was embarrassed. And because he was embarrassed, he was too hard on himself… he embodied a fighter. Not aggression, not when you're mean and fast, but when you attack something else. When life knocks you down, do you stay there or do you get up? And Benji Radach got up every time. Benji will be remembered as a fighter, as a friend, as a very handsome guy… it's sad, it's a hard moment because his life was very short. Benji, I'm not going to say goodbye, but I'm going to tell you until we meet again.”

Radach retired from MMA in 2015 after Bellator 137. During his career, he fought in the UFC, Elite XC and Strikeforce, achieving a record of 21-7-1.