Chael Sonnen is coming back to the cage, and hes doing it with Bellator.Sonnen, a former UFC fighter who announced his retirement from mixed martial arts in 2014, signed a multiyear, multi-fight deal with Bellator, the promotion company announced Thursday night.Sonnen, 39, said he hopes to begin in November by taking on fellow UFC alumnus Tito Ortiz, but he says hell begin the next chapter of his career with no other preferences about opponents, fight locations or even weight classes.I want to fight right now, and I dont fight in any weight division, Sonnen told The Associated Press. I fight at gangster weight. Wherever the competition is, I will show up. [Bellator president Scott] Coker has got guys under contract from 185 to 205. Hes signing guys at heavyweight. If hes got guys that want to fight, then lets fight.Sonnen, who serves as an MMA analyst for ESPN, has fought for the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight titles during a tumultuous MMA career, narrowly losing a memorable matchup with then-middleweight champion Anderson Silva. He also honed world-class fight promotion skills that turned him into a pay-per-view draw.Sonnen hasnt fought since a first-round knockout loss to Rashad Evans on Nov. 16, 2013, and received a two-year suspension in 2014 for failing a drug test.He announced his retirement after that positive test, which wasnt the first of his MMA career. He repeatedly denied interest in returning to the sport, instead starting a family and beginning a career in commentary and podcasting over the past two years.When asked Thursday why hed insisted he wouldnt make a comeback, Sonnen said: Im a heel. Heels lie.There might have been a blink of the eye where I thought it was time to transition behind a desk, but for the most part, I never meant it, Sonnen said. I was never prepared for it. I knew I was coming back, and there were more guys to beat up. ... I appreciate that you all read the book, but I can see that I left a few chapters out, so its going to continue.Sonnen had been a devoted UFC fighter, with two stints and 14 fights for the promotion company since 2005. He reentered the USADA testing pool earlier this year, a required precursor to fighting in the UFC, whose anti-doping policy is administered by the USADA. Sonnen remained vocally supportive of the UFC during his suspension, but Bellator apparently made a financial offer he couldnt resist.When asked why he chose Bellator, Sonnen solemnly joked, Zero apostrophe S, referring to a large financial offer.Chael is an incredible athlete that has competed at the very highest levels of the sport, and I know that he is going to continue to do just that here at Bellator, Coker said.He has that entertainer X factor that cant be taught. When we were talking, Chael was adamant that he wants to compete in three divisions here. He already has unfinished business with Wanderlei Silva, but he also wants to fight Tito Ortiz, Fedor Emelianenko and even Rory MacDonald at middleweight. These are all fights that Id be very inclined to watch, so hopefully we can put some, if not all, of these matchups together.Ortiz, Silva and MacDonald are former UFC stalwarts who moved to Bellator in recent years, along with former UFC champion?Benson Henderson?and other well-known names. Emelianenko, 39, is widely considered the best?heavyweight in MMA history, but he has fought only twice since 2012.Sonnen said he wont ask for a specific opponent beyond Ortiz, but he intends to fight early and often with Bellator.I signed with Bellator a matter of minutes ago -- theyve got a card in Austin tomorrow, and Im that Im not on it, Sonnen said in reference to Bellator 161, which pits Cheick Kongo against Tony Johnson in the headlining heavyweight bout.Bellator 161 and most of the promotions fights largely air on Spike TV, although a Sonnen-Ortiz matchup seems to be a possible pay-per-view candidate. While the fight isnt set, Sonnen said he would love to take on Ortiz, the fighter known as the Huntington Beach Bad Boy?who has been with Bellator since 2014.The Bad Boy versus the Bad Guy in November, and thats a quote, Sonnen said.Sonnen said he believes he can jump back into competition quickly. He has sparred aggressively during his time off, even setting mock fight dates to prepare.But as far as dealing with the competition and the adversity and the pain and the things you have to go through to be successful, I havent done that, Sonnen said. My body still feels good, and Im still having some good moments in the practice room. Everything is fine. Ive had some personal bests. But as far as going in there and actually doing it, youve got to have those reps. Im jonesing. November cant get here quick enough.The Associated Press contributed to this report. Wholesale USA Soccer Jerseys . 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USA Soccer Jerseys China .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. Inside the smaller theatre at Madison Square Garden about five years ago, shortly before a world title fight, Emile Griffith was introduced one more time to the crowd. He rose shakily from his seat, waved ever so briefly and then sat down. The applause kept going. Revered in retirement perhaps more than during his fighting days, Griffith died Tuesday at 75 after a long battle with pugilistic dementia. The first fighter to be crowned world champion from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Griffith required full-time care late in life and died at an extended care facility in Hempstead, N.Y. "Emile was a gifted athlete and truly a great boxer," Hall of Fame director Ed Brophy said. "Outside the ring he was as great a gentleman as he was a fighter." An elegant fighter with a quick jab, Griffiths brilliant career was overshadowed by the fatal beating he gave Benny "The Kid" Paret in a 1962 title bout. The outcome darkened the world of boxing, even prompting some network television stations to stop showing live fights. It also cast him as a pariah to many inside and outside the sport. He went on to have a successful career after that fatal fight, but Griffith acknowledged later in life that he was never the same boxer. He would fight merely to win, piling up the kind of decisions that are praised by purists but usually jeered by fans hoping for a knockout. Griffith often attended fights in his later years, especially at the Garden, where he headlined 23 times. He was also a frequent visitor to the boxing clubs around New York City, and made the pilgrimage most years to the sports Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y. "He always had time for boxing fans when visiting the hall on an annual basis," Brophy said, "and was one of the most popular boxers to return year after year." That outpouring of love that he received late in life stood in stark contrast to the way he was received after March 24, 1962, when he fought Paret before a national TV audience at the Garden. Griffith knocked out his bitter rival in the 12th round to regain his own welterweight title, and Paret went into a coma and died from his injuries 10 days later. Sports Illustrated reported in 2005 that Griffith may have been fueled by an anti-gay slur directed at him by Paret during the weigh-in. Over the years, in books and interviews, Griffith described himself at various times as straight, gay and bisexual. "People spit at me in the street," Griffith told The Associated Press in 1993, recalling the days after Parets death. "We stayed in a hotel. Every time there was a knock on the door, I would run into the next room. I was so scared." The Paret fight left a cloud over the sport for many years. NBC halted its live boxing brroadcasts, and then-New York Gov.dddddddddddd Nelson Rockefeller created a commission to investigate the bout and the sport. The referee that night, Ruby Goldstein, never worked another fight. The fight became the basis for the 2005 documentary "Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story." One of the final scenes shows Griffith embracing Parets son. "I was never the same fighter after that. After that fight, I did enough to win. I would use my jab all the time. I never wanted to hurt the other guy," Griffith said. "I would have quit, but I didnt know how to do anything else but fight." And fight he could. Known for his overwhelming speed and slick style -- certainly not his punching power -- Griffith was a prodigy from the moment he stepped in Hall of Fame trainer Gil Clancys gym in Queens. Griffith had been working in a hat factory when, as the story goes, he took off his shirt on a hot day and the factory owner realized noticed his muscles. Under the watchful eye of Clancy, Griffith blossomed into a New York Golden Gloves champion and eventually turned professional. He easily defeated the likes of Florentino Fernandez and Luis Rodriguez during an era when it was common to fight every couple of weeks. He quickly earned a title shot against Paret in 1961, winning the welterweight belt with a knockout in the 13th round. Griffith would lose it to Paret in a rematch five months later. After winning back the title during their controversial third fight -- many believe Paret never should have been allowed in the ring after a brutal loss to Gene Fullmer three months earlier -- Griffith would eventually move up to middleweight. He knocked down Dick Tiger for the first time in his career and claimed the title with a narrow but unanimous decision. Griffith would go on to lose twice during a thrilling trilogy with Nino Benvenuti, his lone victory coming at Shea Stadium in 1967, and lost two bouts against the great middleweight Carlos Monzon. Griffith would finally retire in 1977 after losing his last three fights. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990 with a record of 85-24-2 and 23 knockouts. Griffith would go on to train several champions over the years, including Wilfred Benitez and Juan Laporte, among the most popular boxers in Puerto Rican history. His humour and generosity buoyed those close to him as his health deteriorated in later years. He would regale fans young and old with tales of his fights, even though details often became hazy, the result of the many blows during his career. Griffith had four sisters -- Eleanor, Gloria, Karen and Joyce -- and three brothers -- Franklin, Guillermo and Tony. He is also survived by his adopted son, Luis Griffith. Funeral arrangements are pending. ' ' '