NEW YORK – Lyoto Machida appears to have a knack for retiring opponents. Chael Sonnen’s announcement after Bellator 222 marked the third time someone has walked away from the sport after being knocked out by “The Dragon.”

Machida (26-8 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), the former UFC champion, earned a second-round TKO of Sonnen (30-16-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in Friday’s co-headliner. at Madison Square Garden. Following the fight, Sonnen left his gloves in the center of the cage and said his time participating in active competition was officially over.

Sonnen joins Randy Couture and Vitor Belfort as fighters who have announced their retirement after losing to the Brazilian, but Machida said it’s not something he relishes. He doesn’t take pride in ending someone’s career, but instead views it in a more positive light.

“To be honest, I don’t think anything about that,” Machida told reporters, including MMA Junkie, post-fight at Bellator 222. “I feel it’s an honor for me to be part of his history and to share the cage with Chael Sonnen, Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort, because I consider those guys are legends in the sport. To be part of their story, for me, I’m so grateful for that.”

When asked bluntly if he believes Sonnen made the right choice by announcing his retirement, Machida said it’s not really his place to make such a judgement.

“It’s up to him,” Machida said. “It’s hard to say anything about that, because you’ve got to respect the time of everyone. If Chael thinks that he has to retire then we just have to respect his decision and appreciate what he has been doing for the sport. He’s considered one of the best in the sport, so you have to respect that.”

Machida largely had his way with Sonnen at Bellator 222. He found himself with his back against the cage in the opening seconds of the fight, but shortly thereafter broke into free space and found his timing.

The former UFC light heavyweight titleholder floored Sonnen with a brutal flying knee in the first but somehow didn’t get the finish. He did the same thing in the opening moments of the second round and was ultimately able to force the referee to wave off the action.

There have been criticisms of Sonnen in the past for giving up in times of adversity. Machida said Sonnen earned his full respect, though, and while he didn’t retire on a win, Sonnen showed his durability and heart one last time.

“Chael is a very tough opponent,” Machida said. “It was definitely my game plan to wait for the right moment. I didn’t know. I didn’t expect that Chael would come too much. He comes so fast and too much up to me, so I couldn’t control the distance right away. But I got my timing and threw the knee, and I could hit him strong.”

For complete coverage of Bellator 222, check out the MMA Events section of the site.