Chael Sonnen submitted by Andre Galvao at Metamoris 4

In the end, Chael Sonnen‘s match at Metamoris 4 on Saturday may have been as much about what was going on away from the mat as what was happening on it.

What happened on the mat was a fairly competitive match that ultimately saw Andre Galvao beat Sonnen with a rear-naked choke. But as was well documented leading up, Sonnen’s participation in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu event in Los Angeles took place under the specter of a threat of punishment from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Sonnen, a three-time UFC title challenger, recently retired from MMA. His retirement announcement came after the second failed drug test in his career – and just before a third failed test was announced in Nevada. The NSAC handed him a two-year suspension in July.

The controversy over Sonnen’s participation against Galvao at Metamoris 4 came when the NSAC said it considered his two-year suspension to cover competing in grappling matches, as well. There was confusion over what Sonnen was banned from doing under the suspension, and Sonnen’s lawyer argued that his client should be allowed to compete at Metamoris.

The NSAC’s threats of fines could have totaled big bucks, but Sonnen said he would go through with the matchup, anyway.

In the match itself, Sonnen put Galvao on the mat with a single-leg takedown just seconds into the bout. But then a little more than a minute into the contest, Galvao called attention to a cut over Sonnen’s right eye. The fight was stopped for the cut to be looked at, but the bleeding wasn’t bad enough to cause any problems.

Sonnen went back to work in Galvao’s guard, and consistently was able to defend against Galvao’s attacks. But midway through the 20-minute match, Galvao was able to maneuver out. He worked through a Sonnen whizzer and after a scramble was able to take Sonnen’s back.

That quickly led to a rear-naked choke attempt that Sonnen fought for a bit before finally needing to tap as Galvao rolled him to his side to sink it in deeply as two-time Sonnen UFC foe Anderson Silva watched from the front row.

Afterward, Sonnen told his former broadcast partner on FOX Sports 1’s “UFC Tonight,” Kenny Florian, that not taking part in the competition wasn’t an option for him.

“They tested me, they cleared me, they hired me, they fired me, they drug me through the mud, and I’m still the toughest son of a b–ch on two feet,” Sonnen told Florian. “I’m from a different time. Anderson Silva just left, and I hope he doesn’t believe the hype because one feet or two feet, spiders have eight feet – and he and I’s era believes the same thing. When you give your word, you follow through. Win or lose, ‘the bad guy’ always makes the walk.”

This past week, NSAC Executive Director Bob Bennett declined comment on the Sonnen situation when contacted by MMAjunkie, and NSAC Chairman Francisco Aguilar said he couldn’t comment on a pending legal matter. It remains to be seen if the NSAC tries to take any action against Sonnen for taking part in the event.

In other action at Metamoris 4, which took place at Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and streamed as an online pay-per-view, UFC heavyweight and former champ Josh Barnett submitted Dean Lister with a scarf choke and former UFC light heavyweight Vinny Magalhaes fought to a draw with Keenan Cornelius.