Chael Sonnen was in court yesterday, and it did not go well. The commission voted to uphold his indefinite suspension, and if we are to believe Sonnen’s own testimony, he may never be back in the UFC.
According to ESPN’s Josh Gross’ live tweet by tweet reporting in the courtroom, Sonnen told the commission, “If I don’t get my license today I’m effectively retired. That came from the boss, Dana White.” Sonnen also went on to say that if he does regain his license he would be opposite Micheal Bisping as the next pair of TUF coaches, with the winner getting a shot at the middleweight title. Gross also reported that Sonnen became very emotional while giving his testimony; it did seem as if he understood how serious the situation has become.
Dr. Giza, one of the commissioners in California, had a serious problem with Sonnen’s inconsistent statements made in the past. The Dean of the commission, John Frierson, took this one step further when telling Sonnen “It’s very hard for me to believe in your second chance.”
Dr. Van Lemons also made a point during the commissioner’s deliberation that he has a problem with testosterone being used in competition. At the end of the hearing, Sonnen’s mother got up to speak and stated that she believed her son had to take testosterone whether he was competing or not.
In the end, the commission voted 4-1 to uphold the indefinite suspension. The lone vote came from Anthony Thompson, who was not on the commission last December.
The indefinite suspension means that Sonnen will be suspended until his license expires on June 29th, but Sonnen can still apply elsewhere for a licence. However, historically, the commissions tend to stick together, and it may be hard for him to find a licence anywhere in the USA. On top of this, it is doubtful the UFC will allow any fighter that is suspended from any state to fight anywhere else.
If we are to believe Sonnen’s statement that Dana White now considers him retired from MMA, this could be a very sad ending to an entertaining career. In addition to this, fans and media alike will possibly never get the opportunity to see a re-match between Sonnen and Silva. The news is unfortunate, in that Sonnen’s career will now likely be remembered as the guy that almost beat Anderson Silva.
Source: TheCageDoctor.com
