Chael Sonnen Suspended Indefinitely By CSAC

Added on May 18, 2011 by John Petit in

UFC & MMA

The California State Athletic Commission voted 4-1 to uphold an indefinite suspension of Chael Sonnen today. Sonnen fought Anderson Silva for the middleweight title in Oakland and tested positive for extraordinary high levels of testosterone in his pre fight drug screening. Sonnen was suspend for a year, and given a fine of ten thousand dollars. During an appeal of the suspension, Sonnen said that since he had clearance from Keith Kizer from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, he didn’t know that he needed to also tell California officials. Based on that information, and doctor’s records, Sonnen’s suspension was cut in half.

Hours after the appeal, and the reduction of suspension, Kizer told several media sources that he never had any such conversation with Sonnen. In fact he never even met him before. Also, Nevada has no such records on hand that would give Sonnen permission to use this therapy in the state, or anywhere else for that matter. A month ago, Christopher Dodd of the CSAC put Sonnen on an Administrative Suspension, and to clear it up he had to appear today in front of the commission. The issue at hand, was whether or Sonnen perjured himself at the previous hearing, and a guilty plea he filed in Oregon over charges of money laundering in a real estate deal. Needless to say, the decision wasn’t favorable to Sonnen.

Sonnen stuck with his story he later told Kizer, that he misspoke at the hearing, and he was told by his manager Matt Lindland that he was all clear. Sonnen was basically passing the buck on to his manager, and a few weeks back Kizer commented that that was a ridiculous statement. Conveniently, Lindland was not at the meeting as he was in Poland getting ready for a fight. Kizer told the media that the road to get someone approved for this treatment in Nevada was a lengthy one, and several steps were needed to be taken, and Sonnen or his manager ever started the process.

Sonnen was suspended indefinitely until his license in California runs out on June 29^th, but after that he will be added to the Mixed Martial Arts registry. Basically, this is a list of fighters who have been flagged, and most commissions will honor the suspensions and penalties of other states. When he applies for a license in other states his name will be flagged. The idea is that the state he is trying to get certified in should contact the CSAC for information as to why he is on the registry. Some states will not license anyone that is on the registry, and some require the fighter to go through an extra process to file for papers. For example, Josh Barnett was suspended in California and was added to the registry, but he will be fighting in Texas pending a clear drug screen.

Chael was hoping to get this cleared up so he could get a seconds license, and coach on the next season the UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter.” Unfortunately, that won’t be possible as the last day to get his his license for the show would be June 5, well before the end of the of the indefinite suspension. Prior to today, Sonnen maintained that if he didn’t get a licensed today that he would retire from the sport all together.