Chael Sonnen's May 18th CSAC Hearing
- Thread starter Nastycrow
- Start date
One-time UFC middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen will not be competing in the octagon anytime soon.
The California State Athletic Commission today ruled to uphold Sonnen's indefinite suspension, citing both a recent federal money-laundering conviction, as well as some questionable testimony following a positive result in a post-UFC 117 drug screen.
The CSAC made their ruling during today's special meeting, which took place at the Ronald Reagan State Office Building in Los Angeles.
During today's testimony, Sonnen revealed the UFC was targeting him as a potential coach on the soon-to-film 14th season of "The Ultimate Fighter." Sonnen said the UFC planned to pit him against outspoken British striker Michael Bisping, and the two would meet in a No. 1 contender matchup at the end of the season.
Today's ruling likely nixes that option, as the Nevada State Athletic Commission – which holds jurisdiction over the participants in "TUF," which films in Las Vegas – generally upholds the rulings of other prominent commissions. and Sonnen suggested during testimony that a failure to secure a license at today's hearing would likely lead to his retirement.
This past December's, Sonnen was suspended six months and fined $2,500 by the CSAC for elevated levels of testosterone following his near-upset of UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The term marked a reduced sentence from the one-year term he originally received.
In January, the CSAC suspended Sonnen's license indefinitely for his conviction on a federal charge of money laundering, as well as "providing false testimony" during an appeal hearing held this past December.
Sonnen was due to appear in April before the Nevada State Athletic Commission about the possibility of receiving a fight license. Sonnen was expected to answer questions about statements he'd made during the CSAC hearing – namely, whether he'd gotten approval for his use of prescribed testosterone prior to his fight with Nate Marquardt at UFC 109, which took place in Nevada.
NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer claimed Sonnen had not been truthful in telling the CSAC that he had received approval from the Nevada commission prior to testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone following his title fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 117.
MMAjunkie.com will have more on this story later today.
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Neonep said:
All right this s**t is getting ridiculous. I truly dislike the guy but this is excessive. Just let the man fight!
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My thought exactly I really don't like the man, but s---... I have said it before and I'll say it again, this is all BS. They really have no reason to do this to him. He has been punished for his crime by the court system, they already suspended him for pissing hot... What are there reasons? I still think it has something to do with his political affiliations. Once again an area that I don't agree with him on, but still doesn't deserve all this. I hope the NSAC will have some balls and say f--- Cali... I mean really their Ex Governator just got outed for having like a million illegitimate children.....
He has done his time... Let the man make a living... They could have the fight in Oregon, his home state, they will give him a license I am sure... Just move TUF to Portland....
Sapper said:
Neonep said:
All right this s**t is getting ridiculous. I truly dislike the guy but this is excessive. Just let the man fight!
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My thought exactly I really don't like the man, but s**t... I have said it before and I'll say it again, this is all BS. They really have no reason to do this to him. He has been punished for his crime by the court system, they already suspended him for pissing hot... What are there reasons? I still think it has something to do with his political affiliations. Once again an area that I don't agree with him on, but still doesn't deserve all this. I hope the NSAC will have some balls and say f**k Cali... I mean really their Ex Governator just got outed for having like a million illegitimate children.....
He has done his time... Let the man make a living... They could have the fight in Oregon, his home state, they will give him a license I am sure... Just move TUF to Portland....
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At first I never understood why he was suspended, but then I realise it's because he lied at the last hearing. Part of his defense was him claiming that he'd told Keith Kizer he was undergoing TRT, however when Kizer said he's never spoke to Sonnen about that, it was clear that Sonnen lied. It's gutting that he won't be fighting soon, I miss seeing him getting choked out, but understandable why the Commission done it, they've set a standard, lie in your hearing & you get hit harder for it.
They've dropped and banished guys for much, much less.
I'm not surprised the UFC is standing behind an employee, but I am surprised how much they are willing to stand behind Sonnen. It's almost like the guy could be charged with manslaughter and the UFC would still be holding out for a TUF coaching position and possible title fight because he trash talked really good once.
The only reason he is unable to make money is his own actions. he was corrupt when dealing with real estate, and he broke sporting rules in his other profession. He
could
be making lots of money outside the UFC but
he
committed a crime and prevented himself from doing so.
Then again, i've heard Barnett might get in under the Zuffa banner, so maybe Zuffa is just hypocritical to it's own word of wanting to properly grow the sport.
YPG said:
At first I never understood why he was suspended, but then I realise it's because he lied at the last hearing. Part of his defense was him claiming that he'd told Keith Kizer he was undergoing TRT, however when Kizer said he's never spoke to Sonnen about that, it was clear that Sonnen lied. It's gutting that he won't be fighting soon, I miss seeing him getting choked out, but understandable why the Commission done it, they've set a standard, lie in your hearing & you get hit harder for it.
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I understand that he lied to them... Even though he will not say that he lied... But suspending the man for a year because of it? That just doesn't fit for me... Who knows in Sonnen's little mind he may have made a mistake and when he made the statement didn't think it was a lie.... He did later say it was his manager that had the conversation with Kizer, and he just spoke incorrectly.
If your child lies to you are you going to ground them for a year? I think not. The punishment does not fit the crime here. Something else is behind it...
Has anyone drug tested the CSAC?
Chael Sonnen’s Indefinite Suspension Upheld, May Prompt Retirement
Posted on May 18, 2011 by Ken Pishna
The long and winding road of Chael Sonnen’s career just careened down a steep descent of switchbacks on Wednesday, possibly signaling his retirement from mixed martial arts competition.
Sonnen, who just recently thought he would be reinstated as a fighter in both California and Nevada, was back before the California State Athletic Commission on Wednesday. He was trying to alleviate a recent indefinite suspension handed down by California, but the end result was a continuation of that suspension.
CSAC Executive Director George Dodd, in speaking with MMAWeekly.com last week, confirmed the two factors behind the current suspension: Sonnen’s guilty plea for his money laundering case in Oregon, and also the possibility of false testimony during the UFC fighter’s hearing before the commission on Dec. 2, 2010, to appeal his last suspension.
“What we’re going to be looking at is his testimony (about) his discussion that he had with the Nevada State Athletic Commission,” Dodd explained. “Because that could have led some of the commissioners to change or sway their vote as far as… the testosterone use. So, we’re going to look at that.”
And that is exactly the tack the commission took, under the representation of deputy district attorney general Karen Chappelle, and with testimony from Keith Kizer, the executive director of Nevada’s athletic commission.
Sonnen was questioned heavily about his Federal money laundering conviction in Oregon, and the statements he made not only to the athletic commission at a December hearing, but also comments he made in media interviews.
The commission argued that Sonnen had been misleading in some of his statements both at the December hearing and in the media, particularly about his interaction with the Nevada commission regarding his testosterone therapy for hypogonadism.
Sonnen responded by saying he had relied upon poor information from others, both in regards to whether or not he was clear to fight while under the testosterone treatment and in regards to the money laundering charge. He said that he had since taken the step of handling such matters directly, not leaving issues such as matters with the athletic commission to his manager, Matt Lindland.
“If I am not granted a license to fight, I will be effectively retired,” Sonnen pleaded, the emotion evident on his face. “I don’t want to retire today.”
At the end of the day, the hearing about whether or not to license Sonnen in California boiled down to his alleged inconsistent statements and the money laundering conviction.
During deliberation, the consensus among commissioners was that the inconsistent statements were the primary consideration regarding Sonnen’s licensure in California, not so much the money laundering conviction.
The commission openly doubted the sincerity of Sonnen’s statements; commissioner Eugene Hernandez referenced a comment Sonnen made during Wednesday’s hearing as to part of the reason why.
“When I am on stage I am performing. No different than any other actor. I charge for those interviews,” he had said in regards to the media interviews that were called into question.
Following closing testimony, Hernandez motioned for Sonnen’s current suspension to be upheld indefinitely. The motion was quickly seconded by commissioner Christopher Giza.
After hearing public comment, which included a plea from Sonnen’s mother, the commission voted 4-1 to uphold the indefinite suspension. That means that Sonnen is under suspension until June 29, 2011, when his current license expires. The soonest he would be allowed to re-apply for a license in California would be June of 2012.
CSAC Executive Director George Dodd told MMAWeekly.com that the action is under his jurisdiction only, and that Sonnen could try to get licensed in other states, similar to Josh Barnett, who has not regained his license in California, but will be fighting in Texas in June. It is up to the other state commissions to decide whether or not California’s ruling has any effect on their consideration of granting Sonnen a license.
Sonnen was believed to be under strong consideration to coach on Season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The outcome of Wednesday’s hearing effectively knocks him out of any further contention for the position.
(Reporting by Nick Solomon, JabsNGrabs.com)
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http://mmaweekly.com/chael-sonnens-indefinite-suspension-upheld-may-prompt-retirement
Slampage said:
This is a flame-out of Tiger Woods proportions. Both of his careers are shot, how is he going to support himself? Bisping vs. Mayhem TUF coaches?
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As Jak said, it's through his own actions both his careers are shot, it's not as though he's some guy who's been unlucky and ended up out of 2 jobs, both incidents stem from his actions.