Following his second failed drug test within a matter of weeks, the UFC has officially removed former middleweight and light heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen from their broadcasts with Fox Sports. The UFC confirmed the news with a statement on their website Monday night:
The UFC and FOX Sports organizations announced today the termination of their respective broadcasting services agreements with analyst Chael Sonnen. This decision comes in light of Sonnen failing a second test conducted by the Nevada Athletic Commission for banned substances in June. Sonnen was previously under temporary suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission for failing an initial test conducted in May.
The news was first broken on Twitter by Bleacher Report’s own Jeremy Botter:
Multiple sources indicate to me that Chael Sonnen will not be a part of Fox broadcasts going forward, at least for a while.
— Jeremy Botter (@jeremybotter) July 1, 2014
Sonnen has been a staple part of the UFC’s broadcast team over the past two years, regularly appearing behind the analyst desk during Fight Night and UFC on Fox events. He has also been one of the lead anchors on the UFC’s weekly news show, UFC Tonight on Fox Sports 1.
MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani broke the news earlier this week that Sonnen had failed a June 5 drug test, getting popped for four banned substances, most notably EPO and HGH. The failed test came shortly after another incident, where Sonnen was flagged for anastrozole and clomiphene. While some fans and media members came to Sonnen’s defense following the first failed test due to the fallout from the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s sudden ban on testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT), EPO and HGH are clear-cut performance-enhancing drugs typically associated with disgraced athletes such as Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong.
The development is sudden, but not surprising. With the UFC in a permanently uphill climb to maintain its legitimacy as a sports organization, prominently featuring Sonnen, who has failed three drug tests to date, would not be a wise move.
In spite of all of this, Sonnen remains scheduled to face high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu player Andre Galvao at Metamoris 4 later this year. What the future holds for Sonnen is unclear, but at least for now, he seems committed to remaining in combat sports, in spite of his retirement claims earlier this month.
Stick with Bleacher Report for more details as they become available.
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