In the months leading up to his UFC 117 title challenge, Chael Sonnen had plenty to say. Sonnen seemed to be everywhere, talking up his potential to dethrone champion Anderson Silva in a middleweight championship match. More than 20 minutes into the fight, he was making good on his pre-fight boasting, seemingly on his way to a career-defining victory when Silva caught him with a fifth-round triangle/arm bar submission.
In the months since, Sonnen has had almost nothing to say publicly, his silence precipitated by a positive drug test in the days after the fight.
On Thursday in Sacramento, Calif., Sonnen will have his chance to defend himself from a California state athletic commission (CSAC) finding that he illegally used performance-enhancing steroids prior to the bout.
Over 100 pages of documents recently released by the CSAC give a clearer picture of the commission’s contention that Sonnen cheated.