Author: John Heinis

Chael Sonnen Remains Suspended by the California State Athletic Commission

In an article last week, this writer broke the news that UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen had his fighter’s license suspended by the state of California. May 18 was the day of the hearing, and things did not go favorably for “Uncle C…

In an article last week, this writer broke the news that UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen had his fighter’s license suspended by the state of California.

May 18 was the day of the hearing, and things did not go favorably for “Uncle Chael.”

ESPN’s Josh Gross kept fans up to date via his Twitter feed, and there were quite a few interesting developments. 

At the hearing, Sonnen confirmed rumors that the UFC asked him to coach opposite Michael Bisping on season 14 of the show. Sonnen said UFC would give him a job 18 days from now. “A once in a lifetime opportunity to be a coach on The Ultimate Fighter,” he confirmed.

Additionally, he clarified that if things panned out, the season finale would see Sonnen take on Bisping in a No. 1 contender fight for the middleweight title.

Bisping chimed in on the matter via his Twitter page, and despite Sonnen calling him out not too long ago, “The Count” actually showed sympathy for Sonnen:

“Gutted for chael sonnen, people make mistakes.  He paid his dues and should be allowed to continue with his career. Real shame for the guy.”

The British middleweight added “I did wanna fight him,as it would of been awesome, and a no1 contender matchup, but my own personal wants aside, I do truly feel for the guy.” 

The first shocking moment from the hearing came when Sonnen stated, “If I don’t get my license today I’m effectively retired. That came from the boss, Dana White.”

A visibly emotional Sonnen continued, “I worked for this chance my whole life. I don’t want to retire today.”

After hearing statements from the crowd—which included Sonnen’s mother—the commission passed a 4-1 motion made by State Athletic Commissioner Gene Hernandez to uphold Sonnen’s indefinite suspension.

Sonnen’s attorney, Steve Thompson, blamed the misunderstandings between the commission and Sonnen primarily on former manager Matt Linland. Thompson also played up how passionate the UFC was in giving Sonnen another chance, with a coaching position on TUF and a No. 1 contender fight on the line.

Sonnen stressed the fact that he needs testosterone therapy for his “survival,” and that he has the testosterone levels of a “93-year-old man.”

All arguments seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Sonnen cannot apply for another license in the state of California until June 29th of 2012, and is all but guaranteed to not get his suspension uplifted in the state of Nevada now.

Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer was one of the men who testified. He again reiterated his position that he never talked to Sonnen regarding the therapeutic exemption of testosterone replacement therapy. 

Neither the UFC nor Chael Sonnen has released an official statement on the matter yet, but this article will provide updates as they occur.

UPDATE: 5:24pm ET Michael Bisping’s Twitter comments about the matter have been added.  

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Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva Calls Out Josh Barnett and Brock Lesnar

Coming off the biggest win of his career, soundly defeating Fedor Emelianenko in the first round of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix, Antonio Silva had some choice words for fellow heavyweights Josh Barnett and Brock Lesnar. “Bigfoot”…

Coming off the biggest win of his career, soundly defeating Fedor Emelianenko in the first round of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix, Antonio Silva had some choice words for fellow heavyweights Josh Barnett and Brock Lesnar.

“Bigfoot” is slated to take on the winner of Fabricio Werdum—a close personal friend who defeated him in 2009—vs. Alistair Overeem in the semifinals of the grand prix.

However, Silva already has his eyes set on who he would like to take on in the finals: Josh “The Baby Faced Assassin” Barnett.

Silva has some serious questions about Barnett’s character, which has clearly rubbed him the wrong way over the years:

“Friendship, for me, is everything, but Josh is a weird guy, a guy who doesn’t greet you when you enter the elevator, doesn’t even say ‘good morning.’ It’s how he treats Brazilian fighters especially. It’s the same thing with [Barnett and] Werdum.”

The Strikeforce heavyweight continued, “But when [Barnett] sees Fedor, [UFC President] Dana White or [UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo] Fertitta, he runs to them and stays by their side all the time. He makes me sick. He’s the classic kiss-ass, a rude man …” 

Silva made it clear that he would like to teach Barnett a lesson in manners, adding, “I really want to face Barnett and I’ve already said I consider him a filthy person, even though he is a great fighter, and that I’ll beat him up and close both of his eyes.” 

“I’ve been fighting since 2004 and have never had any issues with another athlete, even the most stuck-up,” Silva also wanted to clarify. 

The next topic on the table for Bigfoot: former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

Some fans, and even some fighters, believe that Lesnar pulled out of the UFC 131 main event against Junior Dos Santos due to fear, dismissing the notion he is dealing with a relapse of diverticulitis.

Silva left no question on where he stands on this issue. “I don’t want to judge anyone and I really wish it’s not a big health problem for [Lesnar], but I have some doubts,” he explained. 

“That big guy doesn’t like being punched. In his last fights, he was put in the fetal position by Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez, which is humiliating for a fighter.”

Ouch.  Bigfoot certainly didn’t pull any punches on that statement.  He concluded by saying:

“I think he pulled out of the fight against ‘Cigano,’ who is a real heavy puncher and a real tough opponent for someone who doesn’t like being punched.” 

Bigfoot has criticized Lesnar in the past, mocking him for his time in the WWE with comments like “Man, I think he must return to his fake fights; that it’ll be best for him.”

Silva also mentioned that he would love to fight in the UFC one day, and if his prediction is correct, that could be sooner than later.

The big Brazilian feels that the winner of the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament will go on to face the UFC heavyweight champion next and added that “I hope I can get both belts.”  

Credit Sherdog.com for breaking the initial story.   

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Gus Johnson: Any MMA Fighter Would Kill Manny Pacquiao in the Cage

Gus Johnson is the Showtime correspondent who has commentated for Strikeforce events, as well Manny Pacquiao’s recent fight with Shane Mosley. Johnson is not confident in any boxer being able to make the transition to MMA, not even pound-for-poun…

Gus Johnson is the Showtime correspondent who has commentated for Strikeforce events, as well Manny Pacquiao’s recent fight with Shane Mosley.

Johnson is not confident in any boxer being able to make the transition to MMA, not even pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.

MMAFighting.com reports that in a radio interview with Dan Patrick, Johnson expressed no faith in “The Punching Pride of the Philippines” being able to hang with any professional MMA fighter in the cage.

“He’d get killed,” Johnson said. “No question. Tapped out, easily. In a minute.” 

James Toney soundly getting defeated by Randy Couture in a fight under UFC rules last year may have had something to do with Johnson’s line of thinking.

In more recent news, Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz has come under fire for accepting a boxing match with Jeff Lacy for this fall.  

Could a skilled MMA striker make the necessary adjustments to be effective in the ring?  Many critics do not seem to think so.  

Additionally, Johnson also clarified that he is still set to call Strikeforce events in the future, so fight fans might as well get used to his personally now, if they haven’t already. 

While it is highly unlikely to ever happen, could “The Pacman” be a real force in the Octagon if he seriously trained some jiu jitsu and Muay Thai to go with his elite boxing skills?

Despite the argument being more hypothetical than anything else, it certainly does open the door for a number of pretty interesting discussions. 

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Roy Nelson Predicted Brock Lesnar Would Not Fight at UFC 131 Back in January

In an interview with Bloody Elbow’s Duane Finley, Roy Nelson predicted that Brock Lesnar would not end up fighting Junior Dos Santos at UFC 131…all the way back on Jan.uary 21.  Don’t start bombarding Nelson on Twitter for …

In an interview with Bloody Elbow’s Duane Finley, Roy Nelson predicted that Brock Lesnar would not end up fighting Junior Dos Santos at UFC 131…all the way back on Jan.uary 21. 

Don’t start bombarding Nelson on Twitter for the daily lottery numbers just yet since he didn’t predict that Lesnar would have his second bout with diverticulitis around this time.

Still, Nelson made some very intriguing predictions and assessments regarding the UFC heavyweight scene as the month of January was winding down.  

He started the interview off by stating that “I think Brock Lesnar is done for.”  Nelson then explained this rational by saying:

“I think Brock doing The Ultimate Fighter is one way to basically take a situation and make it win-win for him. I think Lesnar doing the show is a way to introduce Junior Dos Santos to the American fan base in the way the show does.”

That’s an interesting take on the coaching selection for season 13 of the show, and “Big Country” had plenty more to say from there:

“TUF introduces ‘stars in the making’ to the casual UFC fan and while JDS is the number one contender he still needs some help with the American fan base. So the conspiracy basically comes down to the fact that Shane Carwin has no one to fight in June.”

So Nelson had some knowledge about a UFC conspiracy, huh?  And while Carwin eventually had a fight scheduled for UFC 131…Jon Olav Einemo was basically the same as fighting no one as far as a good portion of MMA fans were concerned.

“I think Brock Lesnar will walk off the TUF set and then Carwin will take his spot or Frank Mir will come in to “save the day” and fight JDS for title contention.”

For those that are really behind, Nelson is set to take on Frank Mir on the main card of UFC 130 at the end of the month.  Big Country explains why Mir could still be a relevant heavyweight draw.

“The reason I believe Frank would be the guy is because Mir is coming off a win and I was already supposed to fight Shane so fans were already hyped to see it.”

Next, Nelson actually asserts that there is a good possibility that Carwin will face Dos Santos, while he will end up facing off against Mir.

“Or Carwin could move in to face JDS and I could still face Frank but it doesn’t really matter to me as to who fights who because all that really matters is the fans want to see me fight somebody.”

Nelson concluded with “A lot of things could happen over the next six weeks but it seems a bit off that Carwin doesn’t have an opponent right now and all of the top heavyweights are spoken for.”

It is probably not productive to ask Big Country about the truth to the world ending on May 21 of this year, but it is tough to argue that he made some pretty good calls about the UFC heavyweight scene back in the earlier part of this year.  

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Chael Sonnen: California State Athletic Commission Suspends His Fighting License

That headline is not a typo: ESPN.com’s MMA page is reporting that UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen is suspended from fighting in not one, but two states. Sonnen has had an ongoing issue with the Nevada State Athletic Commission ever since…

That headline is not a typo: ESPN.com’s MMA page is reporting that UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen is suspended from fighting in not one, but two states.

Sonnen has had an ongoing issue with the Nevada State Athletic Commission ever since having his fighter’s license suspended for failing a drug test back in September of 2010.

That suspension, reduced from one year to six months, was over in March, but Sonnen has yet to receive a new license in Nevada.

CSAC executive officer George Dodd said the suspension was issued after their legal panel felt that Sonnen may “have perjured himself during a testimony at an appeal hearing in December related to his ban for elevated levels of testosterone.”

This seriously affects Sonnen’s ability to get back in the Octagon, since this suspension “asks North American regulatory bodies to contact California before issuing the UFC middleweight contender a license to compete, corner, promote or act as a manager.”

Sonnen and his lawyers asked for a CSAC special hearing on May 18 in Los Angeles to have the suspension revoked, and the CSAC obliged. 

The topics will not just pertain to Sonnen’s failed drug test for elevated testosterone; the legal charges he received last month from a money laundering scandal in Oregon are also going to be brought into the discussion.

Just to reiterate, Sonnen received 24 months’ probation, a $10,000 fine and the suspension of his realtor’s license in that case.

Dodd eventually decided that Sonnen’s questionable testimony, as well as his actions as a business professional, brought “discredit to the mixed martial arts community,” which he felt was enough to suspend his license indefinitely.

Officials in both California and Nevada agree that no one was aware that Sonnen was receiving testosterone therapy for hypogonadism, a condition that limits the body’s natural production of the hormone. 

ESPN.com also reports that Sonnen has been receiving treatment for this condition since February of 2008. However, Florida’s athletic commission indicated that Sonnen’s drug test from his November 2008 fight with Paulo Filho came back clean.

Marc Ratner, the head of regulatory affairs in the UFC, indicated that he had “no idea whatsoever” that Sonnen was receiving prescribed testosterone until his failed drug test in 2010.

Ratner, who is also a former head of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, indicated that he never gave Sonnen permission to receive testosterone therapy, although a “therapeutic use exemption” is not unheard of in this situation. 

Even more interestingly, Dr. Jeff Davidson, a physician hired by the UFC, says that he knew about Sonnen’s hypogonadism treatment prior to his August title fight with Anderson Silva.

This actually further hurts Sonnen’s case, though, as Davidson wrote to the CSAC that Sonnen never disclosed his treatment to regulators. 

Should Sonnen fail to have the suspension repealed on the 18th of this month, it is quite possible that his MMA career could come to an unceremonious end.  

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Boxing Champ Andre Ward Talks About Nick Diaz’s Boxing Ability

In an interview with ESPN, WBA Super Middleweight Champion Andre Ward shared his feelings about Strikeforce welterweight title holder Nick Diaz. While Ward said he was pumped to see Diaz enter the boxing ring against Jeff Lacy this fall, he did nothing…

In an interview with ESPN, WBA Super Middleweight Champion Andre Ward shared his feelings about Strikeforce welterweight title holder Nick Diaz.

While Ward said he was pumped to see Diaz enter the boxing ring against Jeff Lacy this fall, he did nothing close to endorsing a victory for the elder Diaz brother.

Ward, like Diaz, trains in California, and the two have spared together on “six or seven occasions” for multiple rounds, according to the super middleweight boxer. 

Anyone who doubts that Ward’s opinion holds water on this matter needs to realize that on top of being a current champion, “The Son of God” won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

He also holds a professional boxing record of 23-0, with 13 wins by way of knockout.

“I appreciate and admire [Diaz’s] courage,” Ward told ESPN.com while in Las Vegas to watch Manny Pacquiao’s recent win over Shane Mosley. He added, “It remains to be seen how well he’ll do, though.”

The last time a boxer tried to enter the cage, fans certainly recall how James Toney fared against Randy Couture. 

Ward wants to let fight fans know that the opposite should not be any easier.  “Nick has good hands, some of the best hands in MMA. But professional boxing is totally different. Totally different.” 

Hopefully, Diaz was not expected an endorsement from Ward, as the boxer choose not to answer whether or not Diaz could hold his own in the ring.

“I can’t really talk about that,” Ward said. “That’s something fighters don’t reveal out of respect for each other. It was good work, though. He’s a southpaw and he just keeps on coming. It’s definitely good work.”

Fans, fighters and even Diaz’s own manager Cesar Gracie seem to think that Diaz would pass on the fight with Lacy all together if a welterweight unification match with UFC champ Georges St-Pierre became a legitimate possibility.

Diaz actually has one boxing match under his belt, a four-round unanimous decision victory back in 2005.

Meanwhile, Lacy has a professional record of 25-4, with 17 wins via knockout.

He also held the IBF Super Middleweight title between October of 2004 and March of 2006, but some critics seem to think Lacy’s days in the ring are numbered after losing three of his past four bouts. 

Regardless of where Lacy’s boxing career is heading in the long term, Andre Ward feels that Lacy still makes for a very difficult opponent for Diaz.

“Lacy is dangerous,” Ward said. “I don’t know what everyone is talking about with Lacy. He is dangerous and he’s a very difficult fight for Nick. Jeff is a friend of mine and Nick is a friend of mine. I just want to sit back and watch it. It remains to be seen how it will all work out.”

Ward puts his WBA Super Middleweight Title on the line when he faces Arthur Abraham in the semifinals of the Super Six World Boxing classic tournament. 

The title fight is set to take place on Saturday, May 14 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California, so there is no doubt that Ward will be a big hometown favorite.

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