Filed under: UFC
Most fighters who test positive for a performance-enhancing substance have two options: 1) they can deny it all the way to the grave, hoping that a fervent and lengthy appeal will bolster the case for their innocence, or 2) they can own up to it, do the mea culpa dance, and spend the next year laying low.
Chael Sonnen isn’t most fighters. He likes to keep us guessing. When an apology or at least an explanation seems like the most rational course of action – remember when he claimed that Lance Armstrong gave himself cancer? – he instead opts for the completely implausible denial. When you think he’s going to be as virulently obstinate as ever, such as after his loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 117, he throws you a curveball and acts like a dignified gentleman, declaring that the better man always wins.
So now that he’s been branded a cheater by the California State Athletic Commission and the MMA world awaits his reaction, what path will he choose? Will he blame supplements or over-the-counter medication? Will he explain that he needed help pushing through an injury? Will he say he did it and he’s not at all sorry? Will he blame some guy with a Hispanic accent?
We have yet to find out, but it’s worth noting that in times like these it sure would be nice to have a reputation for something other than being the guy who’s willing to say absolutely anything.