Chael Sonnen will be returning to your television screens as an analyst sooner than you may have expected.
The Associated Press reports Sonnen has been hired by ESPN to be their newest MMA analyst.
“I love to break down fights,” Sonnen told The Associated Press. “I love to watch them. The fact that ESPN will allow me to do that on the air in a fancy suit and call it a job, it’s what I would be doing at home anyway.”
Sonnen was taken off Fox Sports 1 four months ago following positive drug tests leading to his proposed fight against Wanderlei Silva. The former middleweight title contender was suspended for two years from the sport for his positive tests. The suspension effectively ended Sonnen’s career.
In his time since leaving the UFC and Fox Sports, Sonnen has remained busy. He took a grappling bout against Andre Galvao at Metamoris 4 and got in the booth for color commentary with noted professional wrestling play-by-play man Jim Ross. Ross and Sonnen provided commentary to Battlegrounds MMA in October.
Sonnen was once a part of the ESPN team in 2010. Senior coordinating producer Glenn Jacobs told the AP that he is not phased by Sonnen’s recent transgressions:
He’s been honest. He’s been up-front about it. He has paid for the mistakes that he has made, and he’s moving forward. … The insights that he has on the sport and the ways he sees it, our fans are going to be so much better from watching him on the air. They’re going to be able to watch the fight and look for totally different things than they would have otherwise.
As the sport continues to grow, Sonnen will provide an advocating voice on one of the largest sports media outlets. Sonnen’s honesty and keen eye will help educate the masses about the fights, and it will help educate the masses on the young sport.
Sonnen returns to ESPN this weekend as they cover UFC 180. The event hails from Mexico City as Mark Hunt and Fabricio Werdum go toe-to-toe for the interim heavyweight championship.
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