Three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen is one of the many fighters impacted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s banning of testosterone-replacement therapy, and he believes his quality of life is being seriously impacted because of the decision.
Speaking with Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole, The American Gangster explained that testosterone is medicine he needs to live a happy, healthy life.
The best way to describe is that it is a completely terrible, horrible feeling.
This is a medicine and it’s medicine I need to live normally on a day-to-day basis. People say it is a performance enhancer, and there are a lot of things guys can take to enhance performance. But testosterone is more than a performance enhancer for me. It is a life enhancer.
My life is better. My attitude is better…I understand the abuse, but this is a medicine that helps people with a problem.
Sonnen was diagnosed with hypogonadism, a condition where the body stops naturally producing testosterone, in 2008 and has been granted multiple testosterone usage exemptions since then.
The Team Reign Training Center fighter had an issue with the NSAC back in September 2010 when he tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone after nearly taking out then-middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva at UFC 117, per Sherdog.
Since he served a one-year suspension for the indiscretion, Sonnen has competed in the Octagon six times, compiling a 3-3 record during that 29-month span.
Sonnen is set to square off with arch nemesis Wanderlei Silva, who he is head coaching opposite of on Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, on May 31.
The 36-year-old respected grappler most recently suffered a TKO loss at the hands of former UFC light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans at UFC 167 in November.
Can there be legitimate cases for fighters to use TRT, or were all situations for TRT usage simply legalized cheating?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
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