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Dana White Says UFC Will Honor Chael Sonnen’s Suspension No Matter What

Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS – Dana White may not like it, and he’s been adamant in his belief Chael Sonnen has been punished enough.

But the UFC boss said Saturday after UFC 130 that as long as the former middleweight title challenger remains und…

Filed under: UFC, News

LAS VEGAS – Dana White may not like it, and he’s been adamant in his belief Chael Sonnen has been punished enough.

But the UFC boss said Saturday after UFC 130 that as long as the former middleweight title challenger remains under suspension by the California State Athletic Commission, he won’t step foot inside the Octagon.

MMA Fighting asked White following the post-fight press conference if he would allow Sonnen to fight in a state that would grant him a license, despite the CSAC suspension, or overseas, where the UFC does its own self-regulation. And White said that won’t happen, even though he knows there are states that would grant Sonnen a license and allow him to fight.

“We don’t do that,” White said of the possibility. “He’s going to have to pay his dues and straighten his stuff out with (the CSAC), even though I think what’s happened to him is wrong.”

Sonnen’s difficulties started after he dominated middleweight champion Anderson Silva deep into the fight before tapping to an armbar-triangle at UFC 117 in Oakland, Calif., last August. After the fight, he failed his drug test, then ran into further trouble with the CSAC when his testimony was called into question for its accuracy. And further complicating things for Sonnen, he plead guilty to a money laundering charge stemming from a real estate deal.

That all added up to the CSAC extending his suspension from six months to indefinite. He won’t be eligible to apply for a license in California until the end of June. And White thinks the CSAC has given his former top contender a raw deal.

“I think Chael has paid his dues,” White said. “Can you keep a guy from making a living for having a big mouth? He’s a big mouth. He says dumb (crap). He says stuff that doesn’t make sense sometimes. He lives on his own little planet. I can tell you this: You go throughout the history of boxing and look at some of the guys that have been licensed in boxing and what they’ve done.”

White was reminded that Strikeforce heavyweight Josh Barnett doesn’t have a license in California and has long had difficulties in that state following a failed drug test in August 2009. Yet Barnett will fight in Strikeforce’s heavyweight tournament in Texas in less than three weeks, a state that granted him a license despite his current ban in California. And since Zuffa owns Strikeforce now, along with the UFC, couldn’t the same thing, theoretically, be done for Sonnen? Sure, White said. But it won’t happen.

“We will honor it. We won’t let him fight anywhere,” White said. “We’ll honor that suspension until it’s cleared up. (The CSAC would) regulate me – they’re my boss too. You show me a guy who fought the government and won. Show me that guy. I want to meet him. I don’t want to be the guy to try. I do what I’m told.”

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Correction: Chael Sonnen Won’t Be Able to Reapply for a License Until May 2012

(Sonnen illustration via celebbest.com)

Though it was originally reported that the indefinitely suspended Chael Sonnen would be able to re-apply for an MMA license after his current license expires on June 29th, California State Athletic Commission executive officer George Dodd contradicted that bit of information today, telling MMA Fighting that the soonest Sonnen can re-apply is May 2012:

“One of our rules, in our Title IV [of the California Code of Regulations], stipulates that you have to wait one year after an appeal of your suspension or revocation of license. And since he appealed this [on May 18, 2011], it’s one year from the day of denial.”

Wait, it gets worse:

(Sonnen illustration via celebbest.com)

Wait, it gets worse:

“[Sonnen] is going to have to show that he’s done something to promote the sport, promote goodwill,” Dodd said. “He does a lot of good things already. He talks to kids and stuff like that about making right decisions. But he’s going to have to show that he’s making the right decisions as well. You can say it, but you have to make those decisions yourself.”

So basically, Uncle Chael is going to have to prove that he’s a good person? And rehabilitated? No wild lies or trash-talk for an entire year? Total nightmare. Theoretically, Sonnen could still compete outside of the U.S., in countries that lack athletic commissions — that is, if the UFC wants to continue doing business with him at all. But doing that means Sonnen would run the risk of getting blacklisted in the U.S. forever. On the other hand, Sonnen will need to find some way to support himself, especially now that he doesn’t have a realtor’s license either.

George Dodd also said that if Sonnen was re-licensed next year, he could still request a therapeutic use exemption for testosterone therapy, as long as he went through the proper channels:

“What would happen is he would…request it through the athletic commission. The commission would probably request that the medical advisory committee review it. The medical advisory committee would review it and then make a recommendation back to the commission whether or not to approve or disapprove.”

Serious question, for those of you who have knowledge about this sort of thing: Can a testosterone deficiency leave a person so weak that they can’t function normally in day to day life? Yesterday, Sonnen claimed he needed his bi-monthly TRT treatments for his “survival,” and his mom said that he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed in the morning without them. Is that bullshit or not?

Hump Day Headlines with Stephanie Ann Cook

Chael Sonnen‘s indefinite suspension sticks; says he will retire. Jorge Masvidal vs. KJ Noons set for Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Frankie Edgar pushing off surgery for bulging discs; opts for epidural injections for pain. Shinya.

Chael Sonnen‘s indefinite suspension sticks; says he will retire.

Jorge Masvidal vs. KJ Noons set for Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum

Frankie Edgar pushing off surgery for bulging discs; opts for epidural injections for pain.

Shinya Aoki vs. Rich Clementi on for DREAM 17.

Matt Hamill has a movie coming out. Yep, probably with subtitles.

Judges to Use Personal Video Monitors at UFC 131 in Vancouver

(MMA Judging: So easy you can do it with your back turned.)

In a move designed to improve judging by giving officials a better view of the in-Octagon action, the Vancouver Athletic Commission has approved the use of cageside video monitors by its appointed judges at UFC 131.

According to VAC chairman Jonathan Tweedale, the decision to allow judges to utilize close circuit television screens to better observe what’s going on in the cage while their views are obstructed was made to help eliminate questionable judging disparities.

“Hopefully this small step, along with mandatory education for all officials, will enhance the fairness and consistency of judges’ decisions if other jurisdictions follow suit,” Tweedale told MMAJunkie today. “The fighters deserve as much.”

(MMA Judging: So easy you can do it with your back turned.)

The Vancouver, BC show will mark the fourth time monitors have been used as an aid in judging UFC events. They were utilized at UFC on Versus 1, UFC 117 and UFC 121.

UFC vice president of regulatory affairs, Marc Ratner, who indicated that the promotion will put in a request with the Nevada State Athletic Commission that monitors be used at UFC 130 in Las Vegas downplayed the screens as being, “just another tool for the judges.”

According to California State Athletic Commission executive director, George Dodd, he specifically requested the use of monitors shortly after he took the helm of the governing body February 2010.

“There are no regulations that say we can’t have monitors in that area,” Dodd said. “Sometimes we don’t get the best look because those big bars are in the way. It just gives the judges another angle to score fights.”

NSAC executive director Keith Kizer told MMAJunkie earlier in the week that the use of monitors in Nevada would have to be approved by way of a vote at the next regulatory hearing and that, although he wasn’t necessarily opposed to the use of monitors, he didn’t feel they are necessary as judges may become dependent on them.

Come on, Keith. We’re talking about TV monitors here, not crack. He should be all for using whatever it takes to ensure judges get it right for once. Maybe he should start by getting Cecil Peoples on a plan for free prescription eyeglasses.

Chael Sonnen Placed Under Indefinite Suspension by CSAC; Hearing Set for May 18th

(Ignoring your problems won’t work forever.)

Even though Chael Sonnen completed his six-month suspension from the California State Athletic Commission back in March, the CSAC isn’t quite ready to forgive and forget. MMA Weekly reported yesterday that Sonnen has been placed on an indefinite administrative suspension, pending a special hearing on May 18th. And why is California continuing to persecute America’s Greatest Hero? Says CSAC executive director George Dodd, “It’s based off two things. One, his pleading guilty to his felony conviction up in Oregon, as well as possibly providing false testimony during his hearing back in December.”

If you’ll recall, Sonnen originally claimed that he’d received approval for testosterone therapy from NSAC executive director Keith Kizer, then changed his story in the most ludicrous way possible when Kizer denied ever talking to him.

(Ignoring your problems won’t work forever.)

Along with the dodgy testimony back in December, Sonnen’s money-laundering drama was also an impetus for the suspension. George Dodd said he was concerned that Sonnen’s behavior was bringing “discredit to the mixed martial arts community.”

According to ESPN.com, the new administrative suspension puts Sonnen on the national database used by regulators to monitor medical and administrative bans, and asks North American regulatory bodies to contact California before issuing him a license to compete, corner, promote or act as a manager. Nevada has already chosen to honor the suspension.

Sonnen confirmed with ESPN.com that he’ll be attending the CSAC appeals hearing next Wednesday. The date of his follow-up meeting with the NSAC is still TBA. Can Sonnen charm his way through two important meetings without getting caught in multiple lies? No, probably not. More to come…

Dana’s TUF 13 Top 3 Coaching Match-Ups

Dana White spoke with MMAFighting.com and says he’s got 3 ideas in mind for TUF 13 Coach pairings. The most obvious choice is Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen. The rumors online have spread like wild-fire that these two guys will be the next coaches to go head-to-head on The Ultimate Fighter show […]

Dana White spoke with MMAFighting.com and says he’s got 3 ideas in mind for TUF 13 Coach pairings. The most obvious choice is Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen. The rumors online have spread like wild-fire that these two guys will be the next coaches to go head-to-head on The Ultimate Fighter show to culminate in an anticipated Main Event bout where the two outspoken fighters could let their fists do the talking (so to speak). Sonnen’s suspension doled out by CSAC was cut in half on December 2nd after he faced the board in a hearing. His suspension will be lifted on March 2nd, which renders him conveniently available to do the show.

Another appealing coaching match-up, is Miguel Torres and Urijah Faber. Faber successfully returned to the Bantamweight division and these two facing each other in the cage is inevitable, so why not make a tv show of it? Torres is expected to fight February 5th in UFC 126, but as we’ve seen recently with White pulling Jon Fitch out of his match-up against Jake Ellenberger to now headline UFC 127 along with BJ Penn, if White wants Torres and Faber, White will make it happen.

Finally, White tossed out the idea of Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir who could meet for a rubber match following the show. However, it seems crowd excitement has waned on that idea and with Lesnar taking a hiatus out in the woods somewhere, it may not be a real choice for White…perhaps just a pitch he’s tossing out to throw us off the scent. We know how UFC loves to surprise us with their coaches.