What Will the UFC Do About Chael Sonnen's Failed Drug Test?

The shane carwin situation really doesn’t tell us anything about the state of drug testing in the sport. I think it needs to be improved, but lets be realistic about it. Carwin received steroids in 2006. In that time period he fought in that time he fought in hawaii, which was unregulated, texas, which doesn’t test for steroids, and california, which has since overhauled their entire drug testing process.

That said, I don’t really think the UFC should do much more than shuffle chael back in line for a title shot. We can argue all day if the UFC should do more testing, but in the current situation, the government handles the testing, and hands out punishment, I don’t think we need double punishment, especially for a first time offense.

Bisping vs Marquardt
Okami vs Vitor
Palhares vs Maia

Then let Anderson fight winner of Belfort/Okami , he can use the extra month or two to heal up from the rib injury.

That’s a very possible scenario.

Fight promoters are in this business to promote fights and make money. It’s up to state athletic commissions to issue licenses, conduct testing, assign punishment as required and suspend fighters.

Just because the promotions are out to make money doesn’t mean they don’t have any responsibility regarding drug use. The UFC in particular ,due to it’s status in the MMA world, has a huge responsibility to nip these issues in the bud BEFORE fights take place. Currently, the UFC and MMA in general is pretty much on par with the Olympics and the Tour de France in that there is pretty much a belief amongst the masses that PEDs are rife which puts a question mark over all fights and the legitimacy of the sport.

Sadly, as you said, the UFC is about $$$, so finding out 3 weeks before a headline fight that their star is on PEDs is bad for their bottom line as the fight cannot take place. Learning about it after is no biggie as they have already got paid from the ppv and havent lost too much in promoting then fighter.

But the long term damage this does to the sport is great. To the uninitiated, MMA will just be that bloodsport in the cage with all the juiced up muscle-bound freaks. Pure, unashamed exploitative entertainment.

Alternatively, the UFC could lead by example. Take a tiny percentage of their huge profits to invest into both targeted and random drug testing. This could be done during a fighters camp and even months out from a potential fighters next bout. The increased likelihood of getting busted combined with harsher punishment could lead to a much more positive image of the sport as well as a decrease in the number of people using banned substances.

Sadly, them actually doing this is unlikely. Imagine one month before Lesnar v Couture, they learn that Brock just failed a drug test. Do they make it public and punish him or do they sweep it under the rug, leak that he is injured and wait til he is clean to go again? Im pretty sure the latter.

People generally accept that high profile athletes are role models and have a duty to lead by example. If one single athlete has that kind of responsibility, surely an organisation as large, profitable and influential as the UFC should also take more responsibility for the growth and image of the sport, not to mention the health and well being of the fighters it promotes.

Thumbs down to the UFC for their constant failure to address the issue of drugs!!

Let’s not add insult to injury by hypocritically pretending he’s the only Mixed Martial Artist who has used PEDs.

I haven’t gotten that impression.

I can understand Dana’s point somewhat, that if the athletic commission is going to punish them, does he need to punish them even more? On the other hand, this guy’s coming off a big title match and was already being rewarded for it with an immediate rematch…does he deserve to maintain that position if he’s coming off a year long suspension for getting pinched for using PEDs?

As for Chael allegedly using…any ‘everyone else is doing it’ argument just won’t wash. I liked how Iole put it -

MMA doesn’t have the public and political acceptance that football and baseball do. A steroids-aided linebacker who drills a running back and gives him a concussion won’t do much to enrage the public or garner the attention of lawmakers.

Let that happen in MMA, however, and there could be all sorts of government inquiries.

So here I am just getting home and checking out the mmanews of the day and everything goes to hell wow.

Alright now that i’m trying to wrap my head around everything, assuming that this report is true and that we don’t have another Sherk situation with the CSAS. Then sadly Chael won’t be getting another shot at the gold so Anderson will be able to keep the belt longer. That means IF he is guilty that he’ll be fined and suspended so no more great promo’s which sucks. Then after the suspension and everything else, it looks like he’ll get back in line and try to pull a Leben and earn back his position. Aside from that there really isn’t anything else to do on the UFC’s part everyone knows the rules so IF they fail it for whatever reason then it’s on them.

Though I am curious to find out what he tested positive for and what he has to say about it IF everything i’ve read is true. As far as people wanting to turn this into something it’s not let’s not reach, there isn’t some epidemic this idea that everyone is doing it is reaching without facts.

Finally i’ll say i’m still a Chael fan, i’ve never been in the group that goes crazy about steriods or other PED’s. The only guy i’ve ever bashed because of them is Barnett and that is only because he’s been busted 3 times and at somepoint you’ve just gone too far. But the rules are the rules regardless of my own personal opinion on them, IF you do break them then you suffer the consequences hopefully though he’ll be back because I just find him too entertaining to not have around.

I support PED usage.

I know they could do more, and really UFC is the only organization out there that could do year round testing, but I also like to think that it shows the system is working to some degree when they bust guys.

Sonnen will do his time, and then return in a middle of the pack match-up where he will need 2-3 wins to get back in contention. If I was UFC, when he came back I would put him on the undercard and not on TV just to send an additional message.

For some reason reading coyoteye’s comment reminded me of Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler

Great article, I completely agree. Kid Nate is someone I generally agree with a lot, and his pieces are well put together.

For some reason reading coyoteye’s comment reminded me of Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler

Great article, I completely agree. Kid Nate is someone I generally agree with a lot, and his pieces are well put together.

WHO cares if the fighters use PEDs to put on performances for us. Do you really believe guys in their 30’s can train and fight every three months on the natural?

I think we are past the point of being shocked and appalled that Professional Athletes use whatever means they can to give them an advantage!

“These are guys with homes and families and personal lives and bills and debts and obligations, just like me and you,”
Debts, Dana, do you really think anyone believes you have any debt? you probably pay someone to sit and watch your credit card bills and have them pay it off seconds after something gets charged to it.