Chael Sonnen may have retired from mixed martial arts, but he’s still paid a heavy price for his recent failed drugs tests as he’s just been removed from his broadcasting responsibilities with both the UFC and FOX.
“UFC AND FOX SPORTS TERMINATE BROADCASTING SERVICES AGREEMENTS WITH CHAEL SONNEN
Las Vegas, Nev. – The UFC and FOX Sports organizations announced today the termination of their respective broadcasting services agreements with analyst Chael Sonnen. This decision comes in light of Sonnen failing a second test conducted by the Nevada Athletic Commission for banned substances in June. Sonnen was previously under temporary suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission for failing an initial test conducted in May.”
Prior to his failed tests Sonnen had been seen as a hot commodity by FOX and enjoyed a prominent role as an analyst for the network, while UFC President Dana White had claimed that the charismatic fighter essentially had the world at his feet outside of the Octagon due to all the offers of work he had in the broadcasting world.
This was despite the fact that Sonnen already had somewhat of a chequered past, having served a suspension in 2010 after having been found to have elevated levels of testosterone following his first title fight with Anderson Silva, while in 2011 he narrowly escaped jail after pleading guilty to money laundering in connection with mortgage fraud.
Indeed the UFC and FOX also stayed relatively quiet after it emerged recently that Sonnen had failed a random drug test prior to UFC 175, even allowing him to appear on FOX Sports to give his side of the story as to why he had been found to have both Anastrozole and Clomifene in his system.
However the revelation at the weekend that he had now failed a second drug test that showed he was using no less than four illegal substances – human growth hormone (HGH), recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), anastrozole and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) – appears to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
