Two failed drugs tests have turned Chael Sonnen’s life upside down over the past few weeks, resulting in him retiring from the UFC and then being dismissed from his broadcasting contract with FOX, but we’ve not seen the last of the former middleweight and light-heavyweight title challenger.
Sonnen had been scheduled to compete at the fourth event in the popular ‘Metamorsis’ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series on August 9th in Los Angeles, and the show’s organizer Ralek Gracie has now confirmed that despite testing positive for banned substances like Human Growth Hormone last month, that he’ll still be involved on the card.
“We are not cutting Chael Sonnen from the Metamoris 4 card on August 9th,” Gracie said in an official statement.
“Why not? Because we don’t currently test for PED’s and we are not an MMA organization. Metamoris is a grappling event with different rules and we require our own unique set of regulations for all aspects of participation.
We are concerned about the issue of PED’s overall but we have a lot of research and work to do before accurately defining our stance. Due to the instability and controversy surrounding the regulation of PED’s we are taking our time to discover the best approach and fit for our organization.
Lastly, for the people who understand the level of opposition Chael is facing at Metamoris 4, his use of any suppliment [sic] or drug is not likely to provide any advantage whatsoever. Chael is a world class wrestler and MMA fighter and his participation is an exciting way for our fans to see something they don’t normally see.”
Metamorsis’ decision is the first sign that despite the likes of UFC and FOX turning their backs for now on the shamed star, he’s still enough of a draw that other companies will be willing to turn a blind eye in order to work with him.
Sonnen is currently scheduled to compete against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace and former MMA fighter Andre Galvao.
Other notable MMA stars lined up for the grappling card include Josh Barnett going up against Dean Lister and Vinny Magalhaes taking on Keenan Cornelius.
It’s also interesting to note that Dana White recently indicated that he was open to the idea of including Metamorsis events on the UFC Fight Pass service, and given that several UFC stars are involved with it that would make a lot of sense, but you wonder if this latest development, which indicates a clear divide between the two organizations regarding Performance Enhancing Drugs, will have any effect on a deal being struck in the near future.
