CSAC Suspends Sonnen Indefinitely Pending May 18 Hearing

Chael Sonnen file photo | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Reportedly handed down in late April, news of Sonnen’s suspension was first reported Tuesday by MMAWeekly.com. Sherdog.com on Wednesday confirmed the suspension with CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd, who said that Sonnen requested to meet with the governing body once notified. A hearing has been set for May 18 in Los Angeles.

Sonnen was initially suspended by the CSAC in September after testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone following his failed August title bid against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Sonnen -- who claimed his elevated levels of testosterone were due to medically prescribed injections used to treat hypogonadism -- appealed his suspension in December. Following Sonnen’s testimony, the CSAC shortened Sonnen’s punishment to a six-month suspension, which ended in March.

According to Dodd, the fighter’s current suspension stems from two separate matters. First, the CSAC has suspended Sonnen due to doubt regarding the veracity of his December testimony.

Sonnen told the commission at his appeal that he had previously cleared his testosterone injections with Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer as part of Nevada’s “therapeutic use” exemption program. That claim was denied by Kizer following the hearing, after which Sonnen asserted that he misspoke, and that his management had actually discussed Sonnen’s testosterone replacement therapy with the NSAC executive officer. Speaking with Sherdog.com, Dodd voiced concern that Sonnen’s testimony may have unfairly affected the CSAC’s ruling to shorten his suspension in December.

The second reason for Sonnen’s indefinite suspension is his recent money laundering conviction in Oregon federal court, which stemmed from a 2006 home sale in which Sonnen reportedly orchestrated a kickback to the homebuyer. The fighter was placed on two years’ probation and fined $10,000 on April 8 after pleading guilty to the charge on Jan. 3.

If the CSAC rules against Sonnen on May 18, the punishment could be serious.

“Each side will get one hour to present their case. Then the commission will have an hour to ask questions, if they need that much time. And then they will make a motion to vote after that,” Dodd told Sherdog.com.

“It’s up to the commission to decide. If they find [Sonnen] did lie in his testimony, [the punishment] could range from the time he already [spent suspended] to [Sonnen] having to show some rehabilitation before [the commission] re-licenses [him],” Dodd explained. “So, if [the commission] revokes his license, and he wants to renew his license in California, then he [would be] required to come before the commission automatically and provide some type of rehabilitation before we could renew his license.”

Dodd then reiterated that, regardless of the CSAC’s verdict on May 18, each individual athletic commission will have to make a determination on whether to license Sonnen in the future. However, state athletic bodies typically work in conjunction with one another, respecting and enforcing suspensions across state lines.

Sonnen’s last in-cage appearance was his unsuccessful title bid against Silva at UFC 117 in Anaheim, Calif. After putting together four dominant rounds, Sonnen was caught in a triangle choke in the final frame and was forced to tap out. The wrestler was supposed to return to action in March at UFC 128 against Yoshihiro Akiyama, but Sonnen’s UFC contract was effectively “frozen” by the UFC in light of the his legal issues.