Manager says Chael Sonnen to be licensed for UFC Fight Night 26

Chael Sonnen will be licensed to fight at UFC Fight Night 26, according to his manager and the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission.

Mike Roberts of MMA Inc., which represents the fighter, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that a closed-door meeting of the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission went in Sonnen’s favor.

MSAC spokesperson Terrel Harris subsequently confirmed that the five-member commission voted unanimously to license Sonnen after evaluating his use of testosterone-replacement therapy and several complaints against him by activist groups.

“The decision followed the recommendation of their Medical Advisory Board which considered Sonnen’s physical condition and medical information,” wrote Harris in an email. “The commission also considered complaints regarding his reputation and character but concluded no information the Commission received should preclude Sonnen’s licensure.”

The decision clears the way for Sonnen to headline the event opposite Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. As of Wednesday, the three-time UFC title challenger didn’t have a license to fight.

According to a prepared statement issued the same day, the MSAC preliminarily agreed to allow Sonnen to fight at the event, which takes place Aug. 17 at Boston’s TD Garden, but assembled its medical board to discuss the fighter’s use of testosterone-replacement therapy.

Harris, however, said the meeting was prompted by a complaint about Sonnen from a New York and Washington-based union, Unite Here.

A rep for Unite Here subsequently confirmed that the union had filed a complaint to the MSAC, but it was based on Sonnen’s previous conviction on a federal charge of money laundering. Another complaint also was filed by the National Organization for Women, which accused the fighter of using sexist, homophobic and derogatory language, in addition to his conviction. The groups sought to have Sonnen’s license denied by the MSAC.

Roberts said MMA Inc., participated in the meeting via telephone but believed representatives for the union were in attendance. A Unite Here rep said the union would send a dozen union members to the meeting to hand-deliver their complaint to an official from the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the MSAC.

A rep for Unite Here could not be reached for comment.

After running afoul of the California State Athletic Commission for his testosterone use following UFC 117, Sonnen was approved for a therapeutic-use exemption by the Nevada State Athletic Commission at UFC 148.

Sonnen will be required to undergo pre-and post-fight tests to determine his testosterone levels, as Harris stated prior to today’s meeting.

The union and women’s group complaint follows another move by Unite Here to bar minors from attending the event. For several years, the UFC has been hounded by a Las Vegas-based culinary union, which has backed several anti-UFC initiatives around events and in state legislatures.

For the latest on UFC Fight Night 26, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Chael Sonnen)

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Story updated at 6 p.m. ET on 8/8/13 with statement from Massachusetts State Athletic Commission.