Metamoris stands by Chael Sonnen, won't cut him from fourth event

Metamoris will not cut Chael Sonnen from its fourth event set for Aug. 9 in Los Angeles, according to the promotion’s president, which means the fighter’s grappling match with Andre Galvao will go on as planned.

Less than one week after Sonnen’s world was turned upside down by a second positive drug test, the grappling-based promotion issued a statement of support for the disgraced fighter.

Released via Twitter, Metamoris president Ralek Gracie downplayed Sonnen’s offenses and stated his inclusion is “an exciting way for our fans to see something they don’t normally see.”

His full statement:

“We are not cutting Chael Sonnen from the Metamoris 4 card on August 9th.

“Why not? because we don’t currently test for PEDs 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 PEDs 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 PEDs 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 supplement 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.”

This past week, the Nevada State Commission confirmed Sonnen, who was scheduled to fight Vitor Belfort on Saturday at UFC 175, failed a second random drug test. It came back positive for two performance-enhancing drugs, bringing the total number of banned substances in his system to four after an initial random test revealed additional banned substances.

This week, the UFC cut ties with the fighter, as did FOX, releasing him of his contract with the company as a UFC broadcaster. The fighter has yet to publicly comment beyond a prepared statement released in the wake of his second failure.

Sonnen (28-14-1 MMA, 7-6 UFC), a three-time title challenger, retired this past month following word of his initial failure, stating a desire to put his health over his career as he attempted to transition away from his previous use of testosterone-replacement therapy.