Both the UFC and Fox have cut ties with former middleweight and light heavyweight title contender Chael Sonnen after Sonnen failed two doping tests in the last two months.
Sonnen officially retired from MMA after failing the first time around in June. But ever the competitor, Sonnen signed on for a grappling match a week after retiring from professional fighting – a loophole where he could still compete while not fighting in UFC’s octagon.
However, Sonnen failed another doping test in the weeks leading up to his August 9 match against jiu-jitsu ace Andre Galvao.
Both organizations didn’t have a choice but to blacklist Sonnen for his indiscretions. The UFC and Fox issued a joint statement on the matter.
“This decision comes in light of Sonnen failing a second test conducted by the Nevada Athletic Commission for banned substances in June,” the statement read. “Sonnen was previously under temporary suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission for failing an initial test conducted in May.”
As of a week ago, Sonnen held a coveted position as an analyst and commentator on Fox Sports 1. From his neo-conservative politics to his outsized on-screen persona, Sonnen didn’t need to fight professionally anymore after his abrupt retirement. He had a pretty sweet gig as an MMA analyst for Fox Sports.
Unfortunately for Sonnen, two failed doping tests were all it took for his walking papers. And so ends the last — or is it? — chapter in Sonnen’s MMA and broadcasting career. There will be no swan song fight nor a Fox Sports job to fall back on.
Perhaps the blacklisting won’t last forever. But for now, the charismatic and acerbic Chael Sonnen has left the building.