In our present-day martial times, there is nowhere safe if you're on any sort of performance enhancing drugs. It's not just the kids trying to get ahead that are popping like bubble wrap. The best of the very best have popped, legends have fallen and one of the most epic cards of the decade was tarnished by it. However, if you're going to talk about the USADA reign, you simply can not do it without mentioned Chael Patrick Sonnen; the American Gangster.
He had the gift of the gab like a pro wrestler on primetime, the ability to market a glass of water to a drowning man and holds the record for most PEDs in his system during a test. Sonnen was the first MMA fighter of his kind to be able to make more money with his mouth than his fists and he just might be able to return. That is, if he can pass a test.
That's right, Sonnen is back in the USADA testing pool. After teasing us with a submission grappling exhibition against Michael Bisping at UR Fight (and starting his own submission grappling tournament), could we see Sonnen fight this year? Sonnen says no, but then says other stuff.
"It was never as easy as just saying yes or no, I had some red tape I had to go through. So, for me I'm retired, my race is ran, that's behind me. But for it to even be an option, I have to be in compliance and frankly guys, I don't know. I just did the test. I'm not positive how those are going to come back", Sonnen said on Inside MMA.
Back in the phasing out of the TRT era, Sonnen had a high level of testosterone that led to speculation after his 2010 Fight of the Year with Anderson Silva. He would be suspended for year, go through some legal boxing with the California State Athletic Commission, and eventually return to fight Brian Stann. Sonnen stayed out of trouble for a couple of years until USADA started their random testing and used him and Wandelei Silva as guinea pigs for The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3. He failed both tests for a veritable muscle cocktail and subsequently retired from fighting.
Ever since then there has been a hole that only a gangster can fill, let's see if Sonnen can come back to the UFC. Until then let's not hold out breaths, but if he cant pass there is always Japan's RIZIN. Sonnen sure would fit nicely in that Openweight Grand Prix.
