According to a report from MMA Junkie, UFC President Dana White indicated the Ultimate Fighting Championship will not book UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen to fight either in U.S. or international territory until his suspension with the California State Athletic Commission is resolved. When asked by reporters at UFC 130 what his intentions were - would the UFC book Sonnen to fight in another state or unregulated territories such as Abu Dhabi - White was emphatic they would not. To wit:
UFC Will Honor CSAC’s Suspension Of Chael Sonnen
“You show me a guy who fought the government and won,” White said to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “Show me that guy. I want to meet him. I don’t want to be the next guy to try it. I’ll do what I’m told.”
...
“We won’t let him fight anywhere,” White said. “We’ll honor that suspension until it’s cleared up.
“He’s going to have to pay his dues and straighten this stuff out with these guys and then do it, even though I think it’s wrong.”
Sonnen’s employment with the UFC, while problematic for the time being, does not appear to be in existential question. Still, Sonnen’s statement during his May 18th hearing that unless he were able to have his license reinstated that day he would be “effectively retired” does not appear to be true. It is not clear whether White once said it and has since changed his mind or if it was never true.
See More:
