Chael Sonnen's Guilty Plea Is More Damning of the UFC Than Him
by Anthony Pace on Jan 4, 2011 11:15 AM EST
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PrintThe racist, xenophobic remarks should have given them pause, but the UFC needed to sell fights. The elevated hormone levels should have put him on the shelf, but how could the UFC take away a man's living? Now, the guilty plea in a federal money laundering case should have gotten him the axe, but instead the UFC gives him a rebound fight.
Chael Sonnen is a made man.
I can't say that I'm surprised by news of Sonnen's guilty plea breaking on the same day his fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama was reported. No, I'm rather amused at the predictability of it all. The UFC has, after all, allowed repeat DUI offender and PED violator Chris Leben to have high-profile fights after his transgressions. They signed Gilbert Yvel to multiple fights after he assaulted a referee. Same goes for Phil Baroni, who just got a fight on-air despite assaulting an official and having a record hovering over .500.
None of the aforementioned have the bankability of Sonnen, however, who gave middleweight champion Anderson Silva his first compelling fight in years. Those guys don't have a legion of fans clamoring to see them on a season of The Ultimate Fighter. Those guys don't have the rare combination of promotional ability and elite talent. Those guys just don't affect the UFC's bottom line so positively like Mr. Sonnen, but still, Zuffa didn't spurn them. That's why the announcement of Sonnen vs. Akiyama drew such cynical laughter from me: if Sonnen isn't getting jail time, I'd have been surprised if he didn't have a fight lined up before Valentine's Day.
Don't get me wrong: a man's debt to society is determined in the court of law. But MMA has no laurels upon which to rest in its pursuit of regulation and general acceptance, a pursuit with the UFC currently as its figurehead. That's why I don't think it's prudent to give a felon another shot at your championship, a scenario that will likely happen sometime this year.
If the UFC wants to be taken as seriously, to be as revered as the NFL in this country, they're going to have to adopt some semblance of a strict, consistent disciplinary policy. I understand that it is the athletic commissions' responsibility to dole out suspensions, but the UFC has the power to "ice" fighters or cut them outright. Instead, they push criminals to the forefront of their promotion.
A threshold must be established, a line drawn in the sand to declare to certain individuals, "You're not the kind of man we want in our organization." Currently, there isn't a line to step on, even though Sonnen is what might be referred to as "A Habitual Line-Stepper". If history has taught me anything, I expect Chael Sonnen, admitted felon, to be trotted out as a face of the company in 2011.
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You also forgot to mention Rampage (God's Street Soldier)
who took his name too literal in Costa Mesa/Newport a few years back. Also, Leben went AWOL in the Army and received a bad conduct discharge (Fight for the Troops card material there). Both are class acts.
Also, doesn’t the “revered” NFL let guys that kill people while drinking and driving play in the league?
But hey, I guess the severity of a persons wrongdoings, as well as what the punishment for their actions should be, varies varies depending on where they are on the economic/revenue scale.
@fjbar on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner
Breaking news: People who make their living beating people up not the best people in the world
by Forrest Lynn on Jan 4, 2011 12:11 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I’m sure a significant portion of the UFC roster would take offense to this comment, but I’m sure it seemed a lot cleverer in your head.
I hate to be "That Guy", but Edgar/Maynard II wasn’t close to the best fight I’ve ever seen…
"When Kawajiri is on his game, finding a way to beat him is about as hard as finding a pubic hair at a Justin Beiber concert." – The Voice
"Unfortunately, it won’t shut anyone up, but if (the Falcons) get a Lombardi, I’m going to spend all of 2011 not giving a rat’s ass what anyone says." – Dave Choate
Money laundering, drunken driving, using PEDs, drug addiction all forgivable; Semtex losing his head momentarily after a fight somehow isn’t.
Its times like these I despise the UFC.
wanderlei ::: shogun ::: bj penn ::: fedor
by cauliflower_ears on Jan 4, 2011 12:35 PM EST reply actions
I agree with this piece for srue
BUT…as others have pointed out….other ‘revered’ leagues have their issues as well….Vick is now the faces of the NFL again….Stallworth killed a man while DUI and spent 24 days in jail…and still played in the NFL…guys in the NFL and MLB have repeatedly used PED and still allowed to play….
At the end of the day….Sonnen paid the dues that were assigned(as did Mike Vick)…the guy makes money for the company and just took one of the greatest fighters of our time to the brink in Anderson Silva.
Semtex on the other hand….is pretty one dimensional…will never be champion and doesn’t sell tickets.
Business is a cutthroat than a mofo.
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Follow Me On Twitter@MMA4Real
The NFL has an advantage
The first being its 90-year history, the other being that people will be loyal to their team no matter what. Plaxico Burress is a dumbass, so the team ditches him, Giants fans remain Giants fans. The NFL isn’t trying to get legalized in New York and Giants fans ain’t goin nowhere.
I hate to be "That Guy", but Edgar/Maynard II wasn’t close to the best fight I’ve ever seen…
"When Kawajiri is on his game, finding a way to beat him is about as hard as finding a pubic hair at a Justin Beiber concert." – The Voice
"Unfortunately, it won’t shut anyone up, but if (the Falcons) get a Lombardi, I’m going to spend all of 2011 not giving a rat’s ass what anyone says." – Dave Choate
what the UFC should do is thank Anderson Silva….had he not pulled off that submission…they would have had a PED user and a felon as their champion(granted they would have stripped him)..but still…
Oh wait…he could still become the champ.
http://www.mmaforreal.com
Follow Me On Twitter@MMA4Real
True dat
I hate to be "That Guy", but Edgar/Maynard II wasn’t close to the best fight I’ve ever seen…
"When Kawajiri is on his game, finding a way to beat him is about as hard as finding a pubic hair at a Justin Beiber concert." – The Voice
"Unfortunately, it won’t shut anyone up, but if (the Falcons) get a Lombardi, I’m going to spend all of 2011 not giving a rat’s ass what anyone says." – Dave Choate
I’m pretty uninterested in everything that doesn’t directly relate to the sport itself.
Breaking civil law is whatever in terms of being an athlete – now someone can hit me up with the whole role models speech if they so wish – PEDs are much, MUCH worse because they violate regulations of the sport itself.
"I don't care, hit him with your groin!"
Sonnen has “a legion of fans”? I want to see him on TUF not because I’m a die-hard fan, but because I think he’s a good fighter, could probably coach well and is definitely smart enough to make good use of all the cameras there.
ALSO, the NFL is not squeaky clean. They’re just as dirty as everyone else. The UFC and the NFL are businesses. Simply, they just want to make money. Sonnen on TV = Great TV.
"A fight is not won by one punch or kick. Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard." - Bruce Lee
Like I said above, the NFL doesn’t have to still fight for it’s place, and people will be loyal to their team even when individual players screw up.
As for Sonnen, people love his shittalking… lol Keren, didn’t you read the comments on what he said about Brock Lesnar this week?
I hate to be "That Guy", but Edgar/Maynard II wasn’t close to the best fight I’ve ever seen…
"When Kawajiri is on his game, finding a way to beat him is about as hard as finding a pubic hair at a Justin Beiber concert." – The Voice
"Unfortunately, it won’t shut anyone up, but if (the Falcons) get a Lombardi, I’m going to spend all of 2011 not giving a rat’s ass what anyone says." – Dave Choate
Rewarded him with an Akiyama fight?
I guess I missed where they put him on a poster and have started promoting the fight. It’s not official, and I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that they made that fight before he plead guilty, IF they even knew about it.
The UFC is not it’s fighters, it’s an organization that employs people to fight. What those people do on their time is their business, and unless the UFC wants to put some kind of a conduct policy in their contracts where they can release fighters for wrongdoings in the public eye, everything is as it should be.
You know what's really fun? Not being a raving lunatic. Give it a try some time, you might just like it!
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Kelvin has this one under wraps.
Anyway, any non-fan with a moral objection to Sonnen most likely also has a moral aversion to cage fighting itself lol. Storm in a teacup, ask Michael Vick…
"You’re lucky your brother Joe’s the matchmaker or you’d be sellin’ barbecued monkey on the street in Manaus."
"Take your comebacks, write them down on a sheet of paper. Roll it up tight, soak it in water, freeze it overnight, then jam it up your ass."
"You are a walking punchline."
~ Chael Sonnen repeatedly putting Wanderlei Silva in his place
Theory?
I hate to be "That Guy", but Edgar/Maynard II wasn’t close to the best fight I’ve ever seen…
"When Kawajiri is on his game, finding a way to beat him is about as hard as finding a pubic hair at a Justin Beiber concert." – The Voice
"Unfortunately, it won’t shut anyone up, but if (the Falcons) get a Lombardi, I’m going to spend all of 2011 not giving a rat’s ass what anyone says." – Dave Choate
It’s more like a ridiculous reach, I mean you go right off the tracks when you try and say that the UFC should be more like the NFL. The same NFL that cherry picks who they want to make examples out of and have no problem letting a scumbag like Favre get away with sexual harrasment something that is much worse than anything Sonnen has done or been accused of.
But that’s to be expected, from people reaching about how he’s a racist or trying to lump in a questionable drug test with something that has been ongoing for 5 years now. When it comes to Chael it’s hard to have a real conversation, the fact is guys in trouble Chael getting into this situation doesn’t reflect badly on anyone but him.
Now as far as this suspension goes that’s a bunch of bs, the only thing that stops me from ranting about it is that Dana quotes having a convo with Sonnen about it. So if they decided that it is better for Sonnen to sit out until he goes and has his courtdate that’s fine but anything more than that and it’s a bunch of crap.
"they mad at me, I keep going hard reppin/
cause what's your Rampage to Rashad Evans/"
-Joe Budden (Something To Ride To)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/76866807deabe3c1/
At what point did I say the UFC should be more like the NFL? I don’t think they should, but they would kill to be on the same level as the NFL. But I don’t expect Zuffa Zombies to base their opinions on fact…
I hate to be "That Guy", but Edgar/Maynard II wasn’t close to the best fight I’ve ever seen…
"When Kawajiri is on his game, finding a way to beat him is about as hard as finding a pubic hair at a Justin Beiber concert." – The Voice
"Unfortunately, it won’t shut anyone up, but if (the Falcons) get a Lombardi, I’m going to spend all of 2011 not giving a rat’s ass what anyone says." – Dave Choate
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