Cheaters Never Prosper, Unless You Work for the UFC

For years people have complained about the UFC’s policy in dealing with fighters who fail their drug tests for steroids. In a 2007 interview with ESPN, UFC president Dana White said he would withhold fight bonuses from any fighter who failed their drug tests. They’d still get paid the amount on their contract and serve their suspension but they wouldn’t get any bonuses. People feel that is a pretty light punishment for something like cheating. Dana White disagrees with doing something more like cutting the fighter since there’d be no place else to fight and you’d be ruining somebody’s entire career for one mistake they made. The UFC’s policy on dealing with fighters failing drug tests can be debated for ages but there is one facet that should be widely agreed upon: if you fail your drug test you shouldn’t be allowed to come back and jump into the title picture.

Apparently that isn’t how the UFC operates. Chael Sonnen made his return to the UFC this past weekend in an impressive showing against middleweight rising star Brian Stann. Immediately following his second round submission win, Sonnen took to the microphone and in a moment like something out of the WWE he called out Anderson Silva in a retirement bout, much like the “Macho Man” Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VII. Whoever loses must leave the company. Really it makes perfect sense that this is how Chael Sonnen would celebrate winning his first fight after a 14-month hiatus since all he does is cut promos like a professional wrestler and make the sport look silly. Of course when you look at why he was on a 14-month hiatus you realize it isn’t just his promos that make mixed martial arts look like a joke.

Sonnen took on UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva at UFC 117 on August 7, 2010. In a stunning display, Sonnen continually took Silva down and was bringing the fight to The Spider through the first 23 minutes of the fight until Silva caught Sonnen in a triangle choke and won by submission with just a minute and 50 seconds left. It is widely regarded as the greatest submission finish in UFC history and Dana White proclaimed the bout to be the best the company has ever had. Silva’s performance turned out to be even more heroic when it was revealed he went into the fight with a fractured rib. As if that didn’t make a submission victory in the final minutes insane enough, Sonnen failed his post-fight drug test.

It came out he also failed his drug test from the day before the fight. The California State Athletic Commission released a statement saying Sonnen had elevated testosterone levels, “which is indicative of steroid use” and he was suspended. People also dug up pictures of Sonnen’s back from weigh-ins for his last few fights and pointed out he had “bacne” before the Silva fight, which is also indicative of steroid use. Sonnen said he had hypogonadism, which causes low testosterone levels, so he had to receive injections. It should be noted that one of the causes of hypogonadism is steroid use, but Sonnen claimed it was because he didn’t hit puberty until he was an adult. Regardless, Sonnen was receiving injections and failed to get permission from the state’s athletic commission. One must wonder if this failed drug test caused Dana White to take back Sonnen’s Fight of the Night bonus he got from that fight. To make things worse, Sonnen was caught in a money laundering scandal and was facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Had Sonnen won the Silva fight, the UFC would be the laughing stock of the sports world. A champion who had just beaten the pound-for-pound king of the sport in an unbelievable display, who was facing prison time and is a cheater, would have been a slap in the face to the entire mixed martial arts world. Luckily Silva won and preserved the integrity of the sport. Of course, a championship fighter failing their drug test is nothing new to the UFC. Former Lightweight Champion Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk failed his drug test after a title defense. It turns out the Muscle Shark was using steroids, though there was controversy surrounding the test. Either way, Sherk was suspended and his first fight back was for the Lightweight Championship he had forfeited.

Sonnen’s first fight back wasn’t for the title, but it was widely accepted that whoever won would immediately jump into the title picture. Despite the fact he was not only caught cheating but he was finished, Chael Sonnen is apparently the best contender the UFC could come up with. Dana White was thinking about doing Dan Henderson against Silva, but after Sonnen’s wrestling-esque promo following his win it appears White is looking to do Silva-Sonnen 2 on the Super Bowl weekend card. Keep in mind Dan Henderson has been on amazing run as of late and cemented his place as one of the top fighters ever. Chael Sonnen cheated and nearly caused one of the most embarrassing scandals the UFC could ever face, and is rewarded by stepping right back into the title picture.

What’s worse is that it wasn’t as though Sonnen lost a close decision. He tapped out. There’s no doubt about who won. Silva has finished 12 of his last 14 opponents now and essentially ended any debate over who is the best ever. While Silva knocked out Vitor Belfort in the first round and then became the first man in eight years to finish Yushin Okami, Sonnen was in exile for shaming the sport and himself. But just like professional wrestling, if you can talk trash in the UFC then you’ve won yourself a spot in the main event.

Chael Sonnen is cutting promos saying since he won the first 23 minutes of the fight he is the real “people’s champion” and is willing to but the true UFC title on the line against Silva. Because the UFC is a business and mostly about the money, Dana White has allowed Chael Sonnen to say these ridiculous things and is giving him a title shot since it will sell pay per views. On one hand it is good business, but on the other it is dishonorable and shameful to do to the sport. Silva could fight Dan Henderson again or if Michael Bisping beats Mayhem Miller he could be in line for a title fight. It is ridiculous that Sonnen tested positive for banned substances in a title fight and is essentially rewarded for it.

Jon Fitch hasn’t tested positive for anything and has been the clear cut number two welterweight for ages but has never gotten a second shot at Georges St-Pierre in the three years since their last fight. The reasoning behind that is that Fitch is boring and everybody knows how that fight would end. Well if Silva isn’t going into a Sonnen fight with a broken rib, who is to say the fight won’t end within the first three rounds? Silva nearly knocked out Sonnen to start the fourth and fifth rounds but the broken rib took all of his explosiveness. If you can deny a great fighter like Jon Fitch a title shot on such ridiculous grounds, surely somebody can point out that Sonnen was winning because of Silva’s broken rib and the fact that Sonnen was juiced up.

It is ridiculous that Dana White feels it isn’t his place to punish a fighter more after they get caught juicing. Sonnen failed two drug tests and got finished but is somehow the top contender in the division. The UFC has shown once again they will protect a cheating fighter if it means selling fights. If Dana White had any integrity he’d punish Sonnen by giving him the title fight in Brazil, a country Sonnen has badmouthed repeatedly in his WWE rants on Silva, and make him feel an unreal amount of pressure in front of a rabid crowd that would want to hurt him. For a guy who nearly ruined all the good will the UFC has built up in the last few years by getting caught cheating in what would have been one of the biggest upsets in sports history, it is the least White could do to show that not every cheater goes unpunished.