Dana White: Chael Sonnen 'paid his dues' and was treated 'unfairly' by the CSAC

[VCURamFan]

From MMAMania.com

Cruel and unusual punishment?

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White is "bummed out" after learning that former middleweight number one contender Chael Sonnen "got it stuck to him" by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

Sonnen saw the suspension of his fight license upheld in a hearing before the CSAC on May 18 after getting pinched for fabricating testimony in a previous hearing earlier this year stemming from his failed drug test at UFC 117 -- not to mention his felony conviction in Oregon for money laundering.

He is eligible to re-apply for his license on June 29, 2011.

If Sonnen can somehow manage to keep himself out of trouble and tone down the trash talk, he might stand a chance at getting another shot at UFC stardom -- assuming he doesn't retire and the promotion still wants him. Testimony introduced at his hearing indicated his boss was effectively finished with him if he wasn't re-licensed; however, it was more about "missing the opportunity" than hanging up the gloves.

White elaborates to Heavy.com:

Sonnen was originally tapped to coach The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 opposite fellow middleweight Michael Bisping until this latest incident, with the winner becoming the new division number one contender.
Whether or not "The Count" still gets that opportunity remains to be seen.
It's important to note that even though Sonnen can begin applying for his license next month, there are no guarantees he'll actually get one. The mouthy ex-Realtor ruffled quite a few feathers during his downward spiral, including those of Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) Executive Director Keith Kizer.

Is Sonnen the victim of a personal grudge or commission vendetta? Or did he get what he deserves? What side are you on Maniacs? And do White's statements lead you to believe there is still a spot for him inside the Octagon if and when he can get re-licensed?

For more on Sonnen's suspension click here.

Thanks for the article.. I agree with Mr.White and not just because it's Chael..Dana is a straight up person and his opinion/statements mean a lot!

I to suspect that they are trying to come down harder on Chael than they do most folks!

i think dana is just mad that he may miss the boat and money he could have made off chael from the tuf show ... but whatever ...

Originally Posted by rearnakedchoke

i think dana is just mad that he may miss the boat and money he could have made off chael from the tuf show ... but whatever ...

Any other time your sitting here praising Dana what happened?

Originally Posted by Miss Foxy

Any other time your sitting here praising Dana what happened?

i love dana ... he is a shrewd businessman and has grown mma to where it is today ... i agree with a lot of what dana says and does, but it doesn't mean he says things or does things (cutting fighters etc) that are going to make him and zuffa the most money .. i said in another thread, somewhere .. csac tried to punish chael for making them look stupid and in turn made themselves look even more stupid ... can't deny the facts

[JavierDLC]

"I don’t know if there has ever been a penalty laid down ... I mean Tyson, when Tyson bit the ear, he got a year. It’s pretty crazy. "

That's BS I didn't know that. That's more of a reason to believe this Kizer Fa%^ is just making things personal.

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by JavierDLC

"I don’t know if there has ever been a penalty laid down ... I mean Tyson, when Tyson bit the ear, he got a year. It’s pretty crazy. "

That's BS I didn't know that. That's more of a reason to believe this Kizer Fa%^ is just making things personal.

Tyson's license was revoked. Yeah, he got it back after a year, but he still had to re-apply and the commission had to vote on it. Tyson also paid millions of dollars in fines and legal fees over the incident, and he almost went to jail. Tyson's reaction was obviously worthy of punishment, but it was also something that occurred in the ring because he felt Holyfield was intentionally headbutting him. Chael's case is different because he is being perceived as having lied to the commission and him having outside legal troubles that are making headlines doesn't help his image.

[JavierDLC]

Originally Posted by J.B.

Tyson's license was revoked. Yeah, he got it back after a year, but he still had to re-apply and the commission had to vote on it. Tyson also paid millions of dollars in fines and legal fees over the incident, and he almost went to jail. Tyson's reaction was obviously worthy of punishment, but it was also something that occurred in the ring because he felt Holyfield was intentionally headbutting him. Chael's case is different because he is being perceived as having lied to the commission and him having outside legal troubles that are making headlines doesn't help his image.

You and me know that what Chael did outside of MMA is nothing compared to what boxers have done and they are still able to fight without it affecting them.

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by JavierDLC

You and me know that what Chael did outside of MMA is nothing compared to what boxers have done and they are still able to fight without it affecting them.

Chael will probably get his license back, but it's obviously going to happen later than he had hoped.