Prepare for Another Firestorm: Chael Sonnen Fails Post-Fight Drug Test

It’s been one of the most bitter rivalries of the last several years, with fans and insiders alike drawing a line in the sand and supporting their chosen fighter to near-insane levels. Both men are either adored or reviled depending on who you ask, their first fight was just as controversial as their rivalry and an immediate rematch is currently scheduled. It’s Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva, and it’s going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. Today’s shocking news comes courtesy of Sherdog.com: Chael Sonnen has tested positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs in a post-fight drug test.

According to the report, Sonnen passed his drugs-of-abuse test, but not his PED test. He has been notified of the situation and it remains to be seen what will happen. Obviously Sonnen will have to go before the California Athletic Commission and face their judgment. He’ll more than likely be looking at a sizable suspension and fine if he is unable to prove that the test was a false positive. Anderson Silva’s manager Ed Soares has already commented on the situation with this to say: “If it’s true, I feel really bad for him. I know he did it to himself but it is really sad, he put on such a great performance that night it is just a shame it will be tarnished.”

I know what I’m about to say is going to upset some people, so allow me to throw out fair warning and explain a few things. First off, yes I’m an Anderson Silva fan. A huge one. A massive one. I won’t deny it. But that doesn’t mean I loathe Chael Sonnen. Maybe I did when this rivalry first started, but I don’t now. If you forced me to make a choice I’d even say that I’m a fan of the man. He’s got a brilliant mind and real fighting skill. So the following isn’t said out of malice towards Chael Sonnen the person. It’s directed towards Chael Sonnen the athlete, the professional fighter, the man who supposedly (if no eleventh-hour revelations come out) cheated to get ahead.

So here it is: I have absolutely no sympathy for Chael Sonnen, and he should be ashamed of himself. I will never, ever, not-in-a-million-years ever condone Performance Enhancing Drugs in sports. I just don’t have it in me. It’s unfair to the opponents who do play by the rules. It’s unfair to the promotions that spend a fortune building up their stars only to have that good faith tarnished. It’s even unfair to the person taking the drugs, as cold, hard science has linked PEDs to a variety of potentially fatal side-effects.

What’s more, this permanently puts an asterisk next to the best performance of Chael Sonnen’s career. Chael Sonnen fans harp on him coming closer than anybody’s ever been in recent history to beating Anderson Silva. That doesn’t mean anything, nothing at all, if Sonnen cheated to get there. In fact, it makes his performance downright saddening (or laughable, depending on whom you ask): even when taking illegal drugs, even when his opponent had a bad rib injury, Chael Sonnen still couldn’t beat Anderson Silva.

I don’t know where this leaves Chael Sonnen… nowhere good, that’s for sure. There’s very little room for debate, the precedent for these tests being correct and not false positives are overwhelming. Sonnen has a long and very difficult road ahead of him if he wants to restore his good name. It’s not impossible, and if all this does end up being untrue you’ll see me quickly recant this entire article. But that is highly, highly unlikely. And for now, I think Chael Sonnen’s career just hit a massive roadblock. And he has nobody to blame but himself.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Where do you stand on the issue?