Dana White: What happened to Chael Sonnen is insane, unjust, unfair
Following Wednesday’s UFC 130 prefight press conference, UFC president Dana White commented on Chael Sonnen’s suspension I’m not a big…
Following Wednesday’s UFC 130 prefight press conference, UFC president Dana White commented on Chael Sonnen’s suspension
I’m not a big fan of how that turned out… at all. I think what happened to Chael Sonnen is absolutely insane. It’s unjust. It’s unfair.
He has an opportunity where he could come in, he could coach a show. If he wins that fight, he could move on and possibly get another fight with Anderson Silva.
They have this window of opportunity where they can actually make some money. He’s right there. He’s in that position.”
That opportunity was taken away from him in a way that I think was amazingly, incredibly unfair.
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Tuesday afternoon, White voiced similar sentiments..
I’m pretty bummed out about the Chael Sonnen thing, and the way this thing was handled. 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.’
At last Wednesday’s hearing before the CSAC, Sonnen indicated that conversations with UFC president Dana White led him to believe he would be effectively retired if he wasn’t relicensed.
It’s not that he’d have to retire. But right now was his opportunity. This kid had the opportunity to coach The Ultimate Fighter, he had the opportunity to get a big fight set up. Should he win that fight, everybody knows what happened with Anderson Silva. This was a key moment in this kid’s career.
You’ve heard me say it for almost 11 years, we always support what the athletic commission says, but this kid got it stuck to him. He’s paid his dues in every way, shape and form, and I think he’s been treated a bit unfairly.