NSAC Meeting: Belfort licensed, Sonnen suspended
Today Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort stood before the Nevada State Athletic Commission to receive their punishments for failing random drug tests.
Today Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort are to set to stand before the Nevada State Athletic Commission for failing random drug tests:
UFC vets Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort will appear today before the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and the UFC streams the hearing via UFC Fight Pass beginning at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT).
The meeting takes place at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas.
The commission has 35 new business items to discuss, and Sonnen is last on the list.
The hearing is set to begin at 1:00 PM ET, but with 35 items to discuss and Sonnen last, we may not learn his fate to later this afternoon. Regardless, we will update this thread with information as it’s received.
Catch the commission live on UFC Fight Pass and discuss the results right here…
Updates
1:40 pm: Belfort reads prepared statement about how cooperative he is and his drug tests.
1:42 pm: Belfort downplays 2006 steroid bust, feigns ignorance.
1:43 pm: Belfort says he won’t fight any earlier than December, welcomes drug tests.
1:45 pm: Weepy Belfort says he won’t fight anywhere else (including Brazil) until he can first fight in Las Vegas.
1:50 pm: NSAC wants Vitor to pay for any drug tests that come from his licensing.
1:55 pm: NSAC threatens to test Belfort until the day he retires, both urine and blood.
2:00 pm: NSAC wants ability to test Belfort no matter where he is scheduled to compete, Brazil, Florida, etc.
2:02 pm: Belfort granted conditional license to fight Chris Weidman at UFC 181 in Las Vegas (details).
2:10 pm: UFC 178 approved for MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
2:42 pm: Team Sonnen admits to violations and will prepare no defense.
2:45 pm: Sonnen’s attorney basically throwing himself on the mercy of the court.
2:50 pm: While being questioned by commission as to why he needs three different doctors for his banned prescriptions, Sonnen also reveals he’s taking Ambien (Zolpidem), which treats insomnia and sometimes brain disorders.
2:52 pm: Sonnen says he’s guilty and ashamed, gets praised by NSAC for his intelligence.
2:55 pm: Sonnen was in line to receive $100,000 to show for UFC 175 fight against Wanderlei Silva.
3:00 pm: Going through a lesson in performance-enhancing drugs.
3:15 pm: Still raking Sonnen over the coals, which I don’t understand, since he admitted guilt and will not dispute the findings.
3:17 pm: NSAC calls Sonnen’s drug cocktail a big pile of deception.
3:20 pm: Chael insists he was on no other drugs and calls himself an “open book” and a “square” who never even tasted alcohol.
3:22 pm: Sonnen accepts NSAC offer to work with commission on combating fighters who use PEDs.
