Badass choke...

Badass choke...

Sonnen's Silence

Sonnen's Silence

    Ever since the news broke of Sonnen's positive test a few weeks ago, the MMA world is a buzz and jiu-jitsu hating republicans everywhere are hanging their head's in shame. But one of the most puzzling aspects to develop from the Sonnen-Gate scandal is the absence of Sonnen himself. Unlike his positive-result colleagues of the past, Sonnen has opted to keep quiet during this entire debacle. Days after Josh Barnett's positive drug test, which resulted in Affliction folding faster than Gabe Ruediger after a body shot, Barnett vehemently denied any kind of responsibility or wrong doing. (Nevermind that the guy has tested positive three.. seperate...times..) And after the Sean Sherk-Hermes Franca fight, where both challenger and champion tested positive, Franca owned up to his steroid useage and accepted the consequences. Sherk, on the other hand, furiously denied the allegations, appealed his punishment and had it reduced to a six month suspension. Point being, after all of these important, MMA land-scape changing positive-tests, we've heard something from the fighters. But Chael is a curious case.

    Dana White assured us in an interview with Ariel Helwani that there was,  "more to the story that meets the eye." Many reports surfaced that only made things more confusing. One being that Chael himself had approached the commission before the fight and notified them of a possible positive test. Rumors ran rampant on Sherdog and other forums that Chael may have failed due to his flu medication, that he only failed his pre-fight screening, that he failed for a "natural steroid", and a correction that Chael had actually tested positive for an anabolic steroid. Personally, I prefer Joe Rogan's astute theory that perhaps Sonnen was hocked up on "dick pills," therefore explaining his high levels of testosterone. But seriously, there have been a plethora of complications and a lot of uncertainty. Uncertainty breeds rumors, and rumors breed suspicion. Why not just tell us? I understand that Silva-Sonnen was one of Dana White's biggest money-makers of the year, but the confusion has gone on long enough, and is damaging the idea of a possible rematch.
    What's not helping anyone is the silence. The silence from Sonnen, the silence from Dana White, and the silence plus the conflicting reports from the athletic commission. Someone needs to be clear and concise about this mess. The longer Sonnen stays silent, the more guilty he seems in the eyes of an uninformed public. For someone who seemingly could not keep quiet in the weeks leading up to UFC 117, Chael has done a complete 180. Someone needs to start talkin'...preferably before December 2nd.