Chael Sonnen Explains Failed Drug Test
Earlier today neews broke that Chael Sonnen had failed a random drug test, testing positive for two banned substances. Shortly after Sonnen joined Jay Mohr on Fox Sports Radio to explain why he tested positive for these substances.
Mohr: “You’ve failed a drug test leading up to UFC 175 which is in July but, why don’t you set the record straight right now of what happened….”
Sonnen: “They changed the ruling in Nevada earlier this year, doing away with the TRT, testosterone replacement therapy, and I was on that. So when they changed the rule, we all had to go through a transition phase. For me during the transition, I had to take a couple of things. One is called Clomiphene……and another is called HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin). I didn’t fight it or ask for a license. In the interim, they did a test, and I tested positive for these things which I should have because I took them and they were in my system. That wasn’t a surprise. These aren’t anabolics, these aren’t steroids or performance enhancers, but they have deemed that they are banned substances. What’s interesting in my case is that we’re out of competition. These aren’t things that I showed up with on game day. This is out of competition due to a rule that they changed, so it’s an odd spot for me.”
Mohr: “So you were’t fighting when you tested positive for this thing that the Nevada State Athletic Commission decided was no longer legal. You took yourself out of the Octagon to get it out of your system, so why did you hand in a drug test if you weren’t fighting?”
Sonnen: “What happens is they do out-of-competition testing, and the lab that they went to is the USADA lab, which is the greatest lab in the world, but it’s a very sensitive test. We’ve done our own test, at our own labs and we thought everything was out of our system. These weren’t secrets that I took these substances, this is what you have to take coming off testosterone. They can handle it however they want. They can say that it makes sense or they can say they don’t like it. The confusing part is that for a non-anabolic, non-steroid, non-performance enhancing agent that is perfectly legal and that I need for a healthy life……essentially, they are saying you have to choose between health and sport. It’s very tough for me because I was very upfront about it being in my system. Why was it in my system? Because I took it! I’ve been taking it, and I had to take it because you guys (NSAC) changed the rules. I now have to go to a hearing and I have a fight in thirty-days. There’s no way the hearing will be before then. It’s just kind of a tough spot.”
Sonnen also joined America’s Pregame on Fox Sports 1 and reiterated the points made to Jay Mohr again.
The American Gangster will have a meeting with the NSAC and have a hearing to determine what will happen involving this situation going forward. In case you missed the initial announcement check it out here.
Here is the full interview audio courtesy of Jay Mohr and Fox Sports Radio.
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