The Last of Chael Sonnen?

No good story is complete without a little hyperbole, so when Chael Sonnen had his indefinite suspension upheld by the CSAC, the talk almost immediately shifted to whether we would “ever” see Sonnen again.

Of course, Sonnen hasn’t exactly discouraged this talk himself, saying that he would be “effectively retired” if the California State Athletic Commission did not lift the suspension. He said that UFC president Dana White put it to him that way, and let’s face it, the UFC is pretty much the only game in town now, right?

Let’s back up a minute for clarification. Many readers may wonder why a suspension in one state would keep Sonnen fighting in other states, or even overseas. History tells us that the other athletic commissions will honor the CSAC’s ruling. Sure, Sonnen could fight overseas, but the UFC would not promote him there. The UFC has always complied with the rulings of athletic commissions even when they hold shows outside of those commissions’ respective jurisdictions.

If the UFC were to release Sonnen, he could fight elsewhere. Do you think Sonnen would poke the hornet’s nest by doing so, though, just so he could make a few bucks fighting in Dream or on a reservation somewhere for a small-time show? I don’t either.

One interesting point is that the suspension is only in place until Sonnen’s license with the state expires, which happens next month. However, Sonnen is ineligible to re-apply for a license until May of 2012, and again; other athletic commissions are extremely unlikely to ignore the CSAC’s actions. The UFC is even less likely to do the same.

Does this mean Sonnen’s done? I don’t think so. The guy is 34 years old and nearly beat Anderson Silva last August. The UFC has consistently brought back fighters who have had problems with athletic commissions. The cases where this wasn’t true, such as with Josh Barnett, were when there was a beef between Zuffa and the fighter involved, which isn’t the case with Sonnen.

Call me crazy, but I have a hard time believing that Dana White was about to throw Sonnen on Spike TV for “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite Michael Bisping, but now will be unwilling to even give Sonnen a shot at fighting on a UFC card a year from now.

Sonnen is equally unlikely to just give up on fighting altogether. A large part of his plea for mercy from the athletic commission was based upon how difficult it is for him to earn a living without being able to earn one as a professional fighter. If that’s the case, why wouldn’t Sonnen do everything possible to get back into competition and more specifically, back into the UFC?

There’s the age aspect, but Sonnen’s fighting style won’t keep him from being successful at 35. If he was a featherweight striker, I could see that argument. In a year, he should be just as good at taking guys down as he is now.

“Effectively retired”? Don’t count on it. Take into consideration that the quote supposedly came from Dana White and was relayed by Chael Sonnen- two individuals that aren’t exactly known for speaking in conservative terms. Sonnen said in the very same hearing that a fight with him and Bisping would be the biggest in MMA history, after all. Are we going go take his word for it when a big part of the reason he’s even in this mess is that he has a habit of being less than truthful?

The real decision will rest upon the shoulders of the CSAC, who will have to figure out whether to grant Sonnen a license when he inevitably re-applies next May. Sonnen’s actions will undoubtedly color that decision (Will he admit that he mislead the commission or stand his ground still while throwing Matt Lindland under the bus?) The other part of the decision is whether Zuffa will have Sonnen back if the issue is taken care of, but I don’t think there’s much question of that.

As for Sonnen, there’s no way that he’s done fighting. The question is whether the rest of his fighting will be done with lawyers in hearings or the way that he’d prefer, in the Octagon.

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Tags: Chael Sonnen, Dana White, Matt Lindland, Michael Bisping, UFC