Chael Sonnen, a former star in UFC and current MMA analyst for ESPN, is facing 11 counts of battery in Las Vegas stemming from an incident in December.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by ESPN, Sonnen is accused of having attacked six people, including a man who he is alleged to have strangled. He is also alleged to have used “force of violence upon” a woman “by punching/striking” and pushing her.
This case is peculiar in the sense that Sonnen was previously charged with five counts of battery after the incident, but those charges were dropped in January. Nevertheless, because the charges were dropped without prejudice, they were able to be filed again.
Police documents from the incident have not yet been made available.
Sonnen will be sidelines from ESPN during this case, at least for the time being.
“Chael will not appear on ESPN as we explore the details of these serious charges,” ESPN said in a statement.
Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen face off during the UFC 159 weigh-in event at the Prudential Center in 2013. Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesSonnen, 44, once fought Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight championship and lost two matches to the legendary Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight championship.
In 2014, Sonnen failed his second drug test in UFC and third overall in his MMA career; in this circumstance, he tested positive for HGH, EPO and hCG. He was suspended from MMA competition for two years. He later returned to fight for Bellator and retired from MMA in 2019.
