Chael Sonnen Fired After Failing Another Drug Test

After failing a second drug test, UFC fighter Chael Sonnen, was fired from his broadcast positions in UFC and FOX Sports organizations. He underwent a random drug test administered by the Nevada Athletic Commission two months ago which he also failed. 

In a joint statement on Monday, FOX and UFC announced that they have terminated the UFC Tonight co-host.

"The UFC and FOX Sports organizations announced today the termination of their respective broadcasting services agreements with analyst Chael Sonnen. This decision comes in light of Sonnen failing a second test conducted by the Nevada Athletic Commission for banned substances in June. Sonnen was previously under temporary suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission for failing an initial test conducted in May," the statement read. 

According to an article on the Bleacher Report, during an interview with Fox Sports 1, UFC President Dana White explained that the decision they made was a "tough one" but that they had to do it.

"You know, it's never easy making decisions like this. You know, Chael is a person I personally care about, I know a lot of people at Fox care about him too. The guy had four banned substances in his system. Four banned substances in his system leading up to a fight here in Las Vegas ... It's a tough one. It's one of those hard decisions you gotta make. It was definitely a hard one. It was something we had to do," she was quoted by Bleacher Report as saying. 

In a report by Yahoo Sports, it was noted Sonnen has already failed three drug tests during his career with the MMA. His very first failed test happened in Oakland, after he fought Anderson Silva in 2010, and the California Athletic Commission suspended him because of that. However, during a hearing, Sonnen allegedly made false claims "in order to succesfully have his suspension reduced," but his plans quickly retaliated as he was hit with another suspension from the commission, the Yahoo Sports blog added.

For this year, the 37-year-old fighter tested positive for two banned substances: Anastrozole and Clomiphene, anti-estrogen drugs usually given to women.

In an earlier radio interview with Fox Sports, Sonnen said he wanted to tell his side of the story and how he ended up taking the two illegal drugs. He explained that his drug intake started when the Nevada commision banned testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). This is the medication he underwent to treat his hypogonadism, a condition where a male body does not produce enough testosterone.

But Sonnen, after releasing his statement expalining the use of the banned drugs, retired from the MMA. He has yet to release a new statement regarding his being sacked as a host of UFC Tonight.