Chael Sonnen’s legal trouble further delays return to UFC
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Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight contender Chael Sonnen‘s involvement in an Oregon mortgage fraud case has further delayed his return to the octagon.
Sonnen, the brash MMA veteran who nearly produced a stunning upset of UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in August, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of money laundering in U.S. District Court in Oregon, a crime that leaves convicts exposed to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Michelle Kerin, the Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted Sonnen and others in the case, told The Times on Tuesday Sonnen’s plea deal calls for two years of probation, a $10,000 fine and the forfeiture of his real estate license.
Sonnen, 33, is scheduled to be sentenced March 28 in Portland, Ore.
His legal problems stack atop the six-month suspension Sonnen received from the California State Athletic Commission after his August fight in Oakland for using performance-enhancing drugs.
UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta said he has no immediate plans to stage Sonnen’s next fight, and it’s believed he’ll wait until after Sonnen’s sentencing in Oregon to give Sonnen another date in the octagon.
--Lance Pugmire
