Issue 073

March 2011

Movers and Shakers

Your monthly guide to what’s been going on in the world of MMA

UFC 129 Set For Toronto, Two Title Fights Possible

The massive 69,000-seat Rogers Centre in Toronto will host UFC 129 on April 30th with two title fights as the potential headliners. Despite the size of the venue, the UFC is opting for a 40,000-capacity seating configuration to retain the beloved UFC-event experience, but is keen to put on a star-filled card for its passionate Ontario fans.

Tom Wright, UFC director of Canadian operations, told MMAWeekly that the promotion wants a Georges St Pierre main event, adding: “I’d like to see two championships: a UFC 100 type of card.” UFC brass will be attempting to best the company’s 23,152-person event-attendance record set at December’s UFC 124 in Montreal.

KJ Noons: Paul Daley is ‘the black eye of MMA’

Noted Strikeforce trash talker KJ Noons has scoffed at UFC exile Paul Daley’s wishes to fight him. Noons called the Brit “the black eye of MMA” and claimed Daley is “the leftovers of the UFC.” The occasional boxer said: “Of course it would be exciting to watch me knockout Paul Daley. Everybody would want to see that, but the thing is nobody wants to see Paul Daley.”

Brazilian UFC Event Confirmed

The UFC will return to Brazil for the first time in 13 years, the company announced at a December press conference in Rio. Former Pride FC 161lb champion Takanori Gomi has expressed interest in throwing down at the event dubbed UFC: Rio. The American promotion had a pre-Zuffa card in the country in 1998 for UFC Ultimate Brazil.

Sonnen Suspension Halved In Revelatory Hearing

UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen has had his $2,500 fine upheld for failing a drugs test around his UFC 117 loss to Anderson Silva, but had his suspension reduced to six months. The former number-one contender was appealing his 12-month ban in early December before the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

The fighter failed his drugs test due to a high ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone (16:1, with 4:1 being legal in California) in his blood samples submitted to the CSAC around the bout, which would indicate steroid abuse. However, Sonnen’s testosterone level by itself was normal. Furthermore, the 33-year-old claimed at the hearing the 16:1 ratio was caused by legitimate Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) due to an illness that causes decreased production of testosterone. Former UFC fighters Dan Henderson and Todd Duffee have both been allowed to compete in Nevada while undergoing TRT.

Sonnen has been undertaking the treatment since February 2008, which involves self-injecting testosterone in order to equalize the deficit instead of suffering a competitive disadvantage. He had been cleared to fight in 2008, ’09 and ’10 by submitting paperwork declaring the therapy to a medical consultant hired by the UFC. Sonnen testified he believed the same would be appropriate this time: “At every jurisdiction – California, England, Nevada – he was there. He filled out the appropriate paperwork, had a stethoscope and handled the forms in question. It was my understanding that he was a doctor for every commission.”

However, the CSAC said they had not been notified of Sonnen’s TRT for August’s Anderson Silva fight so he was, as a result, using an illegal substance, plus his testosterone to epitestosterone ratio was still outside the legal 4:1 figure. Sonnen, in a later interview with Inside MMA, likened calling testosterone a steroid to saying “mouthwash is alcohol,” and maintained that he didn’t have an unfair advantage at UFC 117.

STOP PRESS! Sonnen suspended for money laundering. More next issue.