Chael Sonnen's problems continue to mount. The oft-controversial middleweight on Monday plead guilty to federal charges of money laundering, and today he's been suspended by the UFC, The news was first reported by TMZ.com, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) subsequently confirmed the suspension with a source close to the fighter. "Chael Sonnen has gone through a lot in the last few months, and we think it's important for him to focus on getting his personal life together before focusing on his career in the UFC," UFC president Dana White told TMZ.com. MMAjunkie.com was not immediately able to reach White for comment. On Monday, MMAjunkie.com reported that Sonnen had been targeted for a UFC 128 matchup with Yoshihiro Akiyama. That bout is now apparently on hold, as TMZ.com reports Sonnen's contract "has been temporarily frozen." The length of Sonnen's suspension has yet to be revealed. Sonnen was charged with money laundering after taking part in a scheme to illegally net more than $69,000 in loan proceeds through the submission of a falsified repair order. As part of his plea deal, Sonnen agreed to give up his realtor's license and pay a $10,000 fine, and the U.S. District Attorney's office is said to be seeking a two-year probation. Sonnen's official sentencing is set for March. Sonnen is also currently serving a sentence of another sort, a suspension handed out by the California State Athletic Commission for elevated levels of testosterone following his fight-of-the-year candidate at UFC 117 with middleweight champion Anderson Silva. He was unsuccessful in appealing the punishment this past month at a CSAC hearing in Sacramento, Calif., though the commission voted to reduce his suspension from one year to six months while also issuing a $2,500 fine. bye bye!!
I bet this UFC suspension doesn't last very long. It's just White's way of dealing with the conviction and the bad press surrounding it. There's still money to be made from a Sonnen comeback, as you know he'll come out guns a blazing with the trash talk no matter who and when he finally ends up fighting again.
