He has been removed from his role as an analyst on ESPN
Former UFC star and current ESPN analyst Chael Sonnen is to be charged with 11 counts of battery, including a felony of battery by strangulation.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by
ESPN, the 44-year-old is accused of attacking six people on December 18, 2022, including one man who he is accused of strangling.
He also allegedly used "force of violence" on a woman by "punching/striking" and pushing her.
Sonnen had previously been charged with five counts of battery over the incident last December, but these charges were dropped in January. However, because they were dropped without prejudice, they could be filed again.
According to
TMZ, Sonnen also punched and kneed others in the head and face during the incident.
Further details of the situation have yet to be released by the court or the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1506409923625857027
“Chael will not appear on ESPN as we explore the details of these serious charges,” ESPN said in a statement.
He is scheduled to appear in court on April 27.
Sonnen was suspended for two years after testing positive for several performance-enhancing drugs. It was the third time he had a positive drug test in MMA.
He never returned to UFC after this, choosing to sign with Bellator instead. He retired in 2019 and has since worked for a number of media outlets as an analyst.
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