The good guy act wouldn't last... or would it? Leading up to UFC 175, lets see, we've had: - Chael Sonnen claiming Wanderlei Silva would bail from the event. - Wanderlei Silva being pulled from the event after running from a surprise drug test, proving Chael correct to an extent. - Silva being replaced with middleweight contender Vitor Belfort, long clouded by the murkiness TRT and positive drug tests brings - Belfort admitting to a failed out-of-competition test this past February that in essence banned TRT for everyone - Silva claiming he still wanted to fight Sonnen - Beltfort requiring a licensing hearing later this month - Sonnen testing positive for banned substances - Sonnen announcing his retirement, leaving Belfort without an opponent.. if he can get licensed. Sorry about the bullet list, but that's a lot to follow, even for someone who follows it daily. UFC 175 is a huge card. It has Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida, and Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis, and all anyone has talked about is Chael Sonnen and Silva/Belfort. And drugs. Lots and lots of drugs. The final positive test for Sonnen was his undoing - and yet somehow, he has lost none of his shine. Busted for hCG, Anastrozole and Clomiphene, the drugs are not illegal, but are banned substances. They were, Sonnen said, to ease him off TRT, the treatment Belfort was on when he failed his drug test in February - a failure that ended TRT exemptions for all fighters. Still follow? Anastrozole and Clomiphene are anti-estrogen drugs, used to kick-start natural testosterone production. Since Chael had legally been taking testosterone via TRT, as his body doesn't produce enough on its own, it makes sense that he would need them, medically - but they are banned. Yet somehow Chael still manages to come off looking good here - retiring with the announcement that, thanks to the treatment, he and his wife have conceived a child, and that given the chance to do it again, he'd choose being a father over a fighter. Wow. Not only that, he still has a lucrative career in broadcasting with Fox. Frankly Chael's not going anywhere, he's just not going to be fighting. And you know - that's not a bad thing really. Chael outside the cage is just as entertaining as Chael inside it.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
