UFC President Dana White and star fighter Chael Sonnen have taken to the media in an attempt to explain Sonnen's UFC 175 drugs failure. Sonnen is one of White's personal favourite fighters and the star is also respected throughout the MMA media. It isn't too surprising to see damage control put into instant effect for him. The truth of the matter is that Sonnen did take substances which are banned under the Nevada State Athletic Commission. A random NSAC drug test showed he had been taking anti-estrogen drugs. These aren't performance enhancing and Sonnen does have a medical need to use them. He will appeal his ban and argue that the banned substances were taken when out of competition, which makes them different to taking the same drugs on fight day. Dana White appeared first on Fox Sports 1 to say he wasn't surprised about the failure, he argued that the NSAC had created this situation by banning TRT and forcing fighters to go cold turkey. Sonnen had no choice but to take the estrogen blocker to deal with coming off of TRT, and the NSAC rules should have been laid out better says White. He reiterated that the UFC is hardline on drugs and there is not a drug problem in MMA. Sonnen previously had a medical exemption for TRT and is now simply having to take anti estrogen drugs to deal with the side effects of no longer being on TRT. The President is making a strong case to protect Sonnen's image. He also added that Sonnen needed to take these substances to remain fertile and that his wife is now pregnant "so it worked." The fighter himself has also looked to explain the failure away as circumstance, saying he would always choose to be a partner and father before any MMA priorities. He claims he took legal substances which he needed to operate. It tops off a crazy build towards UFC 175. Sonnen's opponent Wanderlei Silva ran away (literally) from the fight when drug testers turned up last week. How ironic that Sonnen himself is no longer able to compete because of a drug failure. With other main events of Weidman vs Machida and Rousey vs Davis, UFC 175 isn't hurt too much from Sonnen's loss, the company should still draw a top selling show.
