The California State Athletic Commission today reversed a decision to treat Chael Sonnen's indefinite suspension as a license revocation, which clears the way for the onetime middleweight contender to apply for a fight license in the state after his suspension runs its course on June 29 of this year.
On Thursday, CSAC Executive Director George Dodd told MMAjunkie.com (
http://www.mmajunkie.com) that California Code of Regulations Title 4 Rule 399 was used as justification by CSAC legal advisers for classifying the suspension as a revocation.
Today, however, the CSAC announced there were errors made in the interpretation of that rule.
"Upon reviewing the May 18, 2011 decision of the commission, an error in the applicability of Rule 399 was made," stated a release issued today by the commission. "The rule states that, 'Any applicant who has been denied an application for a license may not file a similar application until one year from the date of the last previous denial by the commission. Any application filed within the one year period may be denied without the necessity of a hearing. Anyone who has had his license revoked may not petition for reinstatement or apply for a new license until one year after the date of such revocation. Any petition for reinstatement filed within the one year period may be denied without the necessity of a hearing.'
"Since the commission did not revoke or deny Mr. Sonnen's license, the rule does not apply."
The release noted that Sonnen will need to appear before the commission once again should he decide to apply for a license in California.
"If the commission denies his application, Mr. Sonnen will have to wait one year from the date of the denial," the release stated.
On Wednesday, the CSAC voted 4-1 to uphold an indefinite suspension of Sonnen issued in late April. The commission cited inconsistencies in his testimony during a December appeal of a one-year suspension he was issued for elevated levels of testosterone following UFC 117. (The suspension was reduced to six months.) Sonnen's recent conviction on one federal charge of money laundering was also cited as a reason for the indefinite suspension.
On Thursday Dodd said that Sonnen was not eligible to apply for a license in California until May 18, 2012, or one year from the date that CSAC upheld the indefinite suspension, as per the commission's rules on license revocations.
Until June 29, Sonnen's name will remain on a registry that tracks fighters' medical and administrative suspensions. It is unknown at the time of this writing whether a note will be placed on the registry after the suspension expires that asks commissions in other states to call the CSAC in the event that the fighter applies for a license there.
At Wednesday's hearing, Sonnen's legal representatives begged the CSAC to end the fighter's current suspension on June 5, the final date in which he'd be eligible to gain a second's license in Nevada to coach on "The Ultimate Fighter 14." Sonnen told the commission that he had been offered a coaching spot opposite Michael Bisping on the reality show with a No. 1 contender's bout waiting afterward. The request was declined.
Nevada State Athletic Commission Keith Kizer said on Thursday that a second's license is out of the question before Sonnen's current suspension ends, though the restrictions will be lifted after June 29.
"My understanding is that he's free to apply for either license after June 29," Kizer said. "However, he will have to appear before the commission on those applications. Before that date, we have to honor the California suspensions."
(Pictured: George Dodd)
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