Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has joined ESPN in a multifight agreement as a studio and on-site analyst, providing pre- and post-fight insight on "SportsCenter" coverage of major UFC events. Sonnen will make his debut Nov. 14 prior to UFC 180 and will appear throughout the weekend on various net platforms (ESPN). The AP's Greg Beacham noted Sonnen "was fired by Fox and suspended from fighting by the Nevada Athletic Commission during the summer." His firing came after he "failed two drug tests in three weeks." Sonnen did his "first major broadcasting work" with ESPN in '10. ESPN Senior Coordinating Producer Glenn Jacobs indicated that the net "wasn’t concerned by Sonnen’s checkered history or his unceremonious departure from Fox." Jacobs: “We know Chael has made some mistakes in the past. He’s been honest. He’s been up-front about it. He has paid for the mistakes that he has made, and he’s moving forward. ... The insights that he has on the sport and the ways he sees it, our fans are going to be so much better from watching him on the air" (AP, 11/11). YAHOO SPORTS' Kevin Iole wrote it is a "boon for the UFC, because it's a commitment by the most powerful sports television network in the world to more regular MMA coverage." One would "assume that Sonnen won't just be limited to UFC coverage, either." But Sonnen's hiring also is "going to bring it increased scrutiny for bringing back one of the worst, most blatant drug cheats in the history of sports." Because he "lied on the air so repeatedly about his drug usage, it's going to be hard for him to regain credibility with a large segment of the ESPN audience" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/11).
