(Somebody needs to break the news to Chael that they dissolved the WEC while he was away.)

Chael Sonnen celebrated the end of his suspension by the California State Athletic Commission today by doing his other favorite thing…talking smack on Twitter.

The beleaguered UFC middleweight posted the message above early Wednesday morning.

Expect a big announcement soon by the UFC where and when Sonnen will be fighting next, which is somewhat ironic considering Nate Marquardt was let go under similar circumstances. Sure, Nate killed the main event because of his indiscretions, but had Chael beaten Anderson, the result of the bout would have been changed to a no-contest and the belt would have been returned to “The Spider,” in which case he may well have suffered the wrath of UFC president Dana White’s itchy Twitter trigger finger much like Marquardt did. Lucky for Chael, he dodged that bullet via lack of triangle defense.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/ncaasteve)

Steve Cofield caught up to TUF 14 coach Michael Bisping recently during a break from taping the SPIKE TV reality series, and the cocky Brit expressed his dissentient opinion that his opposing coach on the show, Jason “Mayhem” Miller is not a worthy opponent.

“I can fully understand it. The guy’s obviously….he does Bully Beatdown. He does a TV show, so he’s got a bit of got a bit of a crossover appeal, if you will, but I wasn’t overly excited that he’s going to be my next fight. I wanted somebody like Chael Sonnen or possibly the winner of [Yushin] Okami and Anderson [Silva] — you know, somebody of that stature in the middleweight division,” Bisping explained matter-of-factly. “But I can understand from a business perspective the UFC’s decision to do…you know, to give Mayhem the shot. It’s a double-edged sword. It will be good for the show, but it wasn’t the opponent I wanted though.”

Who writes these?  Because we may have a job for him.

Whether you think he’s the most entertaining character in MMA right now, or you think he’s the boldest sort of hypocritical cheater, you kind of have to admit that no one — no one — can touch Chael Sonnen for smack talk. There seem to be no rhyme or reason to his endless stream of one-liners, and there’s no telling who he’ll target on any given day.

(“Your perfume is making me feel nauseous.”)

The beauty of social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter for fighters is that they can get whatever message they want across however they want it written. Of course there’s also an ugly side to that reality. Just ask anyone who subscribes to Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson’s Twitter feeds.

Chael Sonnen is one of the fighters who embraces the ADHD-friendly 140 character limit messaging service as it gives him a platform from which to aim punchline-heavy zingers at whomever he wants without having to deal with annoying follow-up questions from reporters.

Sonnen, who was noticeably absent from the Twitterverse while his court and athletic commission issues were being ironed, is once again an active tweeter and has been taking aim at a few fellow UFC middleweights the past few days.

(“Camp Carwin” Episode 4: In which Shane shows off the new diet that has dropped him from 285 lbs. to 255 lbs. Props: officialbudlight)

- Karyn Bryant: It Takes Much More Than That to Horrify Me [Exclusive Interview] (LowKick)

- Inside MMA: Tito Ortiz Addresses Altercation With Matt Mitrione, Hendo Talks Fedor (MMA Convert)

- Five Lessons: UFC 130 (NBC Sports MMA)

- Check Out This 10-Second Faceplant KO From Cage Warriors 42 This Past Weekend (MiddleEasy)

- UFC 130 Medical Suspensions and Injuries for ‘Rampage vs Hamill’ (MMA Mania)

- Chael Sonnen Responds to Jason Miller and Michael Bisping as “TUF 14? Coaches (5thRound)

- Clay Guida: Anthony Pettis Bout Will Be a Fight of the Year Candidate (MMA Fighting)

- UFC Allows Kevin James to Use Their Brand in MMA Comedy Film (TheFightNerd)

- UFC 131 Conference Call Highlights (Five Ounces of Pain)

- The 20 Greatest UFC Fighters of the Pre Zuffa Era (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

(“And you made sure my nose looks like a big-ass clove of garlic? Okay, perfect.”)

We weren’t expecting much trash-talk in the lead-up to UFC 134‘s middleweight championship headliner between Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami — but the Spider continues to be the aggressor in the pre-fight war of words. This weekend, Silva gave an interview to Brazil’s O Globo newspaper, and expressed disappointment at Okami’s association with longtime training partner Chael Sonnen:

“You have to find the best person to train you, and I think he chose wrong…I will never line up with a loser, a loser in every sense. [Sonnen] did not win the fight (against me), (he) was caught doping, is being sued for various things, and is suspended from the UFC…Want to be a champion? (Be) allied with good people.”

(Let me guess — ‘27 Dresses‘ was on TBS again.)

We’re just moments away from the official start of Memorial Day weekend, a sacred American tradition in which people across the country drink beer at backyard barbecues in honor of the brave men and women who have given their lives defending this country. While you’re giving it up for the military, please take some time to consider those who have passed on in the UFC. And don’t forget to come back to CagePotato.com tomorrow night for our liveblog of UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill…

EVAN TANNER

A one-time middleweight champion of the UFC, Evan Tanner struggled with addiction and financial problems during the later part of his career. Tanner got sober in 2008, but died just a few months later during a fateful adventure in the Southern California desert. And though he didn’t always treat himself kindly, Evan left behind a legion of fans and friends who revered him for his generosity and positive attitude — much like TapouT founder Charles “Mask” Lewis, who also happened to be fond of the word ‘Believe.’

LOGAN STANTON AND NATASHA WICKS

(Stann’s weekend just got a whole lot more interesting.)

According to a report by Dave Meltzer from his F4WOnline.com insider newsletter, there’s more than just a win bonus at stake for former WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann when he squares off against former Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago. He’ll earn a TUF coaching gig opposite Michael Bisping if he has his hand raised Saturday night.

By Anton Gurevich

Before his fight against Nate Marquardt at UFC 109, Chael Sonnen was just another UFC middleweight — far, far away from challenging Anderson Silva for his belt. But the charismatic Oregonian had plans of his own; Sonnen used his second-to-none trash-talking skills and the interest in Nate Marquardt’s campaign for a rematch against Anderson Silva to call out the Champ, eventually forcing himself into the mix for a shot at the title. Of course, Chael Sonnen backed up his talk by bulldozing Marquardt during all three rounds, to earn a spot in line against the winner of UFC 112′s Silva vs. Maia match-up.

Whether you like him or not, it’s hard to deny that Chael Sonnen has an exciting personality. But Sonnen has suffered his share of setbacks, and now finds himself in an ongoing battle against his toughest opponent to date – the Nevada and California athletic commissions. When looking for another UFC middleweight even remotely as controversial and charismatic as Chael Sonnen, the only name that comes to mind is Michael “The Count” Bisping. It’s no surprise that the pair were originally set to resurrect The Ultimate Fighter series, something that even Brock Lesnar has struggled to do this season…

Continue reading on Lowkick.com

“My thoughts concerning the state of Wisconsin repealing the collective bargaining rights of public employees? I’m glad you asked…”

Several recent, seemingly unrelated news stories in the MMA world have shared a common theme- unions. It’s the lobbying efforts of one union, Dana White insists, to blame for the UFC’s failure to gain a foothold in New York. And some pessimists credit a fear of unionized fighters–more than simple altruism–for Zuffa’s decision to provide accident insurance for its fighters. With all of the talk about a potential MMA Fighters Union, we took a moment to ponder who’s likely to throw their hat in the ring for union president…

(Video courtesy of YouTube/MMAHeat)

- 33 alternate walkout songs MMA fans would love to hear (BleacherReport)

- Aldo says he’ll add a “special” skull tattoo to his shoulder to honor warrior Hominick (Tatame)

- Things You Can and Can’t Do The Day Before The Rapture (HolyTaco)

- God damn it: Those Hollywood sons-of-bitches are remaking Carrie (ScreenJunkies)

- Bisping defends Rampage (MMAFighting)

- NBA rookie of the year Blake Griffin wants a part in ‘Rage’ (TheRugged)

- Bob Reilly continues his crusade against MMA in Forbes (MiddleEasy)

- Beer ads have pent the last half-century at the beach (AdWeek)

- Rampage’s UFC 130 blog: defending the cage and putting on a show (CageWriter)

- NSAC approves  UFC’s request for judges’ monitors (Sherdog)

- CSAC flip-flops on Sonnen ruling; Chael free to re-apply for license June 29 (MMAJunkie)

- Arnold’s Love Child Revealed (Break)

(Bendo: Prepared for takeoff.)

According to some misguided crazy people, the world is going to end tomorrow. Apparently, May 21st, 2011 is the scheduled date of the Rapture, in which Christians will be shuttled off into the air to meet Christ, while the sinners will be left behind, leading to Armageddon or something. (For more information, consult this Kirk Cameron movie). If the rumors are true, we’re all pretty much fucked. Still, there’s a few MMA fighters who will be getting the sweet end of the deal. For instance…

BEN HENDERSON
The lightweight standout is one of the more vocal supporters of his Lord and Savior in the cage, shouting out Philippians 4:13 after every win. He makes his fight entrances to gospel music, and has never touched alcohol. Whatever bad stuff goes down tomorrow, he won’t be around for it. He’ll be in mid-air, doing that pyramid thing with his hands.

CHAEL SONNEN

Stripped of his real estate and fighting licenses, Sonnen was just sentenced to a year of roaming the earth with no income, trying to “promote goodwill” and show that he’s rehabilitated. A swift, violent end would probably be an upgrade at this point.

(Sonnen illustration via celebbest.com)

Though it was originally reported that the indefinitely suspended Chael Sonnen would be able to re-apply for an MMA license after his current license expires on June 29th, California State Athletic Commission executive officer George Dodd contradicted that bit of information today, telling MMA Fighting that the soonest Sonnen can re-apply is May 2012:

“One of our rules, in our Title IV [of the California Code of Regulations], stipulates that you have to wait one year after an appeal of your suspension or revocation of license. And since he appealed this [on May 18, 2011], it’s one year from the day of denial.”

Wait, it gets worse:

(Ignoring your problems won’t work forever.)

Even though Chael Sonnen completed his six-month suspension from the California State Athletic Commission back in March,  the CSAC isn’t quite ready to forgive and forget. MMA Weekly reported yesterday that Sonnen has been placed on an indefinite administrative suspension, pending a special hearing on May 18th. And why is California continuing to persecute America’s Greatest Hero? Says CSAC executive director George Dodd, “It’s based off two things. One, his pleading guilty to his felony conviction up in Oregon, as well as possibly providing false testimony during his hearing back in December.”

If you’ll recall, Sonnen originally claimed that he’d received approval for testosterone therapy from NSAC executive director Keith Kizer, then changed his story in the most ludicrous way possible when Kizer denied ever talking to him.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/EddieBravo)

Now, we aren’t sure if it’s because he paid a visit to his buddy Matt Lindland’s shed before shooting this impromptu “interview” or because he was playing a few rounds of  ”puff, puff, give” with Eddie Bravo, but Chael Sonnen seems a lot more relaxed and squinty-eyed in the latest edition of Mastering the System.

(Sonnen throwing a kick? That’s got to be photoshopped.)

Looks like Chael Sonnen’s desire to “clear the air” with the Nevada State Athletic Commission will have to wait a bit longer. According to multiple reports out this week, the UFC middleweight’s late-April meeting with the NSAC was postponed on Wednesday because – get this – his status as a confessed felon prohibits him from traveling to Nevada during the legendary Laughlin River Run motorcycle rally. Apparently, this comes as a result of an obscure Nevada law designed to help curb violence between biker gangs, after a wild 2002 brawl and shoot-’em-up between the Mongols and Hells Angels left three dead inside Harrah’s Casino.

Man, we would’ve loved to see Sonnen’s face when his probation officer called to give him the news. For some reason, the whole the idea of Chael Sonnen having a PO just tickles us to death and the fact that his legal status now lumps him in with your average Gypsy Joker, Warlock and Pagan is particularly hilarious. Knowing what we know about Sonnen, we’re betting the recent loss of some of his previously inalienable rights as an American citizen really burns his ass.

(“Thank you Jesus for letting me punch people asleep. bro.”)

Tatame.com recently caught up with Vitor Belfort to talk to him about what’s coming down the pipe and the UFC middleweight touched on a few interesting topics including the fact that an agreed upon match-up with Wanderlei Silva fell through for unknown reasons and his desire to make it on the UFC Rio card.

According to “The Phenom,” who says he has recovered from his UFC 127 loss to Anderson Silva and is in a “good state of mind,” in spite of UFC president Dana White’s recent assertion that “The Axe Murderer” accepted the bout, he says Silva decided that a fight with Chris Leben would be an easier test for himself.

(We may never get to see if Chael’s armbar defense has improved since last time they met.)

Ever since Chael Sonnen faltered two minutes shy of snatching the UFC middleweight strap from Anderson Silva at UFC 117, fans and pundits alike have been clamoring for a rematch between the pair.

The immediate redo promised by UFC president Dana White was originally delayed due to Silva needing time to recover from a rib injury his camp revealed he went into the August 7 fight with.

Then Sonnen threw another wrench in the UFC’s plans by testing positive for high levels of synthetic testosterone, but after having his suspension halved for pleading ignorance and confusion about the rules and procedures of the California State Athletic Commission, it seemed like the much anticipated bout would finally happen.

(“I’m sorry, Chael’s not here right now. I’m his protector personality, Buck the beer-swilling Vietnam vet. Pic: ProMMANow)

Admit it, you missed this crazy son of a bitch. Fresh from his sentencing in federal court in Oregon last week and a few days further removed from what sounded like a contentious initial meeting with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Chael Sonnen made his first extended public appearance in recent memory on Monday on the MMA Hour over at MMA Fighting. Sonnen’s nearly 40-minute discussion with Ariel Helwani centered mostly on his continued efforts to reapply for a license to fight in Las Vegas, but also touched on many things UFC.

Listing back and forth between his two dominant personalities — sober, straight-talking manly-man and over-the-top middleweight contender — Sonnen admitted his main focus hasn’t been on fighting these last few months, but said he hopes to return to the Octagon sooner than later. The more human side of Sonnen admitted he still needs to “clear the air” with NSAC before moving forward with his athletic career, while his batshit crazy side couldn’t resist simultaneously tossing a few verbal barbs at most of the rest of the UFC roster. It’s not a mystery which quotes we’ll hit you with first after the jump …

(For whatever reason, it’s selling much better than those “Just Turn State’s Evidence, Homie” T-shirts. Pic: DiazBros.com)

One more bullet dodged for the fighter you love to hate: Chael Sonnen will do no time for his role in a money laundering scheme in his home state of Oregon, according to MMAFighting.com. A US District Court judge sentenced Sonnen to two years probation, a $10,000 fine and the loss of his real estate license on Friday after the UFC middleweight pleaded guilty to federal mortgage fraud charges in January.

As part of the plea, Sonnen admitted he was party to “a financial transaction that was conducted or designed to disguise the ownership of funds due to wire fraud,” according to the report. Though he got off a lot easier than two other defendants who have already been sentenced in the case, Sonnen still faces some obstacles to restarting his MMA career, if his recent public spat with Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer is any indication.

(“Tap? That wasn’t a tap. It was Morse code for ‘You’re dead!’”)

Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer is undecided about whether or not Michael Bisping or Chael Sonnen would be approved as coaching candidates for The Ultimate Fighter if either UFC middleweight applied for a coaching license.

Kizer revealed today MMAJunkie today that Sonnen met with NSAC and UFC officials three weeks ago to discuss remarks he made during his California State Athletic Commission hearing in December to appeal a suspension for high levels of testosterone found in his system in a urine test administered prior to his UFC 117 championship bout with Anderson Silva. During the CSAC hearing, Sonnen testified that he had asked for and received verbal approval for the his prescribed use of synthetic testosterone by Kizer — a claim Kizer flatly denies.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/CNM)

Either this guy drank WAY too many Red Bulls before this interview or he just REALLY likes talking to Jake Shields. Whatever the case may be, he caught up with Jakes at Cesar Gracie’s gym and got his thoughts on a few topic, including his upcoming UFC 129 bout on April 30 against UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and the prospect of the former Strikeforce middleweight champ possibly fighting Anderson Silva somewhere down the road.

“Do you think you can beat GSP?” probably wasn’t the best question to start the interview with, but Jake took it in stride, laughing off the strange query from his alleged fan.

Judging by his outfit and how giddy he seems to be around his favorite fighters, it’s safe to say he won’t be awarded Strikeforce or UFC credentials under the current regime.

Check out video of Mr. Perky interviewing Josh Thomson, Matt Lindland and Josh Koscheck about the fight as well as footage of Jake training with some old dude after the jump.

(This story doesn’t have much to do with Anderson Silva, but holy crap, remember when that happened?)

Sorry gang, but it looks like those rumors about Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping landing coaching spots for TUF 14 were too good to be true. Though the pairing would make for brilliant/insane reality television, Sonnen’s laundry list of personal problems will likely prohibit his participation. From a new MMAJunkie report:

UFC president Dana White today told MMAjunkie.com no decisions have been made about the head-coaching slots for the show, which debuts in September on Spike TV.

But White also said [Chael] Sonnen “has a ton of problems” to deal with, which makes a rumored “TUF 14″ coaching slot against Michael Bisping unlikely…

“I believe in Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Shit Talking”

We’re only one episode into TUF Season 13, and some are already disappointed by the kinder, gentler Brock Lesnar. Sure, we say we want the series to focus more on the fights and less on the drama, but a little tension always makes things more fun. Though it’s far too early to call this season a hit or a flop, the latest TUF rumors already have us eagerly anticipating next season.

According to reports from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, noted MMA heels Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping are on deck to tackle coaching duties for season 14 and potentially redefine everything we thought we knew about coaching beef. The likelihood of this pairing hinges largely on the CSAC Ruling and the outcome of Chael’s legal woes.

(Props: sxboxer)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail feedback@cagepotato.com for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

- Chael Sonnen’s Court Sentencing Postponed, Further Delaying UFC Return (MMA Fighting)

- UFC Fight Night 24 Results: 10 Best Moments From Nogueira vs. Davis Fight Card (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

- Brock Lesnar on ‘SportsCenter’: Look Out Junior, Here I Come (5thRound)

- Watch Every Fedor Emelianenko Action Scene From ‘The Salamander Key’ (MiddleEasy)

- Michael Bisping Labels Nate Marquardt as a “Steroid Cheat” and “Absolute Hypocrite” (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Submissions in the UFC: A Fond Look Back (MMA Convert)

- Mirko Cro Cop: A Career Retrospective (LowKick)

- Roufusport Voted America’s Top MMA Gym (Versus MMA Beat)

- Hector Lombard Scalps Joe Doerksen To Retain Title Belt at CFC 16 (Fight Magazine)

- Junior Dos Santos has Rock Climbing Skills (MMA-Scraps)

(Chael says: ‘A trio of good ol’ boys beat a gaggle of yes men any day.’)

Jake Shields mentioned in an interview he did with Joe Rogan during Saturday’s Ultimate Fight Night 24 broadcast that he was planning on bringing in Chael Sonnen to help him prepare for his April 30 UFC 129 match-up with UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre.

According to MiddleEasy, he wasn’t just blowing smoke up our asses as the beleaguered UFC middleweight contender has offically arrived in the 209 with his Team Quest mate Matt Lindland in tow to help Shields prepare for GSP.

(“Business as usual,” should include putting on the best fights Zuffa can.)

Since Zuffa announced two weeks ago that it had purchased its closest competitor, Strikeforce, MMA fans and analysts have been clamoring for dream bouts that seemed impossible when the organizations were owned by two different companies.

Although UFC president Dana White has repeated the same three words since the news broke, “Business as usual,” and reports have emerged stating that there won’t likely be any cross-over bouts until Strikeforce’s current fighter contracts run out and they can be locked into new deals with the UFC, that doesn’t stop the inner fanboys in us from licking our chops over some of the fights we want to see happen in the Octagon (or Hexagon).

Check out our list of 20 intriguing post-Zuffa Strikeforce purchase fights we’d get behind.

(“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? And if you wrong us, shall we not spit on you and then strut around like the cock of the walk afterward?” Pic: Zimbio)

UK Telegraph boxing and MMA correspondent Gareth A. Davies is tired of all these yanks talking rubbish about Michael Bisping! Davies over the weekend authored a strange and sweeping indictment of how American MMA writers have responded to Bisping cheating to win against Jorge Rivera last month at UFC 127 before spitting in the direction of Rivera’s credentialed cornermen. At the risk of sounding like an unbelievable homer, Davies describes the media reaction from our side of the pond as “near-hysterical” and even busts out the term “witchhunt” to propose that Bisping has somehow been unfairly persecuted for his actions.

Pretty weird, right? Ever weirder, Davies specifically goes after Yahoo’s Steve Cofield (an unassuming dude if there ever was one) for daring to quote Nate Marquardt calling out Bisping after his own win last weekend at UFC 128 without – and this is where the logic gets really shaky – providing “balance” by somehow working in Marquardt’s positive steroid test from 2005 and also mentioning the allegations that he turned down a fight with Bisping at UFC 114 (because his wife was set to have a baby three days before the event). Davies rhetorically shouts: “Can there be any doubt at all there is a (sic) acutely American media bias towards Bisping?”

Actually no, there’s no denying it. Better question: Can there be any doubt that he deserves it?

(It remains unclear if Dana White intentionally punished *on* Michael Bisping, or just punished in his general direction. Pic: The Fight Nerd)

When Ariel Helwani showed up at UFC headquarters over the weekend, he and Dana White didn’t just talk about the company’s surprise purchase of Strikeforce or the impending dissolution of the Jones-Evans bromance, they touched on a number of juicy topics, including exactly how White planned to punish Michael Bisping for conduct unbefitting an Englishman at UFC 127. Turns out, he already has … or at least he says he has. Hard to tell really, since White refuses to get into specifics.

All we know is that in the wake of Bisping blasting Rivera with an illegal knee and then spitting at/on one of Rivera’s corner men following their grudge match, White says the British toolbox “didn’t get a bonus.” We assume that he doesn’t mean the ol’ run-of-the-mill, FOTN-KOTN-SOTN bonuses either, instead referring to the long-rumored, under-the-table bonuses that are sometimes alleged to make up the bulk of a UFC fighter’s pay. So, yeah, that seems … vague. Whatever he did though, White assures us it was a pretty big deal.

In addition to losing the bonus, nothing will apparently happen to Bisping. Instead, White continued to do the same song and dance he does whenever someone implies the UFC should take a more proactive role in disciplining its own fighters: He acted totally cowed by the Awesome Power of our state athletic commissions. Check it out, after the jump.

(He could be anyone. Your next-door neighboor. Your son’s wrestling coach. But behind that friendly smile lies the heart of a madman.)

As reported by MMAFighting, UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen has successfully completed his six-month suspension from the California State Athletic Commission. Sonnen was originally facing a one-year penalty for abnormally high testosterone levels following his UFC 117 loss to Anderson Silva, but got his suspension reduced to six months when he showed up to the appeals hearing with a tragic tale of hypogonadism and miscommunication. Sonnen has also paid the $2,500 fine that went along with the suspension.

But he’s not completely in the clear yet. CSAC executive officer George Dodd told MMAFighting.com that Sonnen will have to make an appearance before the commission at some point in order to regain his license. And as we learned from Josh Barnett — who showed up to his last hearing without a lawyer and left dumbfounded and license-less when the board demanded that he show “rehabilitation” for his last positive steroid test — that step is not just a mere formality. Plus, Sonnen currently has his contract frozen by the UFC due to his money-laundering charges, so it’s not clear when he’ll actually return. (For the record, Sonnen’s sentencing is scheduled for 11:30 am PT on March 28th, and he’s likely to receive two years’ probation on the recommendation of the U.S. government.)

And in Sonnen’s latest bit of Bisping-bashing…