Chael Sonnen, an MMA fighter, dismisses concerns over potential performance-enhancing drug (PED) use in the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Though PFL recently signed a prominent heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, it has faced difficulties over the past month. In mid-May, nine fighters, including Bruno Cappelozza and Thiago Santos, were suspended for using various banned substances.

And earlier this week, PFL’s 2023 light heavyweight champion, Rob Wilkinson, was caught with a banned substance, leading to his removal from PFL 4, scheduled for June. Some people have criticized PFL for failing to prevent the use of PEDs. However, Sonnen contends the opposite is true.

Sonnen said, “There’s a couple of ways to look at it, and my answer is no. No, they don’t. I look at it in a different way, which is, they went out to Nevada and they got like nine guys in a day. So when you have these athletes that were hit and they’re going to deal with that, they’re going to learn from it, but they’re also going to become examples for the rest of the roster to look at, ‘Oh, I’m doing that same thing.’ It’s kind of the way that it goes. I didn’t see a big problem with it. I just didn’t.”

Sonnen has failed several drug tests throughout his MMA career, and he has been open about his use of performance-enhancing drugs, even joking about it when he fought Jon Jones in 2013. Despite this, Sonnen believes the recent spate of failed drugs tests in PFL will serve as a warning to other fighters and a teaching moment. “Sometimes it’s educating them,” he said. “People generally don’t like to hear that, that it was a mistake, but a lot of times it is, that somebody didn’t know that something that they’re taking is banned, or the time they’re taking it.”

In conclusion, Sonnen does not believe that PED use is a problem in PFL. He attributes the high number of failed drug tests to the league’s rigorous screening process, which is effective at identifying and addressing PED use. Additionally, the recent failed drug tests have the potential to educate fighters about what substances are banned and when they should or should not be taken.