In the Moment: Rampage Jackson

In the Moment: Rampage Jackson

CSAC votes 4-1 against Sonnen, indefinite suspension upheld

In an effort to regain his license to fight, Chael Sonnen testified today in front of the California State Athletic Commission in Los Angeles. He was asked questions about prior testimony in his positive steroid test case from UFC 117 and his recent real estate scam run-in with the feds in Oregon. Sonnen even mentioned the fact that he's been offered a slot on the UFC's reality show "The Ultimate Fighter," and said if even he wasn't licensed the commission is effectively retiring him.

Apparently, he couldn't do a thing to alter the commission's stance. The commission voted 4-1 in favor of keeping his license in suspended status.

With the help of ESPN.com's Josh Gross and MMAjunkie's Steven Marrocco, Cage Potato recapped some of the major moments of the hearing:


- Sonnen did his best to shift blame about his testosterone therapy statements, saying Matt Lindland informed him that he was cleared for TRT in Nevada and California. Sonnen admitted that he never had a conversation with the NSAC's Keith Kizer about it, and never intended to make it sound like he did.

- Kizer testified that he had a conversation with Matt Lindland in 2008 about a therapeutic use exemption, but Sonnen's name wasn't brought up specifically. Kizer pointed out a false statement in a previous declaration from Sonnen, in which he said that the NSAC told him not to declare testosterone injections in his pre-fight medical questionnaire.

- Sonnen became emotional while giving testimony about his fighting career. His eyes welled up as he discussed the opportunities he'd be missing out on if he wasn't re-licensed, including a "once in a lifetime" coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter, which could lead to a title shot if he beat his rival coach (Michael Bisping). "If I don't get my license today I'm effectively retired," Sonnen said. "That came from the boss, Dana White…I worked for this chance my whole life. I don't want to retire today."
So there's a chance Sonnen could get re-licensed elsewhere outside of California, but that doesn't mean his status would change in Nevada. Why is Nevada important? That's where TUF is taped.

Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, has said repeatedly that Sonnen needs a license to coach on TUF. Sonnen confirmed during the hearing that he was offered a coaching against Michael Bisping on TUF 14. Gross reported that Sonnen needs his license re-established by June 5 to be eligible

Ochocinco’s bull ride not impressive, but action for charity is

Deja Blu 1, Ochocinco 0.

After accepting a challenge from Sean Gleason, the CEO of the Professional Bull Riders' Association, the loquacious Cincinnati Bengals wideout headed down to Duluth, Ga., for the Lucas Oil Invitational to ride the beast.

Per Gleason's offer, Ochocinco received $10,000 for simply showing up and getting on the 1,500-pound bull. Had he stayed on the bucking bull for eight seconds, Ochocinco would have added a new Ford F150 pickup truck to his home garage. Ochocinco would also have been allowed to rename the bull any way he liked, and was making noises about naming the bull after Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis ("Why not name the bull Marvin Lewis, everything he says about me is #Bull[expletive] anyway," Ocho said on his Twitter account), but alas … it was not to beAlthough, according to a Tweet from Senor Ochocinco, he wound up with the truck anyway. After pledging to give the $10,000 he won to Feed the Children, several sponsors stepped up, including Ford, who will give that F-150 away in an upcoming contest among Ocho's Twitter followers.

"After watching Chad go through the two-day process, the fact that he got on the back of Deja Blu was impressive," Gleason said after the event. "Following such an inspired effort, the PBR and Ford decided to back up his promise to award the truck
"I feel good. It was fun," the unhurt Ochocinco said after he dusted himself off. "I can cross riding a bull off my bucket list. This sport doesn't get enough credit. The guys who do this week in and week out deserve the utmost respect. They should be the highest-paid athletes in sports."

It's a valid point. Dealing with Haloti Hgata is one thing, but Deja Blu might be as unblockable as Ndamukong Suh(notes).

As for Ocho, he's now crossed professional soccer and bullriding off his list. Surely, the Bengals hope the locked-out receiver will try something a bit less dangerous next time he gets the itch to try a new pastime

Hopkins-McNabb feud lingers

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—NFL player Donovan McNabb’s agent has released a statement that says former middleweight boxing champion Bernard Hopkins’ insinuations about McNabb not being black enough “are dangerous and irresponsible.”

Hopkins says McNabb, the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, doesn’t have heart or wasn’t tough like other NFL players because he had a privileged upbringing.

McNabb and his agent Fletcher Smith decided to counterpunch with a statement Thursday.

“It perpetuates a maliciously inaccurate stereotype that insinuates those African-Americans who have access to a wider variety of resources are somehow culturally different than their brethren,” Smith said.

At a workout this week for his upcoming fight, Hopkins took time before a sparring session to rip McNabb. Referencing skin color, Hopkins said McNabb has, “got a suntan, that’s all.”

Hopkins has long claimed McNabb wasn’t the right quarterback to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship because he didn’t have heart. Now, Hopkins says that’s because McNabb was raised in a modest suburb outside of Chicago, and not the gritty south side of the city. Hopkins was raised in a more rough-and-ruthless part of North Philadelphia.

Reached by phone Thursday, Hopkins refused to soften his stance on McNabb.

“Look at professional boxing. I’ve never seen a suburban boxer be successful,” Hopkins said. “There has to be something in the DNA of the person’s experience, of what they overcame, to have that grit; like, I’m going to bite down and let it happen. I just didn’t see that in him.”

Hopkins will fight Jean Pascal for the light heavyweight championship May 21 in Montreal. If the 46-year-old Hopkins wins, he’ll become the oldest boxer to win a world title.

At the end of a nearly 40-minute press session on Tuesday, Hopkins joked that with the Flyers and 76ers out of the playoffs and the Phillies’ season still months from the pennant race, he is Philadelphia’s sports “franchise.”

“With McNabb out of town, I ain’t got to worry about that no more,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins was then asked what he thought about Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who, like Hopkins, was raised in an impoverished community and spent time in prison. Vick served 18 months in federal prison for running a dogfighting ring. Hopkins started boxing in a Pennsylvania state prison, where he served five years beginning at the age of 17.

Hopkins went on an uninterrupted seven-minute, often factually incorrect, ramble that put down McNabb and praised Vick.

“I can relate, not to what he did, but I can relate to what kind of guy inside he is that McNabb didn’t have,” Hopkins said at a local gym. “That doesn’t make McNabb a bad guy. It goes back to what we always say about upbringing.”

McNabb and his agent had enough. Smith detailed McNabb’s community service, his “impenetrable integrity,” and refused to apologize for how he was raised.

“Donovan’s parents are proud Americans who worked hard to give their sons the best childhood they could provide,” Smith said. “He is unapologetically proud of sacrifices they made for him. Donovan and his brother were raised to be hard-working African-American men who were taught to believe in themselves.”