Getty Image
- UFC fighter turned commentator Chael Sonnen was charged with 11 counts of battery including a felony stemming from an incident in a Vegas hotel back in December.
- Sonnen has been removed from all ESPN platforms as they investigate the matter.
- Be sure to check out more sports stories at BroBible here.
ESPN is taking the allegations made against Chael Sonnen very seriously.
On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Police Department charged Sonnen on 11 counts of battery, including a felony for an incident that took place in December. According to the police report, Sonnen is alleged to have viciously attacked five men and a woman at a Las Vegas Hotel.
Via ESPN
The criminal complaint filed against Sonnen and obtained by ESPN says six people were attacked, including a man he is accused of strangling. The complaint states that Sonnen allegedly used “force of violence upon” a woman “by punching/striking” and pushing her.
Sonnen, according to the complaint, allegedly punched the first man, punching and kicking a second man, punching a third man in the face, punching and kneeing a fourth man and striking a fifth man with his elbow.
Documents explaining the details of the situation have yet to be released by the court or the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. A public records request from ESPN was denied by police Wednesday because the case is considered an open and active investigation.
ESPN released a statement announcing that they were removing Sonnen, who has worked at the company since 2014, from all of their platforms until the situation gets resolved.
Via ESPN
Sonnen currently works as an MMA analyst for ESPN. “Chael will not appear on ESPN as we explore the details of these serious charges,” the company said in a statement.
Sonnen’s first court appearance is scheduled for April 27. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Police have not released a possible motive for Sonnen’s alleged attack as of yet.