CSAC Reduces Sonnen’s Suspension By Six Months, Barnett In Limbo

The California State Athletic Commission held a hearing for Chael Sonnen and Josh Barnett on Thursday.
Both men tested positive for testosterone and received suspensions from the CSAC.
Sonnen, who tested positive after his loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 117, was given a years suspension, was their to appeal his punishment. The fighter was their with his lawyers and physician, claimed that he was taking testosterone as part of a doctor-supervised replacement therapy for hypogonadism back in 2008.
The issue for the CSAC was that Sonnen only informed the commission just before his fight with Silva and not when he started taking the testosterone. In the end, the CSAC voted to reduce his suspension to six months and maintain the fine of $2,500.
Barnett, who tested positive twice before his scheduled fight with Fedor Emelianenko in 2009 was not given a license for that fight and subsequently saw the collapse of Affliction MMA as a promotion. “The Baby Faced Assassin” was there looking to get reinstated and basically walked away with a continuance for a later date.
At the hearing, Barnett Tweeted a few posts that he felt ambushed by the commission as he didn’t know he was there to defend himself on the claims of steroid use after sitting out his years suspension.

Wow. I show up only to re apply and get ambushed by an assistant AG who has put together a case against me. Sweet.
Wow x2! Just heard that the CSAC allows people on steroids to fight w/ the right scripts, approval, and tests within a range.

From reports from several media sources it appears that the whole CSAC hearing was a bit of a fiasco and was very unorganized, considering it had scheduled to start around lunch time and never got off the ground till 4PM.
Needless to say, Sonnen sits out six months (half of which is already done with) and Barnett has to wait even longer to find out if he can get his license.