Nevada Commission’s Keith Kizer Doesn’t Foresee Issues with Chael Sonnen Getting Licensed

---

Nevada Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer, on “Rewind,” discussing Chael Sonnen:

“I’ve seen Chael. I’ve talked to Chael at fights. Chael is now being quite clear with people that he and I never talked [about Kizer approving his testosterone use before UFC 109] and he’s making that clear that any comments made before that we had talked were untrue. Dana White even came to me and said, ‘Keith, I know he lied about you. He lied about me. He lied about Marc Ratner, but that’s who he is.’ I said, ‘Well, that’s not good enough for me, Dana. … If those guys want to deal with that, that’s fine, but I’m in my position where we have to deal with these fighters and we have to trust what they tell us, especially on health and safety stuff.’

“The good news is yeah, he’s done his time. He’s made quite clear that any misinterpretation of his words that he and I had spoken is incorrect, and I appreciate that. I appreciate that. He was very conciliatory and honorable to me when we talked after all those hearings happened, and I give the guy props for stepping up and doing that. So good for him. I don’t think there would be any issues with respect to him getting licensed here, be it as a cornerman or as a fighter. The question becomes one of competition: With him or anybody, if they plan to use [testosterone replacement therapy], they have to go through and get the exemption granted. I can’t speak to any fighter, be it him or anyone else, who has not been granted the exemption, who has never applied for one in fact, to know what the outcome would be. The standards would be the same as they were for the fighters we’ve okayed.”