Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen had all charges dismissed after an alleged hotel brawl in Las Vegas last month.
TMZ Sports was among the first to report the initial news of the charges. Sonnen was given five misdemeanor battery charges after allegedly getting into a physical altercation with a couple at the Four Seasons hotel.
According to witnesses, Sonnen was seen banging on a hotel room door just after 7 p.m. on Saturday. A man opened the door and confronted Sonnen, who then engaged him in a brawl in the hotel. A woman was heard screaming and pleading for help, but it’s unclear if she was also involved in the altercation.
Las Vegas police and local paramedics quickly responded to the scene, escorting Sonnen away in handcuffs. It’s unclear if anyone was treated for injuries when authorities arrived.
It’s also unknown what led up to the altercation between Sonnen and the unidentified man. ESPN was the first to report the news of the charges being dismissed without prejudice, meaning the charges could still be re-filed in the future.
Jon Jones & Brendan Schaub Reacted To Chael Sonnen’s Incident
Following the initial news of Sonnen’s brush with the law, Jon Jones took to social media to address his old rival in a series of tweets. Jones had been arrested for battery in Las Vegas last year after allegedly assaulting his fiancée at Caesar’s Palace. Sonnen voiced his opinion on that matter, which predictably may have rubbed Jones the wrong way.
“Chael Sonnen, I’m not gonna sit here and celebrate you getting battery charges against a female last night,” Jones said. “That would make me like you, and I’m nothing like you. Instead, I will wish your family well, I wish the victim’s family well.
“It’s funny how the people who criticize and judge you the most have some of the nastiest things in their closet. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. You’ll get no stones from me, good luck.”
Despite Jones’ tweets, there was never any confirmation that the woman was assaulted by Sonnen or if it was solely the male in question.
Brendan Schaub recently shared his uncorroborated version of events, which is that Sonnen was defending his wife from the harassment of several men. Schaub also blasted Jones’ remarks on the incident.
Sonnen and Jones have been on each other’s nerves for years. Their history together began with the two coaching The Ultimate Fighter opposite one another and competing at UFC 159. Jones would win the bout via first-round TKO.
Things have progressively gotten more heated between the two UFC legends over the past few years, with Jones and Sonnen poking at each other on social media and Jones shunning Sonnen in an ESPN interview following UFC 232 in 2018.
