OAKLAND CA - AUGUST 07: Chael Sonnen punches Anderson Silva while on the ground during the UFC Middleweight Championship bout at Oracle Arena on August 7 2010 in Oakland California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Chael Sonnen joined Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour earlier this week, speaking out for the first time since being sentenced for money laundering. We've discussed Sonnen's recent talks with Keith Kizer, director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, talks which didn't go well according to Kizer. Sonnen says now that his business with the federal court is cleared up, his primary goal is to make things right with Kizer:
"They have not given me a date but I'm pretty sure it's going to be very soon. I think he wants to get me in there as soon as possible. The director has been very stern with me. He was stern with me face-to-face. But he's also been very fair with me. He leveled with me, I would love to play poker with director Kizer, I'd clean him out. He's got no poker face. He'll tell you it straight, he'll tell you exactly how it is. And he told me I could come before his body as soon as I got done with the federal thing and look forward for a second chance. I think it will happen right away. I think it could happen as soon as this Friday. ... I'm real confident that we'll be in there within the month of April and we'll have resolution ... I had contact with the UFC, I reached out to them. I said, 'Guys, give me the worst guy you've got under contract' and you've got to understand, my focus has been in a lot of different directions. Dealing with the federal government is a tough thing. Losing a title fight that you put everything into is a tough thing ... I called them up and I leveled with them, I said, 'Give me the worst guy you've got under contract.' They said, 'Chael, Wanderlei won't fight you.' I said, 'Alright, give me the second worst guy you've got under contract.' They said, 'Chael, how many times do we have to tell you -- Cro Cop's a heavyweight.' I said, 'Alright, is there anybody available? How about Bisping? Is his dance card open? And they said, 'That might be a possibility.' That's where we left off. That just isn't my focus. My focus is making things right with Director Kizer."


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