Chael Sonnen: MMA media 'screwed up' Alistair Overeem case; UFC 146 headliner did nothing illegal

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight number one contender Chael Sonnen is familiar with controversy. To take it one step further, he's also no stranger to controversy that pertains to failed drug tests because of elevated testosterone levels.

So it should shock no one that Sonnen, while doing his regular "Chael's Corner" segment on "UFC Tonight" this evening, came to the defense of Alistair Overeem, the heavyweight fighter who has recently found himself in the middle of a media melee because of his failed random drug test after a press conference for UFC 146.

"The Reem" was set to challenge UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 24, 2012. He still very well may do that, but his hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) on Apr. 24, 2012, will determine his status for the fight.

In the meantime, Overeem is "innocent until proven guilty," a fact that Sonnen wants us all to remember:

"Congratulations to MMA media, right when I think you're incompetence can't get to any higher level, the Alistair Overeem story comes out. You kids on the interweb, running your little 'dot com's' from the couch in your mother's basement, you beneficiaries of Mark Cuban's tax write-off, you've gone and screwed up the Alistair Overeem case, beyond belief. Is it repairable? I doubt it."

Check out what else Sonnen had to say about "The Reem" and his failed test after the jump:

"Hey. If I'm a member of the media and someone tells me that Alistair Overeem failed a drug test, the very first thing I'm going to say is: ‘Really? What substance did he test positive for?' Now, you see, those basic questions are where the wheels begin to fall off the bus to this entire story. Alistair Overeem did not test positive for anything. End of story. So why is his name getting drug through the mud? Why are they saying, 'Well, he's got an elevated T-to-E ratio. Ok, fair enough. Let's say his T-to-E ratio is outside the norm. That's not illegal. That's outside the norm. That's a red flag. That is a red flag, and Alistair will owe an explanation. If it's not against the rules, why are we having this conversation? MMA Media: Ya failed! It reminds me of a time when Ronald Reagan was President, and somebody in his cabinet had to stand trial. He gets acquitted and he says, 'Well, great. I've won the trial, but who do I see to get my reputation back?'"

Of course, there are some valid points in his rant, but Sonnen isn't exactly approaching this story from an objective position.

He may very well be right. Overeem may end up being vindicated, be totally clean, and the MMA community may owe him an apology. But, certainly, Sonnen should be able to see the reason(s) people are skeptical.

Kenny Florian (a co-host for "UFC Tonight") made just such an argument against Sonnen's scathing tirade. He clearly isn't giving Overeem the same benefit of the doubt:

"If you have common sense, you realize that is not a normal ratio. A male's normal ratio of testosterone-to-epitestosterone is 1-to-1. You have the Nevada State Athletic Commission that allows you to have a 6-to-1 ratio. Overeem's ratio is 14-to-1. How does it get there? Did it just happen, out of the blue? Is this guy just more superhuman than everybody else out there? No. That's happening because he's taking something. Alright? That's the only way you get there. You know, we'd all love to take this stuff. But what it does is, it gives you an unfair advantage because you can train harder, you can train longer, you can recover faster. To me, maybe I can get another 20 fights under my belt if I take this stuff, but I can't. I'm not gonna use it to fight another human. I think it's unfair. Something's going on there. At the end of the day, there is gonna be a legal meeting to determine whether Overeem fights or not. But, it's obvious -- he's taking something. "

Are they both right, or are you picking a side in this debate? Who ya got in this debate? And do you think we'll actually see Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem come to fruition?

For everything you need to know about Overeem, his abnormal T/E ratio, his upcoming NSAC hearing and so much more be sure to hit up our complete fighter archive right here.