Chael Sonnen pleaded not guilty in response to misdemeanor violence accusations brought against him in Las Vegas over a year ago.
The accusations against Sonnen stem from an incident that allegedly took place on December 18th, 2021, at the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas.
According to the couple involved, Julie and Christopher Stellpflug, Sonnen is accused of hitting them and placing Christopher in a chokehold after allegedly slapping a drink out of his hand.
The altercation reportedly occurred while the couple was walking down the hotel hallway. In addition to this, Sonnen is also accused of assaulting multiple security officers who intervened to break up the fight.
Chael Sonnen pleads not guilty to misdemeanor battery charges, bench trial set for August (@DamonMartin) https://t.co/h6aYtJ9MCb pic.twitter.com/dUMYJNzW46
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) June 6, 2023
The couple claims that Sonnen was acting obnoxiously and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol during the incident.
While the felony violence charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence, the couple has taken legal action against Sonnen in civil court.
Furthermore, another individual who was allegedly involved in the incident has also filed a lawsuit against Sonnen for an unprovoked attack on a hotel maintenance worker.
Following the filing of the allegations, Sonnen’s commentary position at ESPN was postponed. However, Sonnen has maintained an active presence on his podcast and YouTube channel and as an analyst.
With a bench trial scheduled for August 9th, 2023, the outcome of this high-profile case remains to be seen.