Former Ultimate Fighting Championship star Chael Sonnen
has reached a plea deal after being
accused of attacking multiple people at a Las Vegas hotel in
December 2021.
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Sonnen pleaded no contest on Wednesday to a charge of misdemeanor
breach of the peace in Las Vegas Justice Court and was fined $750,
according to a report from the
Las Vegas Review-Journal. As a result of the plea deal, four
previous misdemeanor battery charges were dismissed by judge Ann
Zimmerman. Two misdemeanor charges were also dismissed last
September. Sonnen did not appear in court, and the case is now
closed without further conditions or jail time.
The former UFC title challenger initially faced multiple
misdemeanor battery charges — including felony battery by
strangulation — for an alleged incident that occurred on Dec. 18,
2021.
The felony battery charge was dropped in March 2022, and five
other misdemeanors were dismissed by the court without prejudice.
Sonnen was accused of choking one man, striking a woman and
punching or kneeing others in the face at the Four Seasons Hotel
Las Vegas. One couple, Christopher and Julie Stellpflug, filed a
lawsuit — which is still ongoing, according to the reort — against
Sonnen as a result of the incident. Sonnen was accused of punching
Christopher Stellpflug in the head and choking him and also of
punching Julie Stellpflug in the face.
The 46-year-old Sonnen last fought at Bellator 222, where he fell
to Lyoto
Machida via second-round TKO on June 14, 2019. He owns a
31-17-1 record in MMA and challenged for middleweight and light
heavyweight gold during a memorable UFC stint. Sonnen has served as
an analyst for ESPN and runs his own grappling promotion,
Submission Underground.