‘We have the same drug guy’ - LeBron James is on EPO, claims Sonnen

“EPO is king to everything.”

Chael Sonnen has made serious accusations about NBA superstar LeBron James.

The former UFC title contender turned analyst and MMA mouthpiece accused “King James” of being on performance-enhancing drugs, even claiming they both had the “same drug guy.”

“If the world understood what LeBron did... like other basketball players will hear what LeBron does and go, ‘but that doesn’t matter.’ It’s like a baseball player, and you’re hitting the stick — it doesn’t matter,” Sonnen said in a recent appearance on comedian Andrew Schulz’s Flagrant podcast. “If you knew what these performance-enhancers did, then you would know why it does matter.

“We have the same drug guy, I know exactly what he’s doing,” he said.

Sonnen later claimed that the drug in question is EPO, which is one of the many substances he tested positive and got suspended for during his MMA career.

“It matters. Trust me that it matters. EPO matters. It’s the reason Lebron takes it. It matters,” Sonnen said. “And if other basketball players understood what it did… EPO increases your red blood cells, which gives you endurance so you can play all game long.

“You can shoot in the fourth quarter just like you shot in the fourth minute. It’s the king of performance enhancers. EPO is king to everything.”

It’s worth noting that such statements from Sonnen should be taken with a grain of salt, as he is known for not exactly being truthful when he tries to sell stories. You won’t even have to look far for examples of this.

In the very same podcast with Schulz and company, he also claimed to have made more than $8 million in his rematch with Anderson Silva in 2012. This figure isn’t even remotely close to the purses he received based on UFC’s financial disclosures in court and to their lenders. Bloody Elbow’s business expert John S. Nash pointed this out on social media.

In the same podcast, Sonnen also declared himself to be “half a Robin Hood” because he “used to rob banks.”

That of course was his way to twist the story and tell a more entertaining version of his 2011 money laundering and mortgage fraud case.

About the author: Milan Ordoñez has been covering combat sports since 2012 and has been part of the Bloody Elbow staff since 2016. He’s also competed in amateur mixed martial arts and submission grappling tournaments. (full bio)