'Doctor' Chael Sonnen details potential role of EPO in light of LeBron James's son's cardiac arrest, fans react

Chael Sonnen weighed in on the cardiac arrest suffered by LeBron James' son Bronny James (aka LeBron James Jr.) on Monday, July 24, 2023.

Taking to his official Twitter account, Sonnen suggested that the young basketball player might have been using EPO, a banned PED, which likely caused the health complication. 'The Bad Guy' refrained from directly naming LeBron James and Bronny James in his tweet. The former UFC star's tweet read as follows:

"If you do not properly monitor, your EPO use you can experience cardiac arrest and die in your sleep. If you do not properly monitor your EPO use, and you go into cardiac arrest in front of other people there is a good chance somebody will get you help in time and you will survive. If you monitor your EPO use, but you combine it with testosterone you have a whole other set of problems in front of you. Hoping we can chalk this up to 'lesson learned.'"

Chael Sonnen's tweet elicited mixed reactions online. Some Twitter users criticized the MMA personality for his purportedly insensitive opinion, given that he's leveling EPO use allegations against an 18-year-old sportsperson who just had a near-death experience. Furthermore, some fans jokingly insinuated that Sonnen was a medical doctor, even though he isn't one:

"Dr. Sonnen, should I be cycling on and off on my 75mg vitamin C dosage? Two weeks on and two weeks off? I don't want to become too jacked."

One fan indicated that LeBron James could fight Chael Sonnen in the UFC's octagon as a response to the accusations Sonnen previously made against him and now against his son:

"lebron boutta come see u in the octagon"

Alternatively, some fans appeared to agree with Sonnen, highlighting that it does seem odd that a fit 18-year-old athlete would suffer a cardiac arrest. Some Twitter users speculated that Sonnen's tweet could possibly cost him his job as a UFC analyst and adversely affect his career.

Check out the screenshots of a few fan reactions to Sonnen's statement below:

Screenshots of fan responses

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LeBron James and Savannah James issue statement on son Bronny James' health status

Bronny James, the son of NBA megastar LeBron James and Savannah James, suffered a cardiac arrest during practice at USC (University of Southern California). Medical personnel were quick to tend to the American college basketball player, who's been touted by many as a future NBA player. James was rushed to the hospital and admitted to the ICU.

Thankfully, Bronny James is now out of the ICU and is said to be in stable condition. LeBron James and Savannah James later issued a statement via a family spokesperson, thanking the medical staff for helping their son. As reported by ESPN, an excerpt from the James family's statement read as follows:

“He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information.”