Chael Sonnen Likely Returning To The UFC Next Year — Will He Fight Wanderlei Silva?
There are few people in the history of the UFC that have been more polarizing than Chael Sonnen. He’s one of the best trash talkers in the history of combat sports, and he has mastered the art of selling fights, and because of that, he’s been able to talk himself into opportunities that he otherwise didn’t deserve. However, despite him not deserving certain opportunities, he would always find a way to get the fans’ attention, and, at times, convince them that he had a shot at winning, which is a rare quality in most pro fighters.
Last June, Sonnen abruptly retired from the sport following two drug-test failures. He also lost his job as an MMA analyst on Fox Sports 1. Sonnen has since gotten an analyst job with ESPN.
Following his drug-test failures, the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Sonnen for two years, and the UFC released him. When Sonnen is done serving his suspension, he’ll be 39 years old, and, according to his manager, he’ll be ready to return to the UFC.
If Sonnen were to make a comeback, he’d have to appear before the Nevada State Athletic Commission to have his license reinstated.
One of Sonnen’s goals before he retired was to be able to compete at a high level into his 40’s, much like his mentor Randy Couture did. Sonnen’s last fight against Rashad Evans in November of 2013 didn’t give fans much hope that he could compete at a high level going forward, as Evans dominated him, and knocked him out in the first round.
Whether Sonnen is capable of being a high-level fighter again when he returns is up-in-the-air, but it’s also irrelevant due to his gift of gab. As previously mentioned, Sonnen is a master at promoting fights, and, even if he has no chance of winning, he can convince most people that he will win, which is exactly what he did leading into his fight with the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
Sonnen may also be motivated to return due to the fact that his longtime rival Wanderlei Silva may be free to fight at some point in the near future, as his lifetime ban has been lifted.
Silva and Sonnen were originally scheduled to fight last summer, but, after Sonnen failed two drug tests, and Silva literally ran from an out-of-competition drug test, the fight was nixed, and Silva was hit with a lifetime ban by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. But, now that the ban has been lifted, maybe during this time next year, the buildup to Sonnen vs. Silva will begin.
[Image via Jared Wickerham / Getty Images]
