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Of all the targets at which Chael Sonnen (25-11-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has aimed, the toughest one may be ahead.
Not long after a bout with Lyoto Machida was nixed, sources today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the onetime middleweight contender will stay in his division and is targeted for a meeting with Brian Stann (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at UFC 136, which takes place Oct. 8 at Toyota Center in Houston.
Verbal agreements are in place for the bout, though contracts haven't been signed.
Sonnen previously has taken aim at Machida on Twitter, which has led to intense rumors about a fall fight between the two. That matchup, however, was shot down this morning, as MMAjunkie.com reported.
Sonnen was freed to fight exactly one week ago after serving a suspension handed down this past May by the California State Athletic Commission. The commission issued an indefinite suspension after determining that the fighter had given inconsistent statements about his testosterone-replacement therapy this past December in an appeal of a one-year suspension that was issued in the wake of his UFC 117 loss to Anderson Silva (which was later halved to six months). The commission also cited his conviction earlier this year on one felony charge of money laundering when handing down the suspension.
It is unknown whether Sonnen will apply for a therapeutic-use exemption with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which will oversee the Oct. 8 event.
Stann, meanwhile, is coming off an impressive TKO victory over former World Victory Road/Sengoku champion Jorge Santiago at UFC 130. Prior to that, he stopped Chris Leben with strikes at UFC 125. The fast-rising contender and former WEC champ has now won five of his past six fights, and the lone defeat came to top contender Phil Davis before Stann's move down from light heavyweight.
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Surprised at this fight, I thought UFC was planning on making Stann a future contender, and I see no way that he can win this fight at the current point of his career. Even though he has been training with some great wrestlers at Greg Jackson's camp, Sonnen has too strong a wrestling base for Stann to stuff any takedowns, and Stann isn't likely to cause any problems with any submissions on the ground. I think this is simply a fight UFC have made because Stann is riding high at the moment, and when Sonnen beats him it can pave the way for Sonnen to fight Silva again, unless UFC is planning on making Bisping VS Sonnen in the new year, however I doubt that. Silva VS Sonnen II it is in early 2012 then.
Not long after a bout with Lyoto Machida was nixed, sources today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the onetime middleweight contender will stay in his division and is targeted for a meeting with Brian Stann (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at UFC 136, which takes place Oct. 8 at Toyota Center in Houston.
Verbal agreements are in place for the bout, though contracts haven't been signed.
Sonnen previously has taken aim at Machida on Twitter, which has led to intense rumors about a fall fight between the two. That matchup, however, was shot down this morning, as MMAjunkie.com reported.
Sonnen was freed to fight exactly one week ago after serving a suspension handed down this past May by the California State Athletic Commission. The commission issued an indefinite suspension after determining that the fighter had given inconsistent statements about his testosterone-replacement therapy this past December in an appeal of a one-year suspension that was issued in the wake of his UFC 117 loss to Anderson Silva (which was later halved to six months). The commission also cited his conviction earlier this year on one felony charge of money laundering when handing down the suspension.
It is unknown whether Sonnen will apply for a therapeutic-use exemption with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which will oversee the Oct. 8 event.
Stann, meanwhile, is coming off an impressive TKO victory over former World Victory Road/Sengoku champion Jorge Santiago at UFC 130. Prior to that, he stopped Chris Leben with strikes at UFC 125. The fast-rising contender and former WEC champ has now won five of his past six fights, and the lone defeat came to top contender Phil Davis before Stann's move down from light heavyweight.
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Surprised at this fight, I thought UFC was planning on making Stann a future contender, and I see no way that he can win this fight at the current point of his career. Even though he has been training with some great wrestlers at Greg Jackson's camp, Sonnen has too strong a wrestling base for Stann to stuff any takedowns, and Stann isn't likely to cause any problems with any submissions on the ground. I think this is simply a fight UFC have made because Stann is riding high at the moment, and when Sonnen beats him it can pave the way for Sonnen to fight Silva again, unless UFC is planning on making Bisping VS Sonnen in the new year, however I doubt that. Silva VS Sonnen II it is in early 2012 then.
