Chael Sonnen signs with Bellator MMA, ends retirement
Chael Sonnen ended his mixed martial arts career following a positive test for performance enhancing drugs and a subsequent two-year suspension. That all came to an end on Thursday night, when the Associated Press reported that Sonnen signed a multiyear, multi-fight deal with Bellator MMA, the UFC’s largest competitor. Bellator officials confirmed the signing to SI.com.
Sonnen also confirmed his return with a simple tweet.
Sonnen also said the reason for choosing Bellator over a return to the UFC came down to the dollar amount of the contract, according to Greg Beacham of the Associated Press.
According to report, Sonnen said he is open to fighting at any weight in Bellator. During his UFC career, Sonnen competed at 185 and 205 pounds.
There are certainly appealing, fights to be made for Sonnen in either division. Right now the middleweight division lacks star power and Sonnen could come in and be the king of that division. Former UFC welterweight title contender Rory MacDonald, who also recently signed with Bellator, mentioned pursuing titles at 170 and 185 pounds. A potential fight between MacDonald and Sonnen could loom.
There are intriguing fights with old foes as well, like Tito Ortiz and Wanderlei Silva, the latter of which was a fight the UFC tried to book several times. Bellator president Scott Coker even brought up Fedor Emelianenko as a potential opponent in a comment to MMA Fighting.
While Sonnen could inject life into a struggling middleweight division, he also brings a promotional arsenal that could be extremely beneficial to Bellator.
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