In the end Sonnen walked away with a closely contested decision victory that left a number of fans, including UFC President Dana White, with a look of surprise when the scorecards were read. While the outcome was not as outrageous as other examples in the past, debate remains as to whether or not Bisping should have earned the judges’ nod and a title-shot in the process.

Now FOX has released a series of highlights from the fight, allowing fans to re-live the exciting affair and either have their opinions on the result either changed or strengthened based on a second look.

Check it out below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Machida expressed his desire to hook up with “Hendo” in a recent interview where he also reaffirmed the possibility of dropping to middleweight in the near future.

When asked about Henderson in an interview with Sherdog, the 33-year old Brazilian said, “I would be really honored to face him. At 41 years old and competing at such a high level, he’s an example for our sport. The fight he had with ‘Shogun’ (Mauricio Rua) was unbelievable. I think we could have a great fight.”

Machida, currently healing up from elbow surgery, says he plans to be ready to return to training in early February and hopes to fight in April/May. If a bout with Henderson doesn’t work out based on Evans potentially beating Phil Davis this weekend, Machida also has his eye on another top contender in action at UFC on FOX 2.

“Actually, I never had an interest in facing (Chael Sonnen), but he did so much trash talking that I started to have an interest because I’m not the kind of person who likes to say a lot of bad stuff about my opponents,” revealed Machida. “I’d rather fight and see what happens. I think that fight could happen, but that will depend on whether or not he fights Anderson (Silva).”

Sonnen, who has also taken shots at Machida in the media, will earn an opportunity to face rival Silva if he comes away with his hand raised tomorrow night against Michael Bisping. Comparably, “The Dragon” last fought in December where he was submitted by Jones in the second round of their headliner after putting together an excellent first frame against the champ.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Of course, ask Sonnen and he’s likely to deny any sort of wrongdoing in the matter as only he can. The 34-year old recently discussed his bout with Bisping in an interview with the UFC where, as expected, Sonnen’s silver-tongue was on display.

“I hate terms like ‘hype’ and ‘trash-talk’ because I don’t do that,” Sonnen dead-panned. “I never say anything I don’t mean and I’m not going to insult a guy I have no problem with. But, that said, Bisping is a jerk and I’m going to finish him faster than he can devour a Bovril and meatpie.”

“I am the best fighter in the world,” Sonnen continued. “He thinks he can beat me, I think I can beat him and we are going to see who is right in the only debating forum that matters – the UFC Octagon.”

Sonnen also made it clear his purpose this weekend has nothing to do with making Bisping look bad in the media or even earn a title-shot, saying, “I came to Chicago to do Michael Bisping a lot of physical harm. I don’t come here to ‘talk trash’ because that’s not something I do.”

What Sonnen does do, at least more often than not, is win. Tune in to see if he’s able to meet his own expectations when he and Bisping battle on FOX with the main card broadcast starting at 8:00 PM EST on Saturday.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Dana White tweeted the news earlier today.

UPDATE: It has since been confirmed unbeaten grappler Chris Weidman will step up and fill in for Bisping against Maia.

Bisping will be looking to add to his four-fight win streak, which includes victories over Dan Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Jorge Rivera, and Jason Miller. The British middleweight is 8-2 at 185, with his only two losses coming against MMA legends Wanderlei Silva and Dan Henderson.

Sonnen returned from a year long suspension due to a failed drug test following his UFC 117 bout for the middleweight strap this past October and made things look easy against Brian Stann, submitting him in the second round with an arm triangle. The Oregon native has won four of his last five bouts.

UFC on FOX 2 is scheduled for January 28 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The night will be headlined by another #1 contenders bout as former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will face the undefeated Phil Davis, with the winner earning a shot against current 205 king Jon Jones.

*PHOTO CREDIT – UFC*

Sonnen, who will battle Mark Munoz to become the #1 contender to Silva on January 28 at UFC on FOX 2, has his sights set on facing off with another champion, or so he says during the first installment of Chael’s Corner for UFC Tonight on FUEL TV.

Sonnen is part of the weekly MMA show that will help highlight the UFC, including news, results and fight information courtesy of hosts Todd Harris and Kenny Florian. During his segment, Sonnen called out injured UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, saying, “If I was GSP or Jones, I’d be swallowing real deep right now.”

UFC on FOX 2 takes place from Chicago, Illinois. Sonnen-Munoz will be the co-main event, while Rashad Evans and Phil Davis occupy the main event slot for the night.

Check out the video below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

In the skit, Sonnen plays a doctor who is helping his patient, Bonnar, get back to his “American Psycho” self after years of torment from his childhood.

Sonnen is set to face Mark Munoz in January at UFC on FOX 2 in the co-main event with headlining action between Phil Davis and Rashad Evans. If victorious, the “gangster from the mean streets of West Lynn” will receive a title shot against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva later in 2012.

Check out the actual clip below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Originally hoping for another crack at Anderson Silva and the middleweight title following his victory over Brian Stann at UFC 136, Sonnen will need to win at least one more bout before he has the chance to go five rounds with the champ again. After being away from the action for over a year due to a drug suspension following his first fight with Silva, the Oregon native reminded the MMA world that he can back up his mouth with his skills as he dominated Stann with his wrestling in the first round and then submitted the former Marine with an arm triangle choke in the second round. Never one to shy away from the microphone, Sonnen challenged Silva in his post-fight interview, wanting to fight him on Super Bowl weekend in a “loser leaves town” bout.

With “The Spider” being sidelined due to an injury, Sonnen will have to go through one of the champ’s former sparring partners and another man who called out the middleweight king in his last bout. Winner of four straight bouts, Munoz turned in his most impressive performance to date at UFC 138 when he stopped Chris Leben at the end of the second round with an onslaught of ground and pound. Along with Leben, Munoz has defeated Demain Maia, C.B. Dollaway, and Aaron Simpson during his win streak.

The winner of the bout will most likely challenge Silva for the middleweight strap in mid-2012.

UFC on FOX 2 is scheduled for January 28 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The night will be headlined by another #1 contender’s bout as former champion Rashad Evans takes on the undefeated Phil Davis in a light heavyweight showdown.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Sonnen, who lost via submission to Silva last year, called out the pound-for-pound king following his most recent win over Brian Stann. However, Silva shrugged off Sonnen’s request, stating he didn’t feel the outspoken 185er deserved another shot after only picking up a single win since his defeat but might be willing to reconsider if the bout took place in Brazil.

As chance would have it, stories have surfaced saying the UFC is planning a card in Sao Paulo, Brazil at mid-year in 2012 by which time Silva should be fully recovered from a shoulder injury.

“I accept Anderson. Brazil it is. Now then, about that meal,” wrote Sonnen through the social networking site.

Sonnen’s meal reference was to comments he made concerning Silva’s wife in a past interview where he mentioned going into the Silva house and having her cook him a steak. The comments upset Silva quite a bit, obviously Sonnen’s plan all along.

For now, Silva is on the shelf due to bursitis in his shoulder.

Meanwhile, reports have surfaced stating Sonnen could face Mark Munoz at the next UFC on FOX in January with the match-up serving to determine the top contender to Silva’s belt.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

While appearing on TSN’s Off The Record Wednesday, Michael Landsberg asked Sonnen why he backed off his terms of a “Loser Leaves Town” match with UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva. By his reaction, it was clear Sonnen did not enjoy the tone that Landsberg used and went on the offensive with the host.

“You might want to take the bass out of your tone,” Sonnen replied when accused of reneging on his terms. “I’m not sure you know who you’re talking to here, but I’ve never backed down from anything, so check your facts.”

Sonnen and Landsberg went back-and-forth before the former #1 contender eventually stormed off the stage. Sonnen is attempting to work his way back into a rematch with Silva, having called out the Brazilian title-holder following his win over Brian Stann earlier this year at UFC 136.

Though the UFC is pushing for the rematch no official word has surfaced as to when/if Silva vs. Sonnen II will take place.

Check out the full interview in the video below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Appearing on the Jim Rome Show, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Sonnen would get his rematch, saying, “It’s the fight that everybody wants to see. People want to see Chael vs. Anderson. Anderson is in this position where he feels like the guy is so disrespectful he doesn’t want to give him a shot. But Anderson will end up fighting Chael. The answer is yes.”

After a submission victory at UFC 136, the man with the gift of gab cut a pro-wrestling style promo on the champ, essentially challenging him to a “Loser Leaves Town” fight on Super Bowl weekend. While Sonnen has backed off the stipulations and the fight may not take place the day before the biggest football game of the year, the bout will happen, which is all Sonnen really wanted in the first place.

Following his post-fight victory speech, Silva and his manager Ed Soares were unhappy with Sonnen’s promo and comments about Silva in general. Silva felt disrespected and Soares felt that Chael already had his chance at the title, and should wait back in line.

Sonnen was two minutes away from capturing the UFC middleweight title from Silva at UFC 117, but was caught in a triangle choke in the final round of a fight that he dominated for 23 minutes. Sonnen failed a drug test following the bout and sat on the sidelines for over a year before returning this past October to defeat Brian Stann. Silva has posted two more (T)KO victories since submitting Sonnen to run his winning streak inside the Octagon to fourteen fights.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Silva, who is rehabbing a shoulder injury, has made it known that he doesn’t believe Sonnen deserves a rematch. However, with his most recent comments, Sonnen may just get the match he so desperately wants.

UFC President Dana White has said he wants to make Silva-Sonnen II, possibly on Super Bowl Weekend, but nothing has been confirmed by either White or the UFC.

Sonnen, while being interviewed by FightHype recently, talked about Silva’s lack of acceptance to his loser-leaves-town stipulation he tossed in. Sonnen said if he defeated Silva, Silva would have to leave the 185-pound division. If Silva were victorious, Sonnen said he would leave the UFC.

“Shocked. He comes from a fighting culture,” Sonnen said of Silva’s refusal to take the bout. “I was blown away that he would insult his entire heritage like that. Behind the scenes, I knew he was a coward, but in a million years, I never thought he would show it publicly.”

Carrying on as only he can, Sonnen also called himself the biggest draw in MMA, saying, “I sell more tickets, more pay-per-views, and more merchandise than any fighter in history. Comparing (Georges St. Pierre) to me is like comparing Kimbo (Slice) to (Muhammed) Ali.”

News of Silva’s future will likely come in the next few weeks after Dan Henderson, also a potential contender, fights Mauricio Rua at UFC 139. Additionally, Mark Munoz called Silva out albeit respectfully after his win last Saturday night over Chris Leben.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Sonnen, who defeated Brian Stann at UFC 136, tried to get an answer out of 185-pound champion Anderson Silva following his victory by calling “The Spider” out inside the Octagon. Sonnen issued a challenge for Super Bowl weekend in February, even adding the stipulation that if Silva lost, he had to leave the division, while a defeat by Sonnen would mean his exit from the UFC completely.

To date, Silva has not said anything, making Sonnen even more furious. Silva defeated Sonnen via fifth round submission last year in a championship bout.

“As far as the line, I don’t care. People tell me it shouldn’t be personal, well Jim it is personal. Okay? I’m picking a fight. If he has a problem with it, come do something about it,” said Sonnen, while a guest on the Jim Rome Show yesterday. “What doe he do? He called Dana White and tattled on me. Can you believe that? He told Uncle Dana that I said that and I went too far. Well, maybe I did. Guess what? Let’s get in the Octagon – the people’s forum – and settle this.”

Sonnen made comments concerning Silva’s wife in the lead-up to his bout with Stann. Those statements seem to have struck a nerve with Silva, as Sonnen said he would make her cook him a steak and slap her on the butt.

As for the stipulations Sonnen added, he says those had a time limit and have all-but expired.

“That offer was good when I made it, but it’s like any offer, you know, they’ve got to expire,” Sonnen said. “Apparently, they didn’t work. I’m doing anything I can to lure him out, and yes, I would have absolutely done that.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

However, things have apparently escalated to an uncomfortable point beyond the simple selling of a scrap.

Earlier today Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, spoke to MMAJunkie where he referred to recent comments made by Sonnen taking aim at the Brazilian’s family and made it clear things have now become personal.

“(Anderson) definitely doesn’t respect him for the things that he’s saying,” Soares explained. “Hyping up the fight is one thing, but I think you cross the line when you start talking about people’s family.”

The statement in question came last week on The MMA Show where he joked about kicking Silva’s door down, “patting his little lady on the ass”, and telling her to make him a steak.

“First the guy gets in trouble for fraud, then he tests positive for steroids, and now he wants to kick in someone’s door and slap their wife in the ass,” Soares asked about Sonnen’s behavior before firing back, “This guy should be in jail; he shouldn’t be fighting.”

Soares also explained he was unsure if Silva would be ready by Super Bowl Weekend – a date requested by Sonnen – and was still in the process of recovering from a shoulder injury.

“Chael is not the person that’s going to determine when (Anderson) is going to take the fight. When he’s going to take this fight is when his shoulder is completely healed up, and he’s ready to start his training camp for the fight. It’s not because Chael says he wants to fight in February. Who is Chael to determine that? Chael needs to take a number and wait his turn. He got his opportunity, and he tapped. It’s not the first time he’s tapped, and I guarantee you it won’t be the last.”

With tension this high four months out from February and the rumored rumble clearly Sonnen vs. Silva II will one of the biggest bouts of 2012 if not the last few years as a whole.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Rather than focus on his performance against Stann, Sonnen issued a challenge to middleweight champion Anderson Silva demanding a rematch over Super Bowl Weekend with a unique stipulation – a win for Sonnen would result in Silva moving up to light heavyweight on a permanent basis while a loss to “The Spider” would force Sonnen to leave the UFC.

Sonnen elaborated on his statements in a post-event interview with MMAFighting where he explained his reasoning.

“Cause he’s a coward and I don’t think he’d accept,” Sonnen responded when asked why he had sought Silva’s departure from the middleweight division rather than the company as a whole. “And you’ve gotta play by a coward’s rules sometimes. I’m trying to lure him into a fight so I gotta stick that carrot out there – something that I think he’ll do.”

According to Sonnen, who feels Silva will likely duck the fight after how close the Brazilian came to losing the first time, he even had more to say but was cut short by the short duration of his post-fight interview.

“If Joe Rogan hadn’t taken the microphone out of my mouth I would have told him, ‘Anderson Silva I want your answer right now. If you accept I will wait till Super Bowl Weekend but if you reject I will walk over there right now and whip your ass in Houston, Texas!’”

However, as much as Sonnen may detest Silva, he still had something complimentary to say in regards to the champ’s footwork.

“I have seen Anderson dance and I will tell you, he’s got some pretty good moves. He’s a pretty good dancer, I’ll give him that. I caught him at a club one time dancing and was like, ‘You’re a pretty good dancer.’ He can move a little bit.”

On a more serious note, Sonnen also made it clear as to what motivates him as a fighter and it doesn’t even relate to Silva specifically.

“I do the best I can,” the 26-11-1 grappler began. “These guys are tough guys. Stann is no different. He hit me hard in the body. Man, it hurt. I can still feel it. All these guys are tough. There’s really nothing I can say. You go do these matches, you do the best you can, but I am not here to be one of ‘these guys’. I’ve got plenty of money and plenty of fame. I’m after twelve pounds of gold and that’s it.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Saturday night, Sonnen steps inside the Octagon at UFC 136 to face a man he has plenty of respect for in Brian Stann, a decorated military veteran who is 3-0 since dropping down to middleweight. The bout could be used to determine the next contender to Silva’s crown at 185 pounds.

Sonnen, who lost to Silva via submission in their meeting in 2010, didn’t seek out the media attention he has received. No, his comments just started becoming more press-worthy as he prepared to fight “The Spider.”

“I’m not doing anything different. The media has found me, I didn’t come find them,” said Sonnen, in a recent interview with the UFC’s website . “I didn’t create a persona or sit around and come up with things to say. I don’t have any idea what you’re gonna ask me, or the next guy or any of the fans at a Q&A. I’m just up there with a microphone and doing my level best. But I haven’t changed anything; they’ve just come to me. I was the top draw when I was with Bodog, I was the top draw when I was with the IFL, and I was the top draw when I was in the WEC, and for all these same reasons. They just didn’t have the platform that Zuffa has. So I’m not doing anything different.”

Sonnen was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission after the Silva loss for elevated levels of testosterone. He said it was because of a condition, but many questioned his ethics as he was also under investigation for mortgage fraud. Many believed Sonnen might be done fighting, but not himself, saying, “They can do all they want, but you can’t keep a good man down.”

Being able to train for an upcoming fight has helped motivate Sonnen, even though he has had to keep from using bashing-tactics while talking about Stann, a fellow fighter he respects.

“I don’t have any hobbies and I don’t have any friends, so all I have is practice,” Sonnen said. “All I have is going in and training and looking forward to a date and a new challenge and stuff like that, and it was all gone – I didn’t have any of it. So, I missed the whole process more than anything; I missed being one of the guys and having a goal and something to look forward to.”

Fans can catch Sonnen’s scrap with Stann on the PPV portion of UFC 136 starting at 9:00 PM EST. Other bouts featured on the main card include title-fights involving lightweight champion Frank Edgar (facing Gray Maynard) and 145-pound king Jose Aldo (facing Kenny Florian).

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Asked about fighters who use performance enhancing drugs, Sonnen provided a response that would undoubtedly make any professional wrestler proud, saying, “There’s two things you can do. If somebody does steroids, you can kick ‘em out and throw them away forever, or you can open up an ‘all steroid’ league and let the games begin. I really don’t care either way. Put it in your body, don’t put it in your body…one on one, two on one, five on one…I’ll make sure they all need 9-1-1.”

Not surprising, it wasn’t long before talk turned to Anderson Silva and his upcoming title-defense against Yushin Okami at UFC 134 and who he’d rather face down the road. The former top contender, who has been training Okami for the fight, started out cordially, then exited off Reality Road for a stroll through Sonnenville.

“I’m gonna have to fight both of those guys. Yushin and I have fought before, Yushin and I have fought as recently as two days ago. We are definitely gonna meet up again in the Octagon. There’s no way around that,” Sonnen began before upping the wattage on his public persona.

“I am the UFC champion. That belt is nothing more than a piece of tin when it’s around Anderson Silva’s waist. I am the peoples’ champion, I am the linear champion, and I’m the best damn middleweight to ever live,” he continued. “So, after Brian Stann and I do business, Dana (White) and I will sit down like we always do. We’ll review a whole bunch of Strikeforce contracts. I imagine my paper airplane collection will get a lot bigger if you know what I mean. And then we will decide if I will be GRANTING Silva a shot at my championship.”

Though Sonnen never definitively picked either as a preferred opponent his phrasing implied he still expects Silva to be the belt-wearing champ after the August fight, referring to “The Spider” as contending for the right to face him once he’s dispatched of Stann at UFC 136.

On the subject of his previous clash with the dynamic Brazilian and subsequent fallout from testosterone use, Sonnen pulled no punches, insulting the way Silva found success and the testing procedures used by the CSAC.

“Are you talking about the night when I won the middleweight championship and they tarnished and took it from me after I whipped a man’s ass for twenty-five minutes, he wrapped his legs around my head for eight-seconds and they declared him the winner? Is that what you’re asking about,” Sonnen pondered rhetorically. “Or are you talking about the injustice they did to me over the past seven months? My phone rings, they call me up and they say “Chael your testosterone level is too high.” I say well, how high was it? They say ‘.7’ I say what’s normal? ‘.6’ I said, ‘One tenth??? You’re telling me I’m one tenth higher than the average man? Retest that, you must have caught me on a low day.’ I told them to feast their eyes and fantasize. I offer no apology, that’s testosterone ladies and gentlemen.

“And on top of that, what do you mean higher than the norm? Who are you comparing me to? The pink shirt, earring wearing guy I just fought? Well of course. They say ‘Well Mr. Sonnen, what are you telling us?” I say, ‘Well isn’t it obvious what I’m telling you? Chael Sonnen is too goddamn macho for the standardized testing procedures of the California State Control Board.’”

Jokes aside, though it may be hard to take Sonnen seriously during one of his infamous rants there’s no question he’s as good as they get at 185 pounds with past wins over Okami, Nate Marquardt, Dan Miller, and numerous other notable adversaries. He will face Stann in Houston on October 8.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the fight was first reported by Heavy.com and has since been confirmed by the UFC.

Sonnen hasn’t stepped foot inside the Octagon since UFC 117, where he lost to middleweight king Anderson Silva by triangle choke in the fifth round after dominating the prior 23 minutes of the fight. Sonnen was scheduled to get an immediate rematch for the belt but was busted for performance enhancing drugs and was suspended indefinitely by the California State Athletic Commission after a lengthy set of hearings. Sonnen’s suspension in the state of California should not hinder his ability to get licensed in the state of Texas, which is one of the more laid back commissions in the country. Despite not competing since last August, Sonnen has stayed in the headlines via twitter, where he’s continued to trash talk “The Spider” and his teammate Lyoto Machida.

Stann isn’t likely to get caught up in Sonnen’s war of words as he prefers to do his talking inside the cage with his fists. Since dropping to middleweight in August 2010, Stann has posted victories over Mike Massenzio, Chris Leben, and Jorge Santiago to put him near the top of the division. A win over Sonnen could put him in line for a title shot early next year.

UFC 136 is scheduled for October 6 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Along with the event will be a two-day UFC Fan Expo.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

According to a statement from the CSAC, officials mistakenly interpreted a rule stating a fighter whose license had been “revoked” or “denied” would be forced to wait a year before appealing for reinstatement or applying for a new license. However, as neither term applied to the actual status of Sonnen’s license, as the press release phrased it, “the rule does not apply” either.

Yesterday’s change came on the heels of the CSAC’s previous decision to hand out an indefinite suspension running until the middle of next year based on Sonnen’s role in a federal money laundering case and disingenuous testimony during a recent appeal relating to having shown elevated levels of testosterone after fighting Anderson Silva at UFC 117 – a ruling Sonnen said would effectively end his career as a Mixed Martial Artist.

Assuming he chooses to file for a license in California once his current suspension for the positive drug test runs out in late June, next up for the brash grappler is another date in front of the CSAC where the commission will again pass sentence on his status. If the board maintains their stance from this past week at the meeting and denies Sonnen’s application he will then be forced to sit on the sidelines for another year where licensing is concerned.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Sonnen’s current circumstances stem from a series of infractions in both his personal and professional life involving his recent role in a federal money laundering case, as well as testing positive for increased testosterone after his fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 117 and following it up with disingenuous testimony in follow-up meeting with the CSAC.

Though his original suspension for injecting an illegal substance into his body is set to expire in early May, Sonnen’s sentence was compounded by an additional State-specific year handed out based on both his legal situation and having fabricated a story to the CSAC about receiving approval from the Nevada State Athletic Commission to use prescribed testosterone at UFC 109 in February 2010.

Sonnen will be technically free to apply to fight outside of California by the end of next month based on time-served for the drug testing results. However, the latter punishment will likely keep him sidelined until May 18, 2012 regardless of location based the tendency of State athletic commissions to respect all rulings and the UFC’s desire to maintain a positive relationship with officials.

If the brash 34-year old grappler does indeed decide to retire he will exit MMA with a slew of soundbytes and skillful performances attached to his name despite his recent struggles. Sonnen holds an overall record of 25-11-1 in his career including notable wins over Trevor Prangley, Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, and many more.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The first thing Jeremy and I need is something to discuss. Fortunately we’ve got an individual who is back in the news lately, and whose relevance in the world of mixed-martial arts has increased dramatically within the last year of his career. He’s a fighter who is a proverbial wellspring of talking points, and he’s known just as much for his actions inside the cage as he is for his activities and attitude outside the cage.

By now you may have figured out that I’m talking about Chael Sonnen. 

Towards the tail-end of 2009 Sonnen made a huge statement about his place in the UFC’s middleweight division with a dominant win over perennial contender Yushin Okami. He followed that up with an equally dominant performance against Nate Marquardt, and his win there catapulted him right into the #1 contender’s slot and a match-up with UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. While few people gave Sonnen a shot at winning the gold he went on to shock the entire world by decisively winning four straight rounds against the man many call the best fighter alive. Sonnen had UFC gold in his grasp before Silva was able to lock up a triangle choke and save his title with just minutes to spare. 

Surprisingly enough, that dramatic losing performance would be the highlight of Sonnen’s career thus far. From there it all went downhill.

First there was the revelation that Sonnen had failed his post-fight drug test after UFC 117. That meant that he would have to forfeit his opportunity for an immediate rematch with Silva, a fight that was all but certain to happen following Sonnen’s impressive showing in his first UFC title shot. In his appeal to the California State Athletic Commission he had his suspension reduced to six months, but questionable statements made regarding discussions with Nevada State Athletic Commissioner Keith Kizer have come back to haunt Sonnen as he attempts to get re-licensed.

In addition to his problems with the athletic commission, Sonnen has also had to face criminal charges relating to a money-laundering scheme from his other job as a realtor in Oregon. While Sonnen could have faced some serious jail time he has instead entered a plea of guilty and come away with a stiff fine and several years on probation. His legal problems forced the UFC to “freeze” Sonnen’s contract, putting another obstacle in the way of his second shot at a UFC title, but he’s taken care of those problems and can now move forward with his fighting career.

I want to go back to the mood everyone was in following UFC 117. At that time it seemed like a forgone conclusion that Sonnen would get an immediate rematch with Silva, despite the fact that he lost the fight cleanly. Normally immediate rematches are used when the first fight ends controversially, but here it almost seemed like Sonnen had come so close to winning the belt that everybody just wanted to see if he could do it again. So I guess my first question for you, Mr. Lambert, is this: did you want to see Silva vs. Sonnen 2 after watching their first fight?

Lambert: As harsh is it might sound given Sonnen’s performance, I didn’t want to see Silva vs. Sonnen 2 immediately after UFC 117. Look, I know Sonnen put up the best fight of anyone against Silva in the UFC and I know he was a mere two minutes away from capturing the title and if Tito Ortiz had pulled him aside after he lost via triangle choke to Forrest Griffin in 2003, maybe he wouldn’t have got caught in another triangle, but he lost and he got finished. How many fighters get immediately rematches after losing a title fight where they were finished in UFC history? Randy Couture (a fluky occurrence and was 1-1 with Vitor Belfort) and Andrei Arlovski (a weak heavyweight division, was 1-1 with Tim Sylvia). That’s it, that’s the list. And in both those cases, Couture and Arlovski got their immediate rematches after they lost the belt, not after they failed to capture the belt. It’s not even like Sonnen was a long time dominating champion who lost, he was the challenger who got the title shot thanks in part to Belfort getting injured for the 10 millionth time.

After Sonnen went down in flames against Silva, I wanted him to fight Belfort while Yushin Okami got his shot at the belt. I didn’t think Belfort deserved a title shot either with a catchweight win over Rich Franklin and a long layoff so Sonnen and Belfort could fight to determine the #1 contender and Okami could get a title shot that he earned years ago. Instead Sonnen screwed himself over in worse than a Jenna Jameson solo video, but I’m sure we’ll get into that later.

Adam, I know you were pretty over Sonnen’s schtick by the time UFC 117 rolled around but were you ready to deal with it for another few months or so leading to a rematch or did you think Chael should have a new target to fire at?

Tool: I wasn’t a fan of the immediate rematch idea either. Sonnen lost, so he should have to work his way back up to get a second shot. I’ll give him his props for doing better against Silva than anyone else has in the UFC, but at the end of the night he tapped out and that was that. Maybe Vitor Belfort wasn’t the most deserving contender either, but at least he hadn’t already lost to Silva in the year prior to their meeting. 
 
I guess as far as Jeremy and I are concerned, it was a blessing that Sonnen’s tests came back positive following his UFC 117 drug screening. As a huge fan of Anderson Silva I took a small bit of enjoyment out of the fact that Sonnen cheated and he still couldn’t beat the champ, but I’m sure that Sonnen doesn’t see it that way. After all, in his eyes he didn’t do anything wrong. In his appeal to the athletic commission he claims to have gotten permission for his testosterone treatments, but of course he has no documentation stating that such permission was given.
 
While dealing with his licensing issues for one career he also got hit with felony charges relating to his other job as a realtor in Oregon. The double-whammy of legal issues has kept Sonnen on the sidelines for the last eight months, and in the meantime the UFC’s middleweight division has chugged right along. My question to you then Jeremy is this: have Sonnen’s legal problems killed all of his momentum from his UFC 117 performance? Or do you expect him to come back and be right there “in the mix” at 185 lbs.?

Lambert: It’s a little bit of both actually. The legal problems have killed his momentum because he was scheduled for an immediate rematch and now he’ll need to win a fight or two before challenging for the belt again but at the same time, he’s still “in the mix” thanks to his mouth. Anyone with the gift of gab in MMA can get themselves a big fight, even if they haven’t earned it. Just look at Jorge Rivera. A mid-level fighter for his entire career, but because he made some videos calling out Michael Bisping, he found himself in the co-main event on a PPV. As long as Sonnen runs his mouth and people notice him, he’s going to be in the spotlight.

Speaking of the spotlight, it’s been long rumored that Sonnen would be one of the coaches (possibly against the aforementioned Bisping) on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. With this season’s TUF ratings hitting their lowest points ever thanks in large part due to the lack of conflict between Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos, do you think UFC should turn to Sonnen and his tongue to help revive the series and create the drama that every reality series desperately seeks?

Tool: If Spike executives have their way I’m sure they’d love to put Sonnen in the coaching position. After all his egotistic, abrasive, and oftentimes humorous personality is practically made for reality TV. If he were to get a coaching slot against Bisping that would probably be the first time in history when I’d actually be rooting for Sonnen, so there’s that too.

All that being said, I would have to question the logic behind putting Sonnen into such a high-profile position after all the drama he’s endured. Nevermind the fact that the man has pled guilty to felony charges; he is fresh off of a suspension for taking a banned substance in a title fight. The UFC needs to make it clear that while guys who fail their drug tests will be allowed back into the company, they will not be given the kind of promotional push that a coaching spot on “TUF” would allow. 

So if he’s not on “TUF,” what should he do? Sonnen’s hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission has been pushed back to next month, but unless he’s completely unreasonable at that hearing he should be licensed to fight again once it’s all over. The UFC is starting to fill up their cards for August and beyond, so who should be the man to welcome Sonnen back to the octagon?  

I say go ahead and make Sonnen vs. Bisping. “The Count” has been bucking for high-level opposition in the hopes of getting a title shot, and other than Anderson Silva himself you can’t get much higher in the rankings than Sonnen. Unless the UFC decides to start bringing in Strikeforce fighters sooner than later I think this particular “U.S. vs. UK” match-up is the best option available. 

What do you think Jeremy? Who should get the chance to have Sonnen talk smack about them for the next few months?

Lambert: I’m all for Sonnen vs. Bisping because the levels of hyperbole from both men leading up to the fight would be off the charts and I won’t feel bad if either man loses. UFC has booked an October 15 date in England and that seems like the perfect time to do Bisping vs. Sonnen. Even if Sonnen doesn’t get re-licensed, he could still fight in England with no problem. Now would UFC try and upset the commissions by allowing Sonnen to fight on their card overseas? I doubt it because Dana usually hates going against commissions but would it really kill them? When Antonio Silva was suspended in the US, he fought over in Japan, and then came back to Strikeforce in America with no problem. Of course, Silva is, by all accounts, a gentle giant and a very nice person while Sonnen is, well, Sonnen is Sonnen.

I do have to comment on Tool saying that, “unless Sonnen is completely unreasonable at that hearing he should be licensed.” This is not out of the realm of possibility. If Sonnen has been anything in the past year, it’s unreasonable. I can honestly say that I would not be shocked if Sonnen shows up to his hearing and starts accusing Mexicans of tampering with his drug sample or misremembering facts. This is the same guy who said, “I don’t let facts get in the way of a good story.”

I pose one final question to you Adam: If Chael Sonnen’s career ended tomorrow, how would you remember him?

Tool: I would remember him in lots of ways. I’ll remember the times he’s actually made me laugh with his various soundbites and interviews. I’ll remember the times he’s made me cringe with his vaguely racist remarks and poorly executed one-liners. I’ll remember the time he brought me to the edge of my seat by nearly beating my favorite fighter. I’ll also remember the time he had a front row seat to the self-destruction of another fighter’s career. I’ll remember him as the uncrowned final WEC Middleweight Champion, but I’ll also remember that he tried to pull one over on everybody the first time he tried to win that title. I’ll remember him as the guy who nearly won UFC gold, and the guy who sabotaged what could have been an immediate rematch for that same belt.

I’ll remember him dominating other great middleweights like Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami, and Dan Miller. I’ll also remember him tapping out to guys like Demian Maia, Paulo Filho, and Renato “Babalu” Sobral (and Forrest Griffin…and Jeremy Horn (twice)…and Trevor Prangley). I’ll remember him as one of the best middleweight fighters of the last few years, and one of the most inconsistent fighters of all time.

Mostly though I think I’ll remember him getting submitted by Silva, because that never gets old for me.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC