Chael Sonnen vs. Tito Ortiz Official For January
Bellator MMA has really stepped up their hunt for former UFC stars in 2016. After Rory MacDonald faced contract disputes in the UFC, Scott Coker‘s BMMA snatched up the former number one welterweight contender. Other ex-UFC stars include Stephan Bonnar, former lightweight champ Benson Henderson and of course the subjects of today’s article. Following just one win in six years, ex-light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz crossed the bridge to Bellator in 2014. ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ has gone 2-1 since joining the promotion.
After straight wins over Alexander Schlemenko and Stephan Bonnar, Ortiz lost his bid at the Bellator 205-pound title against Liam McGeary. Thinking back to 2006, Ortiz was the biggest current pay-per-view draw for the UFC. At one time, so was the ultimate trash talking gangster Chael Sonnen. His 2012 rematch against Anderson Silva is still ranked in the top 15 selling events of all-time, and was the highest grossing of that year.
Say Hello To The Bad Guy
After a string of failed drug tests in 2014, Sonnen was banned for two years by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Starting his own podcast named ‘You’re Welcome,’ and also appearing as a commentator for various sporting events, ‘The American Gangster’ stayed busy. Now back in the game, Sonnen announced he’d signed with Bellator MMA earlier this month. Talks of a gangster-weight fight with Rory MacDonald initially got a buzz going, but that’s now been put on the back burner.
According to AXS TV, Sonnen will face Ortiz in January of 2017:
On the finale of Inside MMA, @titoortiz breaks the news that his fight with @ChaelSonnen is going down in January of 2017!
— Inside MMA (@InsideMMAaxstv) October 1, 2016
Two of MMA’s biggest trash talking bad boys face off under the Bellator banner. It’s been a while since Sonnen fought, so it will be interesting to see how he manages a fellow experienced veteran like Ortiz.
Stay tuned for more on this, and other breaking news stories and fight coverage.
