The UFC have announced that Chael Sonnen will face fellow middleweight contender Brian Stann at UFC 136 in his first fight since having his suspension lifted.
Sonnen, who came within minutes of defeating UFC middleweight champion and pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva, was cleared to fight again this week after his suspension was lifted.
The mouthy trash talker was suspended because of higher than normal levels of testosterone found by a test after his title fight with Silva.
They also addressed his guilty plea in January to money-laundering charges related to his real-estate business he was placed on 24 months’ probation, fined $10,000 and lost his real-estate license. It really has not been a good time for Sonnen.
There had been some speculation the Team Quest fighter could have a fight at 205lbs, but instead will face rising middleweight contender Brian Stann, who is fresh off a knockout of granite-chinned Chris Leben and Jorge Santiago.
“Anytime I can fight somebody of the stature and has had the kind of career of a guy like Chael Sonnen, I’m excited,” Stann told ESPN.com. “He’s ranked No. 2 in the world at middleweight, and deservingly so, and he’s the guy who gave Anderson Silva the fight of his life.
“I told the UFC I wanted to fight the best and this is the person they gave me.”
“Chael’s excited to get back in there and making a living,” Sonnen’s manager Mike Roberts told ESPN.com. “He looks forward to the challenge of facing Brian Stann.”
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
