Chael Sonnen: 10 Fights for Him to Take at 205

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

I'm sure the wounds from the loss to Anderson Silva still linger for Chael Sonnen, but that won't stop us from previewing the possible future for the former middleweight title challenger.

Sonnen has said that he is considering a jump to 205 and fighting in the light heavyweight division.

Now, while nothing is certain and Sonnen has said nothing more than he is considering it, I went ahead and found ten opponents who would make sense if Sonnen decided to come to the light heavyweight division.

Thiago Silva

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Hey, Sonnen has a thing for Silvas, why not give him another?

But, for real, Thiago Silva is a lethal striker with decent wrestling ability.

The match-up would present a passable test for Sonnen in his return to the light heavyweight division.

Ryan Jimmo

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Fresh off a seven-second knockout at UFC 149, Jimmo has all the hype right now.

Believe it or not, Jimmo actually isn't known for knockouts, but actually for his wrestling and excellent ground control—two things Sonnen does nearly better than anyone.

While it may seem like a step back in competition, Jimmo is a great fighter and is riding a huge winning streak. The match-up would be great to get Sonnen comfortable at 205 again, while exposing Jimmo to the MMA world.

Phil Davis

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Phil Davis is a world-class wrestler and his lone loss inside the Octagon was to former champion Rashad Evans.

I'd be very interested to see what Davis could do against another world-class wrestler in Sonnen.

Same goes for Sonnen. Could he manage to takedown the bigger, longer and stronger fighter?

Alexander Gustafsson

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Gustafsson is one of the top up-and-comers in the division right now and draws a lot a comparisons to current Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.

While the comparisons might be a little premature, there is no doubt his length and accurate striking ability makes him threat in the division. 

Sonnen has had problems with men with good length in the past due to his submission defense, but seeing that Gustafsson is mainly a striker, the match-up would be a great test to where Sonnen would stand in the division. 

Rampage Jackson

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Everybody wants to see this match-up right now.

It all started when Rampage Jackson said that "Chael sucks. He should go somewhere where people like his interviews, the way he talks shit on everybody. I can't stand that boy."

The outspoken Sonnen quickly responded stating, "Rampage has one fight left in the UFC and he isn't fighting me. He should stick to making box office disasters and driving the wrong way on the freeway ramped up on Mountain Dew, because he's not on my level."

Sonnen also added, "If Rampage wants to fight with me, let's fight! But, the reality is, he's on a two-fight losing streak, he can't make weight, nobody cares about him, he doesn't keep his word, and he's out of the company in a matter of months."

With that said, can we make this fight happen please?

Lyoto Machida

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Chael Sonnen has made it clear he's not a big fan of the Black House Gym; therefore you have a good storyline with a match-up between Sonnen and Machida.

Also, Machida's karate style against Sonnen's wrestling would be very interesting to see who'd hold the upper-hand.

Rashad Evans

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With rumors spreading that former Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans is interested in fighting Anderson Silva at middleweight, a match-up with Sonnen first would make sense.

You could have this fight at either 205 or 185, or maybe even a catchweight if both me decide to change divisions, but either way, it would be a fun match-up between two of the best fighters in the UFC.

Ryan Bader

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Ryan Bader is a wrestler with powerful punches and is coming off a nice win over Rampage Jackson in Japan.

Sonnen would match up well with Bader and it wouldn't seem like he was being "thrown into the fire" immediately with his first fight at 205.

Forrest Griffin

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Sonnen and Griffin fought way back in 2003 in Colorado and Griffin walked away winning the fight by first-round submission via triangle choke.

Both men have come a long way since '03 and both have each had their share of success inside the Octagon.

A rematch between the two would be an excellent testament to how far both have come in their MMA careers. 

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

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Chael Sonnen is in no way, shape, or form a member of the Nogueira Brother's fan club and with all the trash he's talked about them, I'm sure the younger of the brothers would love to get his hands on him.

Little Nog is coming off a win against Tito Ortiz last December, but has been inactive ever since. Nogueira's submissions, as well as his excellent boxing, would present a major threat to Sonnen's wrestling.

With this fight, you have a great rivalry with an even better match-up between to men who may neutralize each other's skills. 

Which one of these men do you want to see Sonnen face? Someone I missed? Leave your comment below!

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