Why Chael Sonnen Will Be UFC Champion by the Summer of 2012

2010 started off as a great year for Chael Sonnen.

He had won two fights in a row and was given a No. 1 contender fight against Nate Marquardt at UFC 109, which Sonnen won by way of a dominating decision.

That win set him up for a shot against Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight championship.

For 23 minutes, Chael dominated the champion. There was nothing that Anderson could do.

Sonnen rocked him on foot and pounded on him when the fight was taken to the ground. The crowd was in disbelief, Chael had done everything that he said he was going to do and more.

One problem—never count a man out of a fight.

In MMA anything can happen, and next thing you know Silva throws up a triangle choke and Chael taps out.

That fight went down as one of the greatest comebacks in MMA history and was the beginning of what ended up being a long 10 months for Chael Sonnen. 

Sonnen was soon suspended by the California State Athletic Commission for elevated testosterone levels and later went on trial for money laundering, which occurred in 2006.

Chael was originally suspended for six months, but was later put on indefinite suspension, which led to his being suspended by the UFC.

He had lost his rematch with Anderson Silva. 

After receiving two years probation, a $10,000 fine, and the revocation of his realtor's license, his money laundering charges were finally handled. He appealed his suspension, but failed and remained suspended.

Many people thought his career with the UFC may be over.

Finally, in June he was cleared to be re-licensed, and is now set to face middleweight contender Brian Stann at UFC 136 in Houston. This is the fight that can set him up with his second shot at UFC gold. 

During his suspension, Chael remained active. He continued to train, and stayed active on Twitter, literally calling out the entire country of Brazil. He has tons of frustration to release, so the middleweight division better watch out.

Sonnen is one of the best wrestlers in MMA today. He isn't the type of wrestler that just takes you down, maintains position, and does just enough to take the decision; he is always active, and never stops attacking.

His kryptonite has been BJJ specialists. Lucky for Sonnen, Brian Stann is not the greatest grappler in the world—wrestling is actually his weakness. 

Sonnen's stand-up is highly underrated. He doesn't have top-notch stand-up—although in his fight with Anderson Silva, he proved he can stand and trade—but he uses his stand up to set up takedowns. 

If Yushin Okami upsets Anderson Silva and becomes the champion, then Sonnen truly has the advantage. He trains Yushin, knows his game well, and also holds a win over him.

If Anderson wins, then Chael will have an interesting challenge ahead of him. 

All of the questions will be answered: Was Anderson truly injured in the first fight? Is Anderson's wrestling truly weak, or did the injury hold him back? 

Sonnen knows what Anderson is all about now, and odds are instead of just moving at a fast pace, he would most likely go for the kill. He will not make the same mistake twice. People can disrespect Chael for his past troubles, but there is no denying his skill set.

He has his voice out there in the media, now is the time to prevail. 

So—why will Chael Sonnen be champion by the summer of 2012? 

All these issues for the past year make a man think. All of this energy bottled up means hard times for Sonnen's opponents.

Expect his next few bouts to be one-sided-pounding-and-I'm-swinging-the-hammer types of ordeals.

Many will disagree, but there is only one way to find out.

Let's sit back and prepare ourselves because on August 1, the trash-talking will appear and the pathway to becoming champion begins.