Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva Fight to Headline Bellator 180 in New York City
The latest Bellator pay-per-view will include some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts.
Chael Sonnen will take on Wanderlei Silva on June 24 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, per Greg Beachem of the Associated Press.
The duo had been trying to battle since The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil in 2014 but had been unable to put a bout together until now. The veterans were slated to compete at UFC 175 but injuries and then a suspension seemingly ended any opportunity with UFC.
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While Silva had initially retired, he signed with Bellator and saw his lifetime ban for avoiding a drug test reduced to just three years, per MMA Junkie.
His bout against Sonnen will be his first in over four years, while Sonnen competed for Bellator in January in a loss against Tito Ortiz.
"I think (Bellator 180) will be the most exciting fight card in MMA this year so far," CEO Scott Coker said, per Beachem. "I mean, who knows what's going to happen before the end of the year, but I think this is going to be the biggest fight card put together by any company so far in the pay-per-view business, and we feel really good about it."
Sonnen is 39 years old with a 28-15-1 record in MMA while the 40-year-old Silva has a 35-12-1 mark.
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