UFC 136: Fight Card: What a Win Would Mean for Chael Sonnen

The outspoken, enigmatic, charismatic Chael Sonnen can accomplish quite a bit if he can secure a victory over “All-American” Brian Stann tonight at UFC 136.  

At the end of the night, following a thrilling five-round fight at UFC 117 that saw Sonnen beat Anderson Silva into the ground for four rounds, only for Sonnen to lose via triangle armbar in the final round, we all thought we were in store for a rematch.  Sonnen fell prey, as he often does, to a desperate opponent seizing an opportunity on a single-minded Sonnen en route to a victory.  

Even in light of this fact, the consensus was, maybe we found the guy that can beat THE guy.  That’s when life happened to Chael Sonnen. 

First, he tested for elevated testosterone levels in the post-fight drug test.  The California State Athletic Commission fined him and suspended him until September 2011.  With an appeal, he managed to get the suspension reduced to March 2011.  

Then, Sonnen had to argue with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to get his fighter’s license despite his recent felony conviction for money laundering.  Once again, Sonnen was able to finagle a way to get past this and secure his license.  

It’s like he had to fight his way back to the UFC through the courts the same way an amateur fighter fights through smaller promotions.

When he steps in the cage across from Brian Stann on Saturday night, it will mark his first time being in the cage since August 2010, so he will need to shake off any cage rust and be prepared for a vicious fight, because Stann always brings it.  

If Sonnen can endure an early barrage, he may be able to gut out a victory.  If he does, things will come full-circle for him.

A win will indicate he will be able to vindicate his loss at UFC 117 versus Anderson Silva.  A win will allow him to back up all the attacks, assumptions and predictions he had leading into and after that fight.  A win will let him know that all the trips to court rooms and to lawyers' offices were worth it.  A win at UFC 136 will right all the wrongs that happened in Chael Sonnen’s life in the past year.