Heavy.com reports that Chael Sonnen is set to return to the UFC Octagon against Brian Stann at UFC 136 in Houston. The middleweight bout could decide the next in line to challencge for the middleweight title.
Although Sonnen has had issues with the state athletic commissions in Nevada and California, it is expected that Sonnen will have no problem getting cleared by the athletic commission in Texas.
The UFC will hold its second Fan Expo of the year at UFC 136. The fan festival and trade show will be held the weekend of the event.
Payout Perspective:
A very smart booking decision here as it pits a fan favorite in Stann with the return of the controversial Sonnen. For his part, Sonnen is a master of self-promotion and fans listen when he grabs a microphone. Whether you like him or not, he is someone that will draw interest and putting him on a card the same weekend as the Fan Expo is a good idea. The bout is set to be a co-main event with Jose Aldo defending his title against Kenny Florian rumored to be another main event. Initially, I had expected Cain Velasquez to defend his title on this card but perhaps this was too soon for the heavyweight champ. With Sonnen on the card, expect a lot of talk…and a lot of interest.
Hmmm… not sure I agree about this being a smart booking decision. Stann has built a lot of momentum in the past year, and Sonnen is still poised to get another shot at Silva with a win or two. Seems like they’re both poised to make waves in the division this year, so I’m not sure what the logic is in feeding one star to another. Also, Stann’s weakness has always been strong wrestlers, and Sonnen won’t have much of anything to work with in the trash talking area against Stann. It will be interesting to see how they sell the fight.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/760845-is-chael-sonnen-vs-brian-stann-is-terrible-matchmaking