A short-lived stint at light heavyweight will end for Chael Sonnen when “The American Gangster” locks horns with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the main event at UFC Fight Night on Fox Sports 1 on Aug. 17.
He inked a five-fight deal with the UFC in late July, and win or lose against the former light heavyweight linchpin, a descent back to his natural weight class of 185 is in the cards for Sonnen.
In all likelihood, Sonnen, a two-time UFC middleweight title challenger, will face a difficult journey back to top contendership. But there are still plenty of potentially captivating matchups for the 36-year-old Oregonian to entertain in the future.
Here’s a glimpse at five fights that Sonnen should pursue in his new contract.
All stats gathered via Fightmetric.com.