Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) was targeting a grudge match between Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen in Brazil, but it looks like The American Gangster doesn’t plan on finding a loophole in his current suspension to make the bout happen.
After Rede TV (via MMA Fighting) reported that The Axe Murderer, who served as a color commentator at XFC International 7 in Sao Paulo, was open to fighting his old American rival under the XFC banner, Sonnen has shot down the matchup.
The retired three-time UFC title challenger is currently serving a two-year suspension, per UFC.com, issued by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs and told MMA Mania he has no plans of going against that: “Sonnen told MMAmania.com that in addition to his retirement from active competition, he plans to honor his current suspension from NSAC, which doesn’t expire until mid-2016. He is, however, willing to throw down against Silva in a jiu-jitsu match under the Metamoris banner, should the Brazilian be willing to comply.”
Silva recently dealt with bigger issues from the NSAC when he was hit with a precedent-setting lifetime ban after refusing a drug test back in May, per MMA Junkie.
Even with the potential bout contested in Brazil, it remains questionable if a sanctioned MMA fight between Silva and Sonnen is a legitimate possibility.
However, a Metamoris scrap is definitely a realistic option, as Sonnen competed at Metamoris 4 in August against multiple-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Andre Galvao; he lost the matchup via a rear-naked choke.
Silva, while best known for his heavy hands, is a BJJ black belt.
With an MMA fight off the table, would a Metamoris matchup between Sonnen and Silva be the next best thing?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
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