Chael Sonnen really wants the chance to fight in the co-main event for UFC 167 in November, and now he’s asking a friend to step up to the challenge.
Sonnen has been rumored for the UFC 167 fight card for the past two weeks ever since he won at UFC Fight Night 26 with a submission over former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
While rumors seem to point toward Sonnen drawing former NCAA champion wrestler Phil Davis as his next opponent, it appears “The American Gangster” has other ideas.
Late Thursday night, Sonnen took to Twitter to ask his fellow Fox Sports co-host Rashad Evans if he had any plans coming up for November 16—the day of UFC 167.
It didn’t take long for Evans to answer Sonnen‘s request, and it seems he’s available as well.
A bout between Sonnen and Evans could be a great option for a co-main event for the upcoming show headlined by welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks that will serve as the 20th anniversary show for the UFC.
Sonnen is coming off of his win over Rua, while Evans is also coming off of a victory over Dan Henderson in his last fight in June.
Evans told Bleacher Report earlier in August that he was planning to stay at light heavyweight for the foreseeable future after teasing for the past few months that he might entertain a move down to middleweight.
The former champion had also talked about a potential matchup against the winner of Sonnen vs. Rua, so the bout makes sense on a lot of levels for both fighters.
Both Sonnen and Evans have already lost to UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, so neither are currently in the title picture, although a win could boost either man back into contention. Also, Sonnen has talked about eventually moving back to middleweight, but a fight against a high-profile star like Evans would be a great test to see if he needs to drop back to 185 pounds or stay the course at light heavyweight.
Either way, pitting Sonnen against Evans at UFC 167 seems like a great idea all the way around, and both fighters appear willing to make it happen.
Now it’s up to UFC president Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva to see if they are as interested in putting the two fighters into the Octagon together.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report
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