‘The Bad Guy’ appears to be making a shock return to save an upcoming matchup.
Chael Sonnen put together some big wins and impressive performances in his career before retiring from MMA in 2019.
The MMA legend did dip his toe back into competition last year with an exhibition boxing match against his former UFC rival Anderson Silva.
While he hasn’t been actively competing for six years now, the 48-year-old has remained a key figure in combat sports and one of the most prominent voices in mixed martial arts.
Now, after Sonnen agreed to a contest on short notice, he looks set to put his money where his mouth is by jumping back in for a remarkable return.
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Chael Sonnen has reportedly signed to rematch Craig Jones at CJI 2 on Sunday
This weekend in Las Vegas, BJJ star Craig Jones’ game-changing grappling promotion, the Craig Jones Invitational, is set to return for its second event.
The majority of the focus is on a tournament format, which will now use a team format following some changes that were made after last year’s debut event.
However, like the previous instalment, Jones was also set to be in action at the event in a showcase bout that would’ve seen him face Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson.
Shortly after Steveson’s MMA debut was announced, he withdrew from the grappling matchup, which then led to Jones calling out Chael Sonnen.
Sonnen responded with a video on social media where he agreed to the contest, though there wasn’t an official announcement to go with it.
Ariel Helwani has now reported that Jones versus Sonnen is signed for the Sunday of CJI 2, with the former UFC star still working the debut Real American Freestyle Wrestling event the day before.
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Chael Sonnen will look to avenge his prior loss to Craig Jones at this weekend’s CJI 2
Chael Sonnen and Craig Jones aren’t just two of the biggest personalities in combat sports, they’re also former opponents.
The last submission grappling contest that Sonnen took part in was against the Australian star in 2017.
They faced off in the ADCC absolute division in Finland where Jones emerged victorious, beating the UFC legend via heel hook.
Beating Jones in a rematch on such short notice is certainly going to be a tall order for Sonnen this weekend in Las Vegas.
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