Bellator MMA has begun piecing together a historic card for 2017 after promotion officials confirmed with The Associated Press today, that bitter rivals Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva will headline pay-per-view event Bellator 180.
Bellator 180 will be only the second Bellator pay-per-view event. The first of which was under the previous promoter Bjorn Rebney, the event in May of 2014 was headlined by a fight between Quinton Jackson and Muhammed Lawal. The card will take place on June 24 in Madison Square Garden, New York City.
Sonnen and Silva have begrudged one another ever since 2014 when the two brawled during the filming of The Ultimate Fighter in Brazil. The two were set to fight one another in July that year but the bout was cancelled after Silva evaded a Nevada Athletic Commission drug test and Sonnen failed two drug tests.
Subsequently both men were suspended the NAC, Sonnen made his return to the sport in January of this year when he was defeated by Tito Ortiz in his debut bout under the Bellator banner. Prior to signing with the via-com promotion in 2015 “The American Gangster” was one of the elite UFC middleweights in the division aswell as being a light-heavyweight title challenger.
The grudge match at Bellator 180 with Sonnen will mark Silva’s return from his three-year ban after he pulled out of his bout with Mirko Cro Cop in the Rizin Grand Prix due to injury. Wanderlei’s last bout was a knockout victory over Brian Stann in March 2013. The 40-year-old has had fought some of the elite during his 21 year career such as Vitor Belfort, Chuck Liddell and Mark Hunt whilst defeating the likes of “Rampage,” Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping.
