Fox Theatre, Atlanta
UFC Fight Club event features UFC 147 middleweight title challenger
Top UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen will host a question and answer session prior to the UFC 145 weigh-ins April 20 in Atlanta.
The event, which takes place at the historic Fox Theatre in Atlanta, is open to UFC Fight Club members and begins at 2 p.m. Eastern, though doors open an hour prior. The UFC recently announced Sonnen as the event’s Q&A subject. The weigh-ins for UFC 145, which features a main event light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and top contender Rashad Evans, begin at 4 p.m. and are open to the public with doors around 3 p.m.
Sonnen, who has never shied away from the microphone, likely will spend much of the session discussing his UFC 147 rematch with Anderson Silva. The middleweight earned the rematch with a narrow decision victory over Michael Bisping at UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis in January. Prior to that fight, Sonnen beat fan favorite Brian Stann at UFC 136, launching his run toward another shot at Silva.
Sonnen and Silva first fought at UFC 117 in August 2010. Sonnen dominated the champion for more than four rounds before being forced to tap to a late armbar-triangle in the fifth round. After the fight, Sonnen tested positive for elevated testosterone levels and was suspended for a year by the California State Athletic Commission. His fight with Stann last October was his return after that suspension, as well as an incident that saw him plead guilty to a money laundering charge as part of a mortgage fraud ring. He lost his real estate license as a result.