Chael Sonnen vs. Tito Ortiz to headline January Bellator show 16

Chael Sonnen will make his Bellator debut against Tito Ortiz on January 21st in Los Angeles.
by Tim Burke @TB_Money

Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Chael Sonnen has an opponent for his Bellator debut, and it’s a very well-known one. Sonnen, who recently signed with promotion, will meet former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz at Bellator 170 in January. The show will take place in Los Angeles. Bellator CEO Scott Coker tweeted about it just a little while ago:
Sonnen (29-14) hasn’t competed since late 2013, where he was defeated by Rashad Evans. He coached a season of TUF against Wanderlei Silva, but both of them ended up picking up suspensions that nixed the fight. Sonnen was suspended for two years and recently decided to make a return. He had been entered in the USADA testing pool, which indicated a return to the UFC, but he surprised nearly everyone by signing with Bellator instead.

Ortiz (18-12-1, 2-1 Bellator) has been out of the cage since September 2015, where he was defeated by Liam McGeary in a Bellator light heavyweight title shot. He defeated Alexander Shlemenko and Stephan Bonnar in his first two fights in the promotion.

The bout will go down on January 21st in The Forum in Inglewood.