Machida, Sonnen agree to Bellator fight in the summer

Bloodyelbow.com

It appears that Lyoto Machida and Chael Sonnen will square off later this year.

A light heavyweight bout between “The Dragon” and “The American Gangster” is targeted for a Bellator card this summer, ESPN reported Wednesday night. Machida and Sonnen have verbally agreed to the matchup, but it has yet to be finalized as of now.

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Machida is coming off a split-decision win over former middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho in his Bellator debut last December in Hawaii. The win over Carvalho marked his first bout outside the UFC since 2006. Machida left the UFC off a knockout win over Vitor Belfort last May, ending an 11-year run with the promotion. The Brazilian is riding a three-fight winning streak.

Sonnen most recently fell to heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko via first-round TKO at Bellator 208 last October. The bout was one of the two heavyweight grand prix semifinals. Before the Emelianenko loss, Sonnen was riding a two-fight winning streak with decisions over Quinton Jackson and Wanderlei Silva.

Bellator has yet to announce any shows for the summer. The latest event currently confirmed by the promotion is Bellator 221, which takes place May 11 in Rosemont, Illinois.