Just days after he announced that he is retiring from mixed martial arts, Chael Sonnen said he will be fighting Andre Galvao at Metamoris 4.
In an article by MMA Fighting, the former UFC title contender agreed to face Galvao, an Abu Dhabi Combat Club winner and Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion, in a no-gi match at Metamoris 4 on August 9, 2014 in Los Angeles. He shared the news just days after he was found positive for two banned substances and announced his retirement from professional MMA.
Sonnen is well known for defeating UFC greats like Mauricio Rua and Brian Stann. His fighting style primarily involves wrestling and grappling. Andre Galvao is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion and is widely known to have defeated fighters like Gunnar Nelson and Braulio Estima.
In a Fox Sports report, Metamoris is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu event that pits famous fighters. In previous meets, a number of legends have appeared such as Shinya Aoki, Eddie Bravo, Brendan Schaub and Kron Gracie. The Sonnen-Galvao match will be the main event on August 9.
Vinny Magalhaes, a UFC veteran and Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert, is watching over Sonnen's training towards the fight. Galvao has 5-2 MMA record but has more accomplishments in Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments. He also won a championship before in the absolute weight division. The odds are in favor of Galvao in the fight, considering his more vast experience in grappling. Sonnen has to rely on his expertise as a wrestler and incorporate the grappling techniques taught by Magalhaes to get the upper hand.Sonnen shared that he has begun training for the match.
According to MMA Mania, Metamoris is a submission-only tournament so judges and points will not be necessary. Each round will last 20 minutes. Josh Barnett, current UFC heavyweight champion, and Dean Lister, a two-time ADCC champion will also be going head to head at Metamoris 4. The full list of fight cards will be featured on June 30, 2014.
Previously, Sonnen was supposed to fight Vanderlei Silva. However, a scandal erupted where both fighters were deemed disqualified due to testing positive and refusing to undergo a random drug test by the Nevada Athletics Sports Commission. Both fighters have been withdrawn from the fight. Sonnen immediately announced his retirement while Silva is yet to face penalties for his refusal. Although Sonnen seemed serious about retiring from the UFC, his recent commitment to Metamoris revealed that he will not completely exit fighting.
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