Rashad Evans: UFC 167 bout with Chael Sonnen 'definitely could happen'

Chael Sonnen hasn’t had much luck getting Wanderlei Silva to fight him at the UFC’s 20th anniversary show at UFC 167. But he’ll make his own, thank you very much. 

Sonnen on Thursday night took to Twitter to ask his commentating pal, former UFC light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans, if he had some free time this fall to get punched in the face. 

And from Evans’ response on Twitter and to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), it looks like his calendar is clear.

“I think it’s something that definitely could happen,” Evans today told MMAjunkie.com. “I think it’s the fight that makes sense for both of us. Even though we are friends and we have a great relationship, we have the same goal, and we’re in the same weight class.”

That’s at 205 pounds, where Evans (18-3-1 MMA, 13-3-1 UFC) has fought the bulk of his career and where Sonnen (29-13-1 MMA, 7-6 UFC) recently returned after a long stint at middleweight. 

And for his part, Sonnen obviously said he’s down for the fight.

“I got bored waiting for a chump, and I needed a challenge,” Sonnen told MMAjunkie.com. “And Rashad is a challenge with a capital ‘C.’”

UFC 167 takes place Nov. 16 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It’s headlined by a welterweight title bout between reigning champ Georges St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks. 

Evans, who recently snapped a two-fight skid with a split call over former champ Dan Henderson, said he hasn’t spoken to UFC President Dana White about the potential bout. But will he find it tough to fight a friend?

“I think it’s a difficult question, because you never know how it’s going to be when you get in the cage with somebody,” he said. “But having had the experience of dealing with it before, I know how to emotionally handle it better than I did before.”

In other words, Evans doesn’t think he’s going to get as wound up as he did when a fight with his now-former teammate and current champ Jon Jones materialized 16 months ago. 

Of course, Evans and Sonnen have exchanged only words, not blood and sweat – so they’re probably not as tight. 

“Hey Rashad, let me ask you a question… You busy Nov 16th?” Sonnen wrote on Twitter. 

“Nah not really!! What’s up?” replied Evans, who occasionally works alongside the three-time title contender as a commentator and analyst on FOX Sports 1. 

Sonnen then posted a mock UFC 167 poster with the two of them front and center – with top billing over the St-Pierre vs. Hendricks title fight. 

“That looks like a good idea to me!” Evans wrote. “I knew you had something you really wanted to say to me yesterday on the show!”

On Wednesday, the two playfully jousted while working the analyst desk for UFC Fight Night 27 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. That was before UFC President Dana White said he had something different in mind for Sonnen, who most recently turned in an impressive first-round submission of Mauricio Rua at UFC Fight Night 26. 

White said he was interested in a fight between Sonnen and Phil Davis, who was one of several to call out “The American Gangster” following his win over Rua. 

Sonnen stumped for a fight with his rival Silva, but time, and lack of pay-per-view bonuses, nixed that.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, including UFC 167, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Rashad Evans)