Chael Sonnen, Josh Barnett Expected to Compete in Jiu-Jitsu Matches at Metamoris 4

Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen and current UFC heavyweight Josh Barnett are among MMA personalities expected to compete in grappling matches at Metamoris 4 on Aug. 9, according to reports.

Sonnen will grapple Brazilian jiu-jitsu standout Andre Galvao, and Barnett will compete against no-gi star Dean Lister. BJJEE.com first reported news of the bouts earlier this week.

Sonnen will enter his first all-jiu-jitsu competition of note with Metamoris 4, having racked up his grappling credentials as a wrestler through his recent retirement from MMA. Five of Sonnen’s MMA wins have come by way of submission, most recently submitting Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua via guillotine choke.

Barnett is an experienced grappler who has participated in grappling tournaments and no-gi competitions in the past. Within the confines of the MMA stage, Barnett has excelled in the submission department with 20 of his 33 wins coming by way of tap out or putting opponents to sleep.

Both Galvao and Lister have MMA experience, but have most recently focused on grappling competitions, such as ADCC and the IBJJF Pan and World Championships.

A grappling bout between Benson Henderson and Kron Gracie was expected to take place on the Metamoris 4 card, but a source familiar with negotiations informed MMAWeekly.com that Gracie withdrew from the bout due to a desire to focus more on MMA.

Metamoris 4 is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles. A venue is yet to be announced.