"The Bad Guy" will meet "The Dragon" later this year.
Bellator is working on finalizing a bout between Chael Sonnen and Lyoto Machida in the summer, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. A date and location for the fight haven't been set just yet, but both fighters have verbally agreed to the light heavyweight bout, sources said.
Sonnen (31-16, 1 NC), who also works as an MMA analyst for ESPN, most recently lost to Fedor Emelianenko in the semifinals of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix in October. Before that loss, Sonnen, 41, had won two in a row.
Machida (25-8), a former UFC light heavyweight champion, won his Bellator debut in December when he defeated Rafael Carvalho via split decision.
Machida, 40, signed with the promotion after an 11-year run in the UFC. He'll enter the fight against Sonnen on a three-fight winning streak.