Sonnen-Stann Penciled for UFC 136 in Houston

Chael Sonnen (above) is headed for a clash with Brian Stann. | Photo: Dave Mandel

The event, rumored to go down Oct. 8 at Houston’s Toyota Center, has yet to be officially announced by the promotion. Sherdog.com confirmed the news with a source close to the bout on Wednesday after an initial report from Heavy.com.

Sonnen has not fought since his defeat to middleweight champion Anderson Silva in August 2010. Since that loss, the fighter has faced multiple battles outside the cage in relation to his testosterone replacement therapy hearings in California, as well as an unrelated money laundering conviction in Oregon. The fighter’s recent indefinite suspension from the California State Athletic Commission was lifted when his fight license expired on June 29, making him eligible to reapply for a new license in any state.

Stann was more active in the last year, fighting twice since defeating Mike Massenzio with a triangle choke in August 2010. The “All-American” went on to knock out the notoriously resilient Chris Leben in January, and subsequently punched out former Sengoku middleweight ace Jorge Santiago at UFC 130 in May.