Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger Chael Sonnen has signed an exclusive multi-fight, multi-year contract with Bellator MMA.
Sherdog.com confirmed the news with a promotion official on Thursday following an initial report from The Associated Press. A debut date for Sonnen has not yet been determined.
Earlier this summer, Sonnen confirmed that he had entered the USADA drug testing pool, the first step toward making a comeback with the UFC. However, USADA does not handle drug testing for Bellator MMA, perhaps making it easier for Sonnen to make a quick comeback, as he would be required to be in the testing pool for four months before he could fight again in the UFC.