Former Strikeforce champion Cung Le made his UFC debut at UFC 139 against Wanderlei Silva. The two brawled until Le was TKO’d in the closing seconds of the second round. Since then he’s picked up back to back wins with his most recent coming with a first round knockout of UFC mainstay Rich Franklin. He followed that up with a coaching stint on TUF: China and has begun planning his return to the Octagon.
Le appears to want a second chance at the “Axe Murderer” as he told The MMA Hour:
“If Chael gets hurt, or decides that he’s not ready for the Wanderlei fight, I’ll throw in my hat. I would love another shot. I have a lot of respect for him. I grew up watching all of his fights in PRIDE. And to fight him, I feel like I didn’t fight a good fight and I know I can do a lot better.”
Chael Sonnen recently stated that the recent ban of TRT which started in Nevada and spread quickly could impact his future as a mixed martial artist. He went as far as to say that he may be forced out of the sport altogether. Whether or not his claim will come to fruition or if it will impact his fight against Silva in May in Brazil is yet to be seen.
If Sonnen is forced from the UFC Fight Night Brazil card, a rematch with Le would be an interesting replacement. Despite being finished in their first meeting, Le was far from uncompetitive. He rocked Wanderlei with a spinning back fist in round 1 before succumbing to a blitz. His 18 month layoff may leave him too low on the radar to warrant a main event placement, however.