Bellator targeting Chael Sonnen-Wanderlei Silva bout for 2017

With Chael Sonnen joining the Bellator MMA fold in September, his longstanding beef with Wanderlei Silva could finally be settled.

Bellator president Scott Coker is optimistic that he can book a bout between "The American Gangster" and "The Axe Murderer" sometime in 2017. Silva has been unable to compete in North America after receiving a lifetime ban from the Nevada State Athletic Commission that was later reduced to a three-year suspension.

Sonnen signed with Bellator in September, six months after Silva joined the roster. The two have feuded for years. They coached opposite one another on the third season of "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil," and were set to collide on several dates in 2014 until the fight was officially nixed when both fighters failed drug tests.

Coker believes that Silva's Bellator debut is just around the corner.

"We've had a contract with Wanderlei Silva even before Rizin ever got him on-board," Coker told Duane Finley of FloCombat. "With the contract we have with him, he won't be able to fight for us until he is cleared with NSAC. I think in May he will be cleared to compete for Bellator.

"Since Bellator contracted Chael Sonnen, believe me, we've been getting texts and calls from Wanderlei saying that he wants that fight. So, I think you'll see that fight some time in 2017 for Bellator."

In the meantime, it's likely that both fighters will compete before the year is through. Sonnen has called for a fight with Tito Ortiz in November (though Ortiz has countered with a January date), while Silva is expected to fight Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic at a Dec. 29 Rizin event in Japan.

Should Sonnen and Silva escape their bouts relatively unscathed, they could meet up in what would be one of the biggest bouts in Bellator history.

"That's going to be a fight where everybody stops whatever they're doing to turn on the TV to see the fight," Coker said. "As we all know, that fight has been building for a number of years and they couldn't work it out, but now I feel the timing is perfect.

"That's a fight that will be one of our big marquee events next year. Chael is probably going to debut at some point early next year. Wanderlei is supposed to fight Mirko on the 29th. Hopefully everybody stays healthy and we can put that fight together sooner rather than later."