Chonan faces debuting TJ Grant, Jason MacDonald returns at UFC 97

Some more news about the UFC's April return to Montreal has been popping up over the last few days.  I reported on the UFC signing Canadian welterweight submission specialist TJ Grant a few days ago along with news of his expected debut at UFC 97.  Now Sherdog's Andy Cotterill has word of Grant's expected opponent on April 18:

Grant (13-2) is currently half a world away, training his muay Thai with teammate Ryan Jimmo at the famed Kaewsamrit Gym in Thailand, and when his manager/trainer, Scott MacLean, gave him the big news, he did not really believe it.

"When I first got the offer, it was 2 a.m., and my manager told me I was fighting Ryo Chonan in the UFC," Grant told Sherdog.com in an exclusive interview. "And I was like, yeah, sure, and tried to go back to bed."

Although Chonan (15-9) has been offered, the contract has not yet been signed.

In the past, Chonan (1-2 UFC) had mixed success in his native Asia, with his infamous flying heel-hook submission of Anderson Silva in Pride being, perhaps, the highlight of his career.  However, since signing with the UFC, he hasn't fared much better; going to decisions with Karo Parisyan, Roan Carneiro, and Brad Blackburn and coming out victorious only against Carneiro.  If Chonan suffers another defeat or puts in a lackluster performance against the Canadian newcomer Grant, it wouldn't be surprising to see him released from his UFC contract.

In other UFC 97 news, fan favorite and Canadian middleweight grappler Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald (21-11, 5-4 UFC) will return to the Octagon on the Montreal card according to a report from MMA Junkie.

Veteran UFC middleweight and Canadian fighter Jason MacDonald (21-11 MMA, 5-4 UFC) will return to action in April when the UFC heads to Montreal, Canada, for UFC 97.

The UFC is in the process of finalizing an opponent for the 33-year-old Edmonton native.

MacDonald, an exciting grappler and winner of multiple post-fight submission and "fight of the night" bonuses has had trouble compiling back-to-back wins in the Octagon.  Since submitting Ed Herman and Chris Leben in consecutive fights in late 2006, MacDonald has followed each of his UFC wins with a loss, most recently suffering an submission loss (due to elbow strikes) against Wilson Gouveia at the TUF 8 Finale.  Despite his overall winning record in the Octagon, "The Athlete" is still looking to establish himself as something more than a gatekeeper for the 185-lb elite, and will also look to take advantage of Canadian crowd on his side in April.  MacDonald is also one of the UFC's most active competitors, having fought 9 times in 26 months.