According to Chael Sonnen, his new fight against Vitor Belfort at UFC 175 will have massive stakes in the middleweight division – even though the fight will take place at light heavyweight.

Earlier today, news broke that Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC) will not fight Sonnen (28-14-1 MMA, 7-6 UFC) at UFC 175 in July. Belfort (24-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) will take his place. On Wednesday night, Sonnen offered up his understanding of why Silva no longer is in the fight on “UFC Tonight” on FOX Sports 1.

According to Sonnen, the Nevada State Athletic Commission tried to get to Silva for a random drug test – which Silva wouldn’t submit to.

“Wanderlei has operated his entire career under the shadow of suspicion that he was using performance-enhancing drugs,” Sonnen, one of the show’s hosts, said on the program. “However, he has never failed a drug test. So we don’t speculate on those types of things. That clean record came to a screeching halt on Saturday night. … He refused to take the test, and as you know, a refusal is equal in the eyes of the commission to a failure. He ran from the test. I don’t mean that figuratively. I mean, they came to his gym and he literally ran. He goes out a side door, they come after him saying his name. I have not spoken to the athletic commission in Nevada, so here I am going to speculate that they will revoke his license and perhaps his career with the UFC will be done.”

MMAjunkie reached out to the NSAC, which could not comment on the situation with Silva since it involves a fighter who is not currently licensed by the commission.

So Sonnen went from a grudge match against Silva to what now, he says, will be a No. 1 contenders fight in the 185-pound division, despite the fight taking place at 205 pounds.

“The stakes are up,” Sonnen said. “I am now fighting in a No. 1 contenders match. The winner of my bout will take on the winner of Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida.”

The UFC has not yet made an official announcement about the Sonnen-Belfort fight being a No. 1 contender bout for the Weidman-Machida winner, who fight on the same night in the UFC 175 main event at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

But earlier today, the UFC released a statement about Silva being removed from the fight:

“Due to issues related to Wanderlei Silva’s licensing in the state of Nevada, the UFC was forced to seek a replacement opponent to face Chael Sonnen at UFC 175 on Saturday, July 5 in Las Vegas. Former UFC champion Vitor Belfort has accepted the fight with Sonnen, subject to Belfort receiving a license to compete from the Nevada Athletic Commission.”

Belfort, of course, is no stranger to the NSAC. He was scheduled to fight Weidman at UFC 173 in Las Vegas before the NSAC pulled the plug on therapeutic-use exemptions for testosterone replacement therapy. That forced him out of the fight originally scheduled for this past Saturday until he could clear his system.

He has said recently that has taken place, and he doesn’t anticipate having a problem being clean under the NSAC’s tests.

Just what will come of Silva as he pertains to the NSAC, though, remains to be seen.

For more on UFC 175, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Chael Sonnen)