On This Day in 2010: We Saw One of the Most Unthinkable & Greatest Comebacks in UFC History

On this day in 2010, Anderson Silva stepped into the Octagon as the most dominant champion in UFC history, unbeaten in the promotion, riding a 12-fight UFC win streak, and holding the middleweight championship with an air of invincibility. 

Across from him stood Chael Sonnen, the brash, relentless wrestler who promised to not only beat Silva, but to do so in humiliating fashion. Nobody ever thought we would witness one of the most dramatic and unlikely comebacks in MMA history that night.

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From the opening bell, Sonnen did exactly what he said he would: he charged forward, took Silva down, and began smothering him with pressure, ground-and-pound, and positional dominance. It was repeated and suffocating ground control.

In the first round alone, Sonnen managed to pass Silva’s guard multiple times, even securing side control twice. But in a puzzling (and later costly) decision, he repeatedly transitioned himself back into half guard, allowing Silva to hip escape and recover full guard. Still, Sonnen’s top-game pressure was relentless.

By the middle rounds, Sonnen’s confidence was soaring. He even managed to rock Silva on the feet, a rare sight given Silva’s granite chin and poker-face demeanor. 

Entering the fifth round, Sonnen was on the brink of pulling off one of the greatest upsets in MMA history. Four rounds up on every scorecard with Silva needing a finish.

At one point Sonnen overcommitted to a spinning back fist that missed badly, causing him to stumble. Silva pounced on his mistake, but Sonnen regained top position.

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With just over two minutes left, Sonnen continued firing from the top, emptying what energy he had left. Silva, still calm despite being battered and exhausted, began methodically controlling Sonnen’s wrists. He pulled Chael’s arms close to his chest, the first step in setting up a triangle choke.

Seconds later, the trap was sprung. Silva threw his leg over Sonnen’s shoulder, locked his ankle under his knee, and cinched in the triangle. Sonnen fought to free himself, but Silva tightened the choke, transitioning into a potential armbar threat as well. With just 1:50 left in the fight, Sonnen tapped.

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