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Anderson Silva's epic come from behind win at UFC 117 against Chael Sonnen will go down as one of the greatest title fights in the history of mixed martial arts.
It's certainly the greatest fight Silva's been a part of inside the Octagon, even if he found himself on the wrong end of the fight for much of it. But more than being just a great title fight, this was a fight that showcased so much of what makes this sport so electrifying and invokes such passion in its hardcore fan base.
Silva had been unstoppable heading into his seventh consecutive UFC Middleweight Title defense. And while he had always been lauded for his skills as one of the greatest fighters on the planet, his recent performances had left so much to be desired that it took the sometimes insane ramblings of a fighter who was quite literally insignificant in the title picture just 18 months ago to get people interested in seeing Silva fight again.
Chael Sonnen did more than just build up this title fight with his trash talk. He made people care and he made people believe; whether they gave him a chance or not, and I will freely admit that I didn't, he had people tuning into this event to see if he could back up the inordinate amount of trash talk he had used to cement himself into this fight. Not only that, but they tuned in to see if he could be the one to bring out the fight in Silva after three title defenses that saw him trying out for "So You Think You Can Dance?"
Well, Sonnen did all of that and then some. Backing up every single second of trash talk pertaining to the fight, Sonnen entered the Octagon in Oakland on Saturday night determined to put a beating on Silva. That's exactly what he did. While Silva had been hit by a total of 208 strikes throughout his first eleven fights in the UFC, Sonnen landed over 300 between the stand up and ground and pound portions of the fight.
Sonnen put Silva on his back over and over again, and continually stayed busy. That was especially the case in the early rounds, where he actually rocked Silva while they were standing and did lots of damage on the ground once he got it there.
The challenger gained the respect of every MMA fan with his performance against "The Spider." He did what no one else has been able to, and thoroughly and completely found himself edging towards a unanimous decision that would have seen all five rounds pointing his direction.
But that's when Anderson Silva showed exactly what is so special about this sport. Anything can happen at anytime in any fight.
Despite being thoroughly manhandled and outworked for 22 minutes of the fight, Silva - once again put on his back in the fifth round - locked on a triangle choke, seemingly out of nowhere. But it wasn't out of nowhere. Silva was looking for the hold with Sonnen in his guard, looking for his spot. He transitioned to the triangle so quickly and picked his spot so well that it just seemed to be instant. Sonnen struggled and fell backwards, but the hold was too tight, and Silva wasn't letting it go.
Sonnen tapped, though tried to act as if he hadn't in a slight moment of confusion, and the building and this living room exploded. Equal parts shock and cheer went through the room with fans of both fighters present; the emotional roller-coaster that wound through the fabric of this fight was brought to such an epic finish that it's hard to imagine another fight matching it anytime soon, if ever.
It was the greatest UFC Title fight ever. The challenger, seemingly over-matched by one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen, did what no one has ever been able to do to the Champ in the UFC. He beat him up. He bruised him and he battered him; but he didn't beat him. And Silva, alive and well enough in the fifth round to be aware of what he needed to do, secured the submission victory with precious little time to spare.
Silva winning that particular fight, after all of the criticism from his last three title defenses, brought him back to the limelight. His resiliency and his ability to take punishment were on display in full force. They had never needed to be before. There has been no one to challenge Silva the way Sonnen has, and the only one who would have a chance to pull something similar off is UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre.
This back and forth battle showcased what the best of this sport can be at an elite level. Sonnen's elite wrestling and ground and pound over-matched Silva's elite striking and ground game for a time, but ultimately it was the Champion's ties with the Nogueira brothers that saw him go for the submission win. He said after the fight that he wanted to finish the fight by submission for the Nogueira's due to Sonnen's remarks about them leading into the fight.
The emotional journey of the bout, the epic sight of Silva on his back getting smashed in the face by punches and elbows, and the final sight of Sonnen tapping once on the leg showcased an amazing story that culminated in Silva's come from behind win.
And it was a story that fans bought into from the first minute of the fight. It was absolutely the best title fight ever seen in the UFC, and it may just be the greatest fight I've ever seen. Perhaps it's too soon to give it that distinction, but in seeing things that had never been seen before, and having Silva make a comeback for the ages, there's nothing in recent memory that can top it.
Silva's always present weakness is his wrestling game, and Sonnen proved once again that wrestlers are going to have an easy time taking Silva to the ground. But when a 22 minute beating isn't enough to pull a win out against "The Spider" it makes you wonder just what will need to be done for Silva to ultimately be defeated.
I loved this fight, and it has brought an immense amount of respect for both fighters to the forefront. We can only hope as fans to see something so special again, and maybe the two of them can replicate the magic if they are paired up in a rematch. Whatever happens next, all that really matters is that both fighters went to war on August 7 in Oakland, Calif., a war that will be talked about for years and years to come.
RELATED STORY: UFC 117 RESULTS: Anderson Silva retains Middleweight
Title in epic come from behind submission victory over Chael Sonnen: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]
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