UFC's 10 Most Dramatic Fight Finishes
3. Anderson Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen
What can be more epic than a master of the sport taking on one of the loudest mouths in the game?
The answer is... not much.
Anderson Silva was enjoying a dominant, record-setting reign as UFC's Middleweight Champion, when he crossed paths with the ever humble Chael Sonnen at UFC 117. Even after getting under Silva's skin before the bout, Sonnen still didn't look as though he stood a chance against a man establishing himself as a possible GOAT.
That's when the unthinkable happened.
Sonnen shook Silva early on in the first round and set the precedent for an unpredictable bout. Could Sonnen take his chance and steal the gold from The Spider's grasp?
All the way up to the fifth round, it looked like a serious possibility. Then, as Sonnen had his opponent on the ground in the final moments of the fight, Silva locked in a tremendous triangle hold. The challenger had little choice but to submit to the masterful lock.
The fans lost it and knew there and then that they'd seen victory snatched from the claws of defeat, with Silva living to defend another day.
An epic conclusion to an epic contest.