A battle you’ll never forget 👏
Silva vs. Sonnen 1, welcome to the UFC HOF!
#UFC300 pic.twitter.com/MaN0f0rqZk
— UFC (@ufc)
April 14, 2024
The first time Chel Sonnen performed with Anderson Silva, he almost shocked the world.
To this day, the UFC 117 bout between the middleweight rivals ranks as one of the most memorable bouts in the promotion’s history, which is why it will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame “Fight Wing” this summer is. Sonnen controlled most of the bout with his wrestling, but Silva avoided the upset with a triangle armbar at 3:10 of the fifth round at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
“The first fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen was incredible,” said UFC CEO Dana White. “This is the fight that made Anderson a star and showed the world that Chell could compete with anyone in the division. This incredible dogfight had everything you could want in a five-round title bout. It would be an honor to have this fight inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.
However, the rematch likely won’t be as dramatic, as Silva sent Sonnen off with a second-round technical knockout at the 1:48 mark of the second round in the UFC 148 headliner.
The UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held June 27th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass.
