The UFC 117 fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, one of the most storied rivalries in UFC history, will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing during International Fight Week in Las Vegas this summer.
UFC history is about to be set in stone. The UFC Hall of Fame is about to get a new addition.
Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen’s legendary UFC 117 fight is the one. It’s happening this summer, during International Fight Week (June 24-30). The announcement came during the UFC 300 broadcast on Saturday.
Their rivalry? One for the books. Sonnen, with his pro-wrestling antics, hyped it up. Silva, the top pound-for-pound fighter, was the favorite. But Sonnen wasn’t fazed. He was on a three-fight win streak, after all.
The fight was a rollercoaster. Sonnen landed an early punch on Silva. He dominated most of the fight with his relentless wrestling and ground and pound. He was so close to winning that Joe Rogan, the commentator, joked about crowning him early.
But then, “The Spider” struck. With less than two minutes left, Silva caught Sonnen off guard with a triangle from his back. Sonnen tried to fight it off, but the triangle-armbar combo was too much. He tapped out. Silva’s comeback was epic, possibly the greatest in UFC history.
Sonnen was at UFC 300 on Saturday. The announcement caught him by surprise.
Silva and Sonnen are joining the ranks of former UFC champions Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Frankie Edgar, and former Pride champion Wanderlei Silva. They’re the 2024 Hall of Fame inductees.