Sherdog’s Top 10: Best Title Fights

Anderson Silva lured another challenger into his trap at UFC 117. | Photo: Sherdog.com

4. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
UFC 117 “Silva vs. Sonnen”
Aug. 7, 2010 | Oakland, Calif.
Silva was supposed to beat Sonnen with his eyes closed, but he wound up snatching victory from the jaws of defeat with less than two minutes left in their five-round battle.

As has become customary with Sonnen, the lead-in to the fight featured an exorbitant amount of trash talk, and the self-proclaimed “Gangster from West Linn” nearly delivered. As he predicted, Sonnen showcased his ability to take down Silva at will. What was more surprising was the damage he was able to exact while the two middleweights were standing. In the end, Sonnen squandered a four-rounds-to-none lead and tapped to a triangle armbar when he wandered too low into Silva’s guard.

It was the first time Silva had been truly challenged since arriving in the UFC, and he had the necessary answers. “The Spider” met Sonnen again some two years later, stopping him with a second-round knee to the body and follow-up punches.

Number 3 » Rumina Sato vs. Caol Uno