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UFC Hall of Fame 2024: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 1 Inducted Into Hall of Fame Fight Wing

Silva vs. Sonnen 1 will get its day in the HOF.

Zain Bando

The first meeting between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 back on August 7, 2010.
The first meeting between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 back on August 7, 2010. / (via Jon Kopaloff/Zuffa LLC)

(Image via Jon Kopaloff/Zuffa LLC)

Nearly a decade-and-a-half removed from their first bout, the legendary five-round comeback that saw Anderson Silva overcome a four-round deficit to defeat Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 finally has its place in the hall-of-fame.

The fight will take part during the 2024 induction ceremony as part of the “Fight Wing,” which is a collection of the greatest bouts in promotional history.

Silva, who was the UFC middleweight champion from 2006-2013, was outwrestled by Sonnen for 23 out of 25 minutes before middleweight history, and ultimately the eventual fight of the year, became a reality.

Silva threw up a triangle choke as a last-ditch effort to save his winning streak, and it paid off. Sonnen tapped due to the pressure, thus giving Silva another highlight-reel finish still discussed today.

Silva would eventually lose his title just three years later before retiring from MMA in Oct. 2020, while Sonnen does analytical work for ESPN, UFC and Bellator.

The ceremony will take place June 27 in Las Vegas, as the pair fought twice with Silva winning both. 

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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