First Anderson Silva-Chael Sonnen Bout to Be Enshrined in UFC Hall of Fame

A fight we will never forget 👏

Silva vs Sonnen 1, welcome to the UFC HOF! #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/MaN0f0rqZk

— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2024

The first time Chael Sonnen locked horns with Anderson Silva, he nearly shocked the world.

To this day, the UFC 117 bout between the two middleweight rivals ranks among the most memorable in promotion history, which is why it will be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame “Fight Wing” this summer. While Sonnen controlled the majority of the fight with his wrestling, Silva avoided the upset when he locked in a triangle armbar at the 3:10 mark of Round 5 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 Chael could compete with anyone in the division. This incredible dogfight had everything you want in a five-round title fight, and it will be an honor to induct this fight into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.

The rematch would be far less dramatic, however, as Silva dispached Sonnen via second-round techincal knockout at the 1:48 mark of Round 2 in the UFC 148 headliner.

The UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on June 27 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will stream live on UFC Fight Pass.