5 times that a legendary UFC champion was made to look very human

#2. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen – UFC 117

Chael Sonnen became the first man to push Anderson Silva to the limit at UFC 117

Anderson Silva, the longest-reigning champion in UFC history, held the UFC middleweight title from October 2006 until July 2013. He largely embarrassed every opponent put in front of him during that period.

And while he was eventually dethroned by Chris Weidman, who made him look human by knocking him out, it’s arguable that ‘The Spider’ had passed his peak at that stage.

In terms of opponents who made him look human at the height of his title reign, though, only one fighter comes close and that's Chael Sonnen.

‘The American Gangster’ was handed a shot at Silva’s title at UFC 117 after winning three fights in a row against high-level contenders. Despite his form, few fans gave him a real shot at dethroning the champ, no matter how much trash he talked.

But when it came time to fight, Sonnen backed up every word he’d said. He somehow outstruck Silva on the feet. He then took him down and simply beat the hell out of him over and over again.

Silva seemed to have no answer for Sonnen’s takedowns and top control, and with every minute that ticked away, it felt like his title reign was coming to a shocking end.

However, with just moments remaining in the final round, ‘The Spider’ threw up a Hail Mary in the form of a last-ditch triangle choke. Incredibly, he was able to lock it on, forcing ‘The American Gangster’ to tap out, essentially snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

But there was absolutely no disputing that Sonnen had done what no fighter in the UFC had previously done before. In beating Silva down, he’d made the legendary Brazilian champion look very human indeed.

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#1. Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov – UFC 229

Khabib Nurmagomedov was the first fighter to truly make Conor McGregor look human in the UFC

Some UFC fans might see Conor McGregor as past his prime at this stage. Many fans may also believe that he was never that great to begin with.

Frankly, that idea is wholly wrong. The 'Notorious’ megastar might’ve talked more trash than probably any other fighter in UFC history during his climb to the top. However, he was also a genuinely fantastic talent who backed up every word he said in the octagon.

McGregor’s wins over Dustin Poirier, Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo still mean he should be viewed as one of the greatest featherweights in UFC history. And even when he lost to Nate Diaz, the loss came with some caveats. It was a late-notice fight in a heavier weight class and he avenged it just months later anyway.

The truth is that the first man to really make McGregor look completely human inside the UFC was Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Prior to that fight, plenty of fans felt that the Irishman was kryptonite for a shorter wrestling boxer like ‘The Eagle’. At UFC 229, though, the Dagestani blew that idea out of the water by utterly destroying McGregor over four rounds.

Not only did he take him down at will and punish him on the ground, but he even knocked him down standing. In the end, he finished him off with a brutal neck crank.

Turns out McGregor is only the king of trash talk when he's not being submitted... 😳😅Humbled by Khabib Nurmagomedov 👀#UFC #UFC229 https://t.co/i8zeX9XDxz

— GiveMeSport (@GiveMeSport) September 9, 2021

It was a humiliating loss for the Irishman, who was thoroughly humbled by Nurmagomedov, even if he largely refused to show it afterwards. After being made to look completely human, the former two-division UFC champion has never quite been the same again.