By MATT MOLGAARD
MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer

Few predicted the dominance displayed by Chael Sonnen on August 7th at UFC 117. At best most believed Chael could distract Anderson with a few takedowns and some smothering top control. Many believed the triangle inevitable, though most believed Anderson would find a way to sink the choke much earlier in the fight. The general consensus leading up to the fight however, was that Anderson would quite simply maul Chael Sonnen. A large portion of critics predicted a first round victory, a few extended Chael the respect of picking a later stoppage. None of it mattered, Chael took the fight into his own hands, and carved a memorable moment out of the current mixed martial arts landscape.

23 minutes of near perfection from Sonnen played out before our eyes; he out-struck the Brazilian on the feet, took the fight to the ground and proceeded to land an astounding amount of grueling strikes to the head and body of the champion. It was Chael’s brightest moment, and a profound reminder that MMA is not as predictable as some casual fans may like you to believe.

Pulled deep from the bowls of fortitude came a smooth if not lightning quick triangle choke. Two minutes remained on the clock. Chael made the proper escape attempt, but panic apparently overrode determination and logic for one brief moment, and Sonnen tapped.