Sherdog’s Top 10: Moments When Titles Changed Hands

Chris Weidman made good on his promise a UFC 162. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

3. Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva
UFC 162 “Silva vs. Weidman”
July 6, 2013 | Las Vegas

Weidman was an unbeaten fighter who had passed every test with flying colors. He had long been viewed as a future UFC champion, but he had a tall order in front of him in Silva. The Serra-Longo Fight Team standout promised victory ahead of his five-round showdown with “The Spider,” and his confidence seemed genuine. Still, Silva had shown no signs of slowing down and entered his latest title defense on the heels of one-sided thrashings of Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami, Chael Sonnen and Stephan Bonnar. What transpired inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena stunned the MMA world.

Silva enjoyed success on the feet, but he was far from dominant. Weidman landed several clean punches of his own, even as the Brazilian champ taunted and mocked him. The “All-American” kept his composure in the face of the shenanigans and succeeded where so many others had failed before. About a minute into the second round, Silva continued to clown and bait the challenger. Weidman cracked him with a short left hand on the chin, and “The Spider” stumbled in a mocking manner, pretending to be rocked. He dropped his hands, leaned back and acted as if he had been hurt. Weidman continued to attack, flicked a right hand that drew Silva’s head out of position and nailed him with a devastating left hook. Silva instantly crumbled, allowing the New York native to unload with several more strikes before the bout was called.

In one fell swoop, Weidman wrested away the title from a dominant champion in decisive fashion and reminded everyone of a timeless tenant in professional prizefighting: Keep your chin tucked and your hands up at all times.

Number 2 » Slam Dunk