If you are a MMA fan, you know the thrill, excitement and intensity the fights give. One of the best things to see is a fighter making a marvelous comeback in the octagon. Whether it’s striking back after a few rounds or pulling themselves from a knockdown, there’s something special about a surprise comeback that amazes MMA enthusiasts. Let us have a look at the greatest comebacks in the history of UFC.
Travis Browne vs. Alistair Overeem
Alistair was coming to this fight after a disappointing loss and wanted to bounce back at UFC Fight Night 26 by knocking out rising star Travis Browne. In the early minutes of the fight, it looked like he would make good on that plan. Overeem managed to close the distance and attacked Travis with knees causing him to double over in pain. Overeem then landed a flurry of punches and knees, for a moment, it looked as if the fight was going to be stopped. But the referee allowed it to continue and somehow Brown stood up and got back to his feet. Now “The Demolition Man” was on the defensive and he appeared to have unloaded everything he had.
Despite being beaten so much, Browne went on the offensive and landed a front kick to his opponent’s body and another kick to his jaw. The third kick made Overeem fall down. He wasn’t able to recover from it, while Browne made an impossible comeback.
Donald Cerrone vs. Melvin Guillard
When Donald Cerrone fought Melvin Guillard at UFC 150 in 2012, his tendency to give early rounds to his opponents cost him the entire fight. Guillard had no intention of letting the fight drag on for long, so he came with a big left hook, which made it appear that Cerrone was on the ropes. “The Young Assassin” didn’t let him recover and landed some big strikes and another left seemed to be enough to put Cerrone away, but somehow he survived.
A few seconds later, the fight was over, but not in Guillard’s favor. Cerrone caught him suddenly with a head kick, sending him to his feet and followed that with a huge right hand that sent him down. No follow-up strikes were needed and the “Cowboy” completed his biggest comeback—straight from the brink of defeat to an emphatic win.
Darren Elkins vs. Mirsad Bektic
At UFC 209, Darren Elkins made one of the best comebacks after taking a big beating. Making a comeback after two rounds and knocking out Bektic in the third round was impossible, even by his standards. Darren was beaten and bloody, the first round in particular was very bad for him. He was getting to his feet before Bektic took him down and simply punished him from top position. The second round wasn’t good either, but the better thing for Elkins was that Bektic began to tire and was unable to knock him out.
“The Damage” slowly started to make a comeback and gained some positional advantage. He quickly grabbed a rear waist lock and landed a pair of big right hands, followed by a head kick that sent Bektic down. No matter how bad the circumstances were, he made a great comeback and didn’t give up.
Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami
UFC 144 was the first UFC show to be televised in Japan in several years, and the Japanese Middleweight Yushin was looking to pick up a victory in front of his country’s people. Facing Tim Boetsch, the Japanese easily won the first two rounds of the fight. It seemed “The Barbarian” simply had no path to victory, but apparently he listened to his corner’s advice, which was to err on the side of caution in the third round and risk getting eliminated in an attempt to take out Okami first. There was risk because loss was the likely outcome. And so instead of standing on the receiving end of Okami’s blows, Boetsch simply passed the aggression on to deliver some clubbing blows.
Okami looked clearly nervous and Boetsch made a comeback, punching inside before securing the clinch to deliver a series of powerful uppercuts. The tables were overturned, Okami went down and was unable to get up again.
Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg
This fight established Matt Hughes as a true UFC superstar. Before this fight, there was a war of words going on between welterweight champion Hughes and challenger Trigg, but when it got to this point, it seemed that Trigg would come out on top. He gave a light blow to Hughes in the beginning. Frank then landed a low blow that went unnoticed by the referee and then dropped Hughes with a follow-up combination. Trigg was completely dominating the champion, a rear naked choke turned Hughes’ face purple, but somehow he escaped the hold and found himself on top.
From there, he tossed Trigg into the air and gave him a running bodyslam before “Twinkle Toes” got his revenge. But when Trigg turned his back, Hughes succeeded where his opponent had failed, locking up a rear naked choke and forcing him to submit. This was an amazing comeback from one of the greatest UFC champions in history.
Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
Anderson Silva was already a renowned fighter in the UFC by the time UFC 117 came around and had already made six successful defenses of his middleweight title. When the fight began, Sonnen threw powerful punches while standing, which troubled Silva. He also took down the champion at will and beat him in four consecutive rounds. “The Spider” used some elbows to cut the challenger, but in the final round, it was a one-sided fight and everyone was pretty sure who was winning this.
Silva had never been dominated like this before. With just two minutes remaining, it looked like Silva’s title was slipping away, but somehow he managed to get his feet up and lock a triangle choke from the bottom. Sonnen fought back, but it was too late, and he had to tap out. Snatching this defeat after being completely dominated in the entire fight was definitely something more than incredible. This comeback is still one of the most epic comebacks in UFC history.
Also Read:- 10 Fastest Finishes Ever in UFC title Fights
