On this day in 2011, the co-main event of UFC 132 ended in just 27 seconds.
Chris Leben featured on the very first season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ before going on to fight 22 times inside the Octagon.
Leben famously welcomed Anderson Silva to the UFC, along with facing off against the likes of Michael Bisping before retiring from combat sports in 2021.
The 44-year-old now works as a judge, with fans celebrating when Leben received his first UFC title fight assignment earlier this year.
At UFC 132, the knockout artist would record the biggest win of his career when he came up against a fighter that was feared thanks to his incredible run in Japan.
Chris Leben faceplanted Wanderlei Silva in 27 seconds following a wild exchange
At UFC 132, Chris Leben looked to bounce back from a knockout loss to Brian Stann which had ended his three-fight win streak.
Standing in the opposite corner was a legend of the sport who had already achieved a Hall of Fame-worthy career before making his way to the Octagon.
Wanderlei Silva’s UFC run was as chaotic as you may imagine for ‘The Axe Murderer’, with the Brazilian brawler dishing out and being on the receiving end of some devastating knockouts.
After beating Michael Bisping at UFC 110, his return on July 2 of 2011 firmly fell into the latter category.
Silva quickly started to unleash wild combinations in typical berserker fashion before the Brazilian was caught by a big left hand as he rushed in.
With one hand on the back of his opponent’s head, Leben unleashed a series of devastating uppercuts that eventually sent Silva face down to the floor, unaware of what had just happened.
In what would end up being his final win inside the Octagon, Leben added the greatest highlight of his career.
Chris Leben thanks his ‘hero’ Wanderlei Silva in his overjoyed post-fight interview
During his post-fight interview, Joe Rogan told an excited Chris Leben that he had just recorded the biggest win of his career after calling for this matchup.
Leben used the final moments of his time on the mic to pay tribute to his former opponent who was beloved by the fans whether he won or lost.
“Wanderlei, I love you. You are my hero. Thank you for honoring me with that fight.”
Leben would go on to fight four more times inside the Octagon, departing the UFC in 2013 before making a brief return to competition with several appearances in BKFC.