Michael Bisping says Chael Sonnen gave him an out-of-body experience in 2012 UFC showdown
Michael Bisping was knocked into hallucination by Chael Sonnen
Sonnenâs left hand had more of an impact than most realized.
During a recent appearance on Sky TV, Bisping explained how one punch from Sonnen transported him to another dimension.
âHe took me down, I was trying to get back to my feet. Bang. He hits me with a proper good shot,â Bisping said. âI swear to God, this is not a joke. Momentarily, I was transported, I was in the middle of a field, on a bike, riding through a field on a bike with golden flowers everywhereâŠ
âAll of a sudden I come back to it and Iâm like, âIâm in the f****** Octagon!â (h/t MMA Knockout)
Sonnen went on to win the fight over Bisping by unanimous decision. Six months later, Sonnen faced Anderson Silva in their UFC 148 title rematch.
Bisping and Sonnen entered the UFC Hall of Fame in recent years. Both also serve as top UFC analysts as part of ESPNâs MMA coverage.
Despite the loss to Sonnen, Bisping earned the UFC middleweight title four years later, by knocking out Luke Rockhold at UFC 199. He took the title fight on daysâ notice following Chris Weidmanâs withdrawal due to injury.
Bisping defended the UFC middleweight title against Dan Henderson before losing it to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217. He retired following a loss to Kelvin Gastelum in Nov. 2017.
Sonnen wasnât known for his striking during his UFC tenure, as an elite wrestling standout. But, his output against Bisping forced the UK legend to return from an alternate state of consciousness.
