Anderson Silva vs Stephan Bonnar — Fight recap

Anderson Silva dismantled Stephan Bonnar with a first-round TKO at 4:40, landing a knockdown en route to a dominant striking performance on October 13, 2012. Silva connected on 19 of 27 significant strikes (70%) while Bonnar managed only 12 of 43 (27%), a stark differential that reflected the middleweight champion's superior accuracy and timing.

Silva's head strikes proved particularly effective, landing 15 of 23 attempts, while controlling minimal cage time at just 21 seconds—a testament to his efficient stand-up approach. Bonnar's wrestling offered no threat, failing all three takedown attempts and landing just 2 of 7 body strikes before referee Marc Goddard stopped the action.

The lopsided striking efficiency and early finish reinforced Silva's dominance during his title reign, though the matchup raised questions about Bonnar's viability at middleweight against elite competition.