Anderson Silva and the Top 10 Most Stunning Sports Comebacks Ever

Chael Sonnen backed up the trash talk against Anderson Silva and had a stunning upset in his grasp.  Suddenly, Silva pulled off a triangle choke against Sonnen to rally to a dramatic win by submission and preserve his dominance in UFC 117.

Silva's comeback had all of the dramatic elements of classic comebacks throughout the history of sports.  It provided yet another example of incredible perseverance that has produced an abundance of memorable moments.

Here's a look at ten of the most shocking comebacks in sports:

No. 10: Tracy McGrady's 13 Points in 35 Seconds

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HOUSTON - APRIL 21: Tracy McGrady #1 of the Houston Rockets takes a jump shot against the Utah Jazz in Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2008 NBA Playoffs at the Toyota Center on April 21, 2008 in Houston, Texas. The Jazz won 9

Although McGrady's feat wasn't on the biggest of stages, what he did on a Friday night in December of 2004 is without doubt one of the most shocking performances in sports history.

The sleepy T-Mac found a spark in the closing minutes with his Rockets trailing the Spurs by ten.  After the lead was cut to six, McGrady connected on a four-point play.  He drilled two more long threes after the Spurs hit free throws and then found the ball in his hands in the closing seconds with Houston still trailing by two.

McGrady pulled up from well beyond the 3-point ark and splashed a long three as time expired to give the Rockets an improbable 81-80 win.

No. 9: Illinois Rallies to Advance to the 2005 Final Four

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CHICAGO - MARCH 26: Channing Frye #45 of the Arizona Wildcats rushes to cover as Deron Williams #5 of the Illinois Fighting Illini hits the game tying three point basket to send the game into overtime in the Chicago Regional Final in the NCAA Division I

Arizona's talented squad had dominated Illinois for 36 minutes and held a comfortable 15-point lead with over four minutes left.  Then, everything fell apart.

Dee Brown, Luther Head and Deron Williams started hitting 3-pointers and quickly clawed back into the game.  Williams connected on three to force overtime and Illinois prevailed 90-89.

Like most comebacks, the Illini's amazing rally was added the the Wildcats' complete collapse, which included untimely turnovers and several missed layups by star Channing Frye.

No. 8: Michael Chang Beats Ivan Lendl

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PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 27: Michael Chang of the USA salutes the crowd after losing his first round match against Fabrice Santoro of France during the second day of the French Open on May 27, 2003 at Roland Garros in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segret

A young American named Michael Chang met World No. 1 Ivan Lendl in the French Open and seemed completely outclassed. Chang fell behind while battling leg cramps and dehydration before rallying to stun Lendl.

Chang rode the momentum to his only Grand Slam title and became one of the most popular players in America for the better part of a decade.

No. 7: Kentucky Overcomes 31 Point Hole to Shock LSU

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1 Apr 1996: Guard Tony Delk of Kentucky University dribbles the ball up the court during the Wildcats 76-67 win over Syacuse University for the National Championship at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger/AL

Kentucky wasn't just behind by 31 points, there were behind by 31 points early in the second half and playing far below expectations.

Somehow, the 'Cats embarked on a comeback after trailing 68-37 by launching 3-pointer after 3-pointer. Kentucky hit back-to-back threes to pull within three three points with two minutes left.

After Kentucky took the lead, Tony Delk sealed the comeback with a pair of free throws. The Wildcats outscored LSU 62-27 in the second half to win 99-95.

No. 6: Islanders Stun the Penguins in 1975 Conference Finals

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UNIONDALE, NY - JANUARY 27: Former New York Islanders player Ed Westfall walks to center ice to drop the puck for the ceremonial opening face off before the game against the Buffalo Sabres on January 27, 2007 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Th

The Islanders were trailed the Penguins 3-0 and appeared ready to roll over and die. But after not having a lead for even a single second in the first three games, the Islanders rallied to win four straight contests and flipped the script to dominate the Pens'.

Ed Westfall broke a scoreless tie with a goal late in Game 7 to complete the Islanders' stunning comeback.

No. 5: Maryland Stuns Miami

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2 Dec 1990: Quarterback Frank Reich of the Buffalo Bills looks to pass the ball during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills won the game, 30-23.

Frank Reich's accomplishments as a rally-leading quarterback have ensured him a place in history.

The first of his two most memorable comebacks came against Bernie Kosar and a powerful Miami Hurricanes team in 1984.

Reich came into the game with his Maryland team trailing 31-0. The Terps' chipped away and made things interesting as Reich scored four touchdowns in the second half.

The comeback was capped off by a 68-yard touchdown pass to Greg Hill that was nearly intercepted by Miami. Maryland won 42-40 in what is arguably the greatest comeback in college football history.

No. 4: Flyers Rally from 3-0 Deficit to Shock Bruins

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BOSTON - MAY 14: Simon Gagne #12 of the Philadelphia Flyers is congratulated by teammates on the bench after he scored the game winning goal in the third period against the Boston Celtics in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2010

Philadelphia seemed destined for another bitter disappointment until the unthinkable happened.

The Flyers reeled off four straight wins over the favored Bruins and secured a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals thanks to a heroic performance by Simon Gagne.

Game 7 itself featured an ironic comeback, when the Flyers were forced to rally from a three-goal deficit before winning on Gagne's goal.

Just like that, the team that needed to win a shootout in the final game of the regular season to even make the playoffs had advanced to hockey's greatest stage.

No. 3: Reggie Miller Chokes the Knicks

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LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 24: Former NBA star Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers and film maker Spike Lee look on during the NBA game between the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center on November 24, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOT

Reggie Miller's legend as a Knick-killer was cemented with his performance in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Knicks led by by six points with 18.7 seconds left in regulation.  Miller hit a 3-pointer, then got away with a clear foul before stealing the ball, stepping back and hitting another three to tie the game.

Reggie capped off his masterful performance with a go-ahead three and two free throws.  The image of Miller wrapping his hands around his throat and glaring at Spike Lee remains one of the most iconic scenes in NBA history.

No. 2: Reich Does it Again, Leads Bills Over Oilers

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18 Dec 1994: Quarterback Frank Reich of the Buffalo Bills looks to pass the ball during a game against the New England Patriots at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. The Patriots won the game, 41-17.

Things weren't looking good for the Bills in the 1993 AFC Championship game. The team trailed 35-3 early in the second half and star quarterback Jim Kelly was out of the game with an injury.

Enter Frank Reich, who slowly began helping the Bills chip away. Reich got some help from Andre Reed and Oilers quarterback Warren Moon, who threw two ill-timed interceptions.

Steve Christie capped off the crazy comeback with a field goal in overtime to send the Bills to the Super Bowl and solidify Reich's place in history.

No. 1: The Red Sox Stun the Yankees

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ST LOUIS - OCTOBER 27: Dave Roberts #31 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with the trophy over his head as he rides on the shoulders of teammate Mike Timlin #50 following the victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in game four of the World Series on October

Was there any doubt?

Of all the comebacks in the modern history of sports, the Red Sox win over the Yankees will go down as the most memorable. It provided colossal spectacle and seemed to instantly erase the Bronx Bombers' decade of dominance.

The Red Sox got heroic performances for almost every man on the roster, but none stood out more than what pinch-runner Dave Roberts did when he entered Game 4.

With everyone in the world knowing that Roberts was planning to steal to put the tying run at second base, Roberts shook of the pressure and the rust of not having played in ten days to make it to second. He came around to score to tie the game and give the Red Sox hope.

The rest is history.