Michael Bisping says Chael Sonnen gave him an out-of-body experience in 2012 UFC showdown

Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping lost more than a fight on the judges’ scorecards in his 2012 bout against Chael Sonnen.

Bisping says he lost his mind against Sonnen inside the UFC Octagon.

In a 2012 No. 1 middleweight contender fight, Bisping and Sonnen put on a three-round show during UFC Fight Night: Evans vs. Davis. It was a back-and-forth war from start to finish, featuring heavy blows traded by the two top middleweights.

Midway through Round 2, Bisping managed to counter Sonnen’s wrestling by getting back up to his feet against the cage. But, as he stood up, Sonnen met him with a massive left hand that landed clean to Bisping’s chin.

Watch the timestamped sequence between Bisping and Sonnen below.

Michael Bisping was knocked into hallucination by Chael Sonnen

Sonnen’s 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.

“He took me down, I was trying to get back to my feet. Bang. He hits me with a proper good shot,” Bisping said. “I 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 everywhere…

“All of a sudden I come back to it and I’m like, ‘I’m in the f****** Octagon!” (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 ESPN’s 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 days’ notice following Chris Weidman’s 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 wasn’t 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.