LAS VEGAS — For several rounds, it looked as if Anderson Silva might pull off the storybook finish in what he said was probably his final UFC fight.
Then, reality, and Uriah Hall, struck.
Hall stopped Silva with a fourth-round knockout, landing a right that dropped the former middleweight champion and then finished him on the ground. Referee Herb Dean pulled Hall off at 1:24 of the first.
Immediately, Hall went down on all fours in front of Silva in a show of respect for one of the greatest fighters in the sport’s history.
Silva looked good early and seemed to be getting the better of Hall, particularly with his kicks.