If you look back at that fight though, Henderson gave Silva some trouble in the first round. If Sonnen can learn from the mistakes of Henderson, he can definitely shock the world and claim UFC gold in another huge upset.

Let us not overlook "The Phenom" though. If Belfort were to send Silva crashing down to the canvas in Abu Dhabi then he will be the one Sonnen will face for the championship. Belfort knocked out Sonnen's coach and Team Quest founder Matt Lindland at Affliction 2: Day of Reckoning so Sonnen must be wary of Belfort's lightning fast hand-speed and thunderous knockout power.

Although as talented as Belfort is, he would be an easier draw for Sonnen than Silva would be. We've seen Belfort mentally breakdown before when the pressure is put on him. He has been overwhelmed in previous fights against powerful wrestlers in Randy Couture and the aforementioned "Hollywood" Henderson.
If Sonnen can weather Belfort's early storm, he can without doubt impose his will much like he did against Marquardt and claim the UFC middleweight championship in the process.

He may not look like much, but rest assured Chael Sonnen is a bad matchup for anyone in the middleweight division and it would not be entirely surprising to see him with UFC gold around his waist before year's end.