Terry Martin makes his comeback to the cage at XFO 59, and while fight fans remember Terry from his TV fights with the WEC and UFC, very few remember that he fought Chael Sonnen at XFO 4 in 2004. Sonnen had already fought some big names like Jeremy Horn, Babalu Sobral, and Forrest Griffin, but Martin broke him that night in lovely Lakemoor. Sonnen’s protruding rib is famous, and it was Terry Martin who made it that way.

“I remember the fight like the back of my hand,” Martin told Chicago’s MMA. “Chael is much older than me, he’s a Division-I All-American wrestler. The guy who started over me beat him for 7th and 8th place. He was also an Olympic alternate. I knew how he wrestled and I studied him for years. When I fought him, I didn’t want him to know I was a D-I wrestler too. So I fought him in my high school gym shorts. I was taken down only once in that fight. I beat him bad, broke his rib with a body shot. Yes, I’m the reason his rib sticks out. Yes, that’s my work. After he couldn’t come out for the third round he told me I was the hardest guy he ever faced and I tricked him. He knew I was a D-1 wrestler after I kept taking him down with ease.”

That XFO 4 card was filled with future stars and fighters that went on to fight for the biggest promotions. The main event featured hard-hitting Bart Palaszewski, who knocked out Virgil Strzelecki in the first round. Also on the card that night:

Clay Guida (UFC, Strikeforce)

Jason Guida (Bellator, WEC, The Ultimate Fighter)

Nick Thompson (Bellator, Strikeforce, UFC, Sengoku, Elite XC)

Roger Huerta (UFC, Bellator, One FC)

Tara LaRosa (Invicta, Hook N’ Shoot, RFA, The Ultimate Fighter)

Naoyuki Kotani (UFC, Rings, PRIDE)

Watch Terry Martin in his comeback fight against Bobby Galvan at XFO 59, Friday at the UIC Forum, or catch the replay on UFC Fight Pass. Visit XFOMMA.com for tickets, or purchase them at the UIC Forum Box Office.