There is nothing the sports fan loves more than a well executed comeback.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is among the fastest growing professional sports in the world right now and part of the world wide appeal is the sheer unpredictability of the martial art. It's one of the things that makes being a spectator so enjoyable. Even when points become an unsurmountable task, both competitors always have a shot to win. 

The threat of submission never goes away from the first second to the last. It doesn't matter how many points are on the board it's all irrelevant after the tap.

Romulo Barral vs Patrick Gaudio

There have been a plethora of matches in the past two years that illustrate a great comeback but let's try to break down what it is exactly that makes a standout comeback.

What makes it special?

When Erberth Santos competed against Felipe Pena in the 2016 European Absolute semi finals the match looked finished at one point. Erberth, who is one of the most intense competitors in the game, had Pena in a deep arm bar. With the arm torqued well past 180 degrees.

The match was over. But the Gracie Barra star gutted it out and the tap never came and Erberth continued to put the pressure on him. 

To everyone watching the match the outcome looked clear: a dominant victory for the surging young black belt Erberth Santos. Except Pena had other plans. Plans of a comeback so epic it would be talked about even a full year later. 

With Romulo screaming from his corner, quietly Pena began to mount a comeback culminating in a collar choke that brought the entire arena to it's feet.

Felipe Pena vs Erberth Santos

Certain defeat. Unsurmountable odds. Exhilarating finish. All the ingredients for a great comeback.

Whether it's Anderson Silva over Chael Sonnen or Chad Mendes over Jeff Glover a great comeback crosses all language, cultural and sport boundaries. Almost everyone can appreciate the overwhelming task of winning when you're losing.

Chad Mendes vs Jeff Glover