The Blog

 Introduction UFC 33: Victory in Vegas. September 28, 2001. Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC’s first event in Las Vegas, and the first under the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s sanctioning of mixed martial arts. Seventeen days after the September 11 attacks, the promotion ran its most ambitious card yet: three title fights, 9,500 fans, and a gate of $816,660. It did not go well. The card was widely criticised for delivering too many decisions in five-round title fights.

 Introduction UFC 32: Showdown in the Meadowlands. June 29, 2001. Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey. The card was headlined by the first Light Heavyweight Championship bout under the division’s new name — the weight class had previously been called Middleweight. Tito Ortiz stopped Elvis Sinosic with punches and elbows from the mount in 3:32 of the first round, extending his dominant run at the top of the division. B.J. Penn stopped Din Thomas in the first round in the co-ma

 Introduction UFC 31: Locked and Loaded. May 4, 2001. Mark G. Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey. The second event under Zuffa ownership, and the card that introduced the modern UFC weight class structure. Bantamweight was renamed Lightweight and raised from 150 to 155 pounds. Welterweight became fixed at 170, Middleweight at 185, Light Heavyweight at 205. The new UFC logo appeared on the Octagon canvas for the first time. The card featured two title fights and a generation of debuts. B.J. P

 Introduction UFC 30: Battle on the Boardwalk. February 23, 2001. Mark G. Etess Arena at the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey. The first UFC event under Zuffa ownership. On January 11, 2001, Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White had purchased the UFC from SEG for $2 million. Six weeks later, UFC 30 was their opening statement. It was also the first UFC event since UFC 22 to receive a home video release — five consecutive cards under SEG had gone unreleased. The card featured two ti

 Introduction UFC 29: Defense of the Belts. December 16, 2000. Differ Ariake Arena, Tokyo. The last UFC event held in Japan — the promotion would not return until UFC 144 in 2012. Two title defences headlined: Tito Ortiz submitted Yuki Kondo in 1:52 to retain the Light Heavyweight Championship; Pat Miletich submitted Kenichi Yamamoto in the second round to defend the Welterweight title. The first UFC card with music between rounds, and Frank Shamrock again in the broadcast booth. The most memora

 Introduction UFC 28: High Stakes. November 17, 2000. Mark G. Etess Arena at the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey. The first UFC event sanctioned by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board — the body whose approval produced the framework that would become the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Fighters were required to wear trunks and gloves. Strict weight classes were enforced. A Super Heavyweight division appeared for the only time in UFC history. The sport looked, finally, lik

 Introduction UFC 27: Ultimate Bad Boyz. September 22, 2000. Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana. The main event was a demonstration of how far the sport had evolved. Dan Severn — a former UFC Superfight Champion, a multiple-time title contender, one of the most decorated amateur wrestlers in American history — faced Pedro Rizzo, a Brazilian kickboxer who had been building toward the heavyweight title across his last four fights. Rizzo stopped Severn at 1:33 of the first round by verbal subm

 Introduction UFC 26: Ultimate Field of Dreams. June 9, 2000. Five Seasons Events Center (U.S. Cellular Center), Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kevin Randleman finally got his title defence, three months after he knocked himself unconscious on a concrete floor before UFC 24. He defeated Pedro Rizzo by unanimous decision over five rounds, retaining the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Pat Miletich defended the Welterweight Championship. And Jens Pulver fought in the first-ever UFC bantamweight bout — one of th

 Introduction UFC 25: Ultimate Japan 3. April 14, 2000. Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo. Frank Shamrock had vacated the Middleweight Championship after UFC 22, citing a lack of competition. The belt sat vacant for months while two of the sport’s emerging stars were matched to determine his successor. Tito Ortiz, fresh off three dominant UFC wins, faced Wanderlei Silva, the Brazilian knockout artist who had made his UFC debut at UFC 20. Ortiz won by unanimous decision after five rounds, becoming

 Introduction UFC 24: First Defense. March 10, 2000. Lake Charles Civic Center, Louisiana. The name referred to a scheduled Heavyweight Championship bout between Kevin Randleman and Pedro Rizzo — Randleman’s first title defence since winning the belt at UFC 23. It never happened. While warming up backstage, Randleman slipped on the concrete floor, struck his head, and knocked himself unconscious. He was taken by ambulance to hospital, diagnosed with a concussion, and declared unfit to compete. T

 Introduction UFC 23: Ultimate Japan 2. November 19, 1999. Tokyo Bay NK Hall, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan. Kevin Randleman, who most of the MMA world believed had won his title fight against Bas Rutten at UFC 20 only to be denied by the judges, got his second chance. Opposite Pete Williams, the man who had shocked Mark Coleman with a head kick at UFC 17, Randleman went five full rounds and won the Heavyweight Championship on a unanimous decision. Justice, or at least a version of it. UFC 23 was also h

 Introduction UFC 22: There Can Be Only One Champion. September 24, 1999. Lake Charles Civic Center, Louisiana. The main event between Frank Shamrock and Tito Ortiz was immediately recognised as one of the greatest fights in MMA history. It had everything: Ortiz's size and wrestling, Shamrock’s movement and kickboxing, a brutal back-and-forth over four rounds, and a finish that came from a sustained offensive sequence of punches, elbows, and hammerfists to the temple that eventually forced the t