UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Ariel Helwhiney
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2. August 28, 2010. TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. The first UFC event in Massachusetts. Frankie Edgar retained the UFC Lightweight Championship against BJ Penn by unanimous decision — 50-45 on all three scorecards. This time, there was no controversy. Edgar dominated every round, taking Penn down multiple times and out-striking him throughout all five rounds.
Randy Couture submitted boxing legend James Toney with a rear-naked choke at 3:19 of round one. Couture took Toney down on the first exchange. It was Couture’s last fight in the UFC. Gray Maynard defeated Kenny Florian by unanimous decision to earn the number one contender spot at lightweight.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: August 28, 2010
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (first UFC in Massachusetts)
Attendance: 14,168
Main Event: Frankie Edgar (c) vs. BJ Penn — UFC LW Championship (5 rounds; rematch of UFC 112)
Result: Frankie Edgar def. Penn — UD (50-45 x3) — R5, 5:00 — no controversy; Edgar dominant throughout
Notable: Randy Couture subs Toney R1 (Couture’s last fight); Maynard earns LW title shot; Palhares heel hooks Marquardt; $60k bonuses
The Build-Up
The first fight at UFC 112 had been rated close by some judges. BJ Penn and his camp felt the result was debatable. The UFC agreed to an immediate rematch, staged in Boston, Massachusetts, where the UFC had never previously held an event.
Randy Couture vs. James Toney was the card’s most commercially unique matchup. Toney was a three-division world boxing champion making his MMA debut. Couture was a 47-year-old UFC legend who had said this would be his final fight.
Main Event
Frankie Edgar (c) vs. BJ Penn — UFC Lightweight Championship
BJ Penn was more aggressive from the start than at UFC 112. He landed an uppercut in round one and looked sharper on the feet. But Edgar continued to use his speed and movement, scored takedowns in multiple rounds, and controlled the pace across all five rounds. The scores — 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 — left no room for doubt. Penn was beaten clearly and comprehensively.
BJ Penn was the second man ever to defeat Penn in the lightweight division (after Jens Pulver) and the second fighter to beat Penn twice in his career (after Georges St-Pierre).
Co-Main Event
Randy Couture vs. James Toney — Heavyweight
Randy Couture and James Toney touched gloves, Couture shot a single-leg immediately, and Toney was on the canvas in seconds. Couture mounted and locked in the rear-naked choke at 3:19 of round one. Toney had no answer for even basic MMA grappling. The fight illustrated clearly why boxing pedigree alone is insufficient in mixed martial arts.
Randy Couture had told the media this would be his final UFC fight. He retired after the Toney victory at age 47, having won UFC titles at both heavyweight and light heavyweight.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Joe Lauzon def. Gabe Ruediger — Submission — R1 — LW
Nick Osipczak def. Greg Soto — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00 — WW
Andre Winner def. Nik Lentz — Decision — R3, 5:00 — LW
Thiago Alves def. Mike Pierce — Decision — R3, 5:00 — WW
Main Card
Nate Diaz def. Marcus Davis — Submission — R1 — LW; Fight of the Night ($60k each)
Demian Maia def. Mario Miranda — Submission — R3 — MW
Gray Maynard def. Kenny Florian — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) — LW; Maynard earns LW title shot
Rousimar Palhares def. Nate Marquardt — Submission (Heel Hook) — R3, 1:51 — MW; Marquardt leg injury
Randy Couture def. James Toney — Submission (RNC) — R1, 3:19 — HW; Co-Main; Toney’s MMA debut; Couture’s last UFC fight
UFC LW Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event
Frankie Edgar def. BJ Penn — UD (50-45 x3) — R5, 5:00 — Edgar retains LW title; dominant; no controversy
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis — $60,000 to each fighter.
Sub of the Night: Rousimar Palhares vs. Nate Marquardt — $60,000 to Palhares.
Note: No Knockout of the Night was awarded as no bouts ended by KO.
Records & Milestones
First UFC in Massachusetts — TD Garden, Boston.
BJ Penn loses LW title rematch 50-45 x3 — the most decisive two-fight sequence in LW title history; Penn’s era definitively ended.
Randy Couture's last UFC fight — retired at 47; career encompassed two HW championship reigns and one LHW championship.
Gray Maynard earns LW title shot — the only fighter to have beaten Edgar (UFC Fight Night 13); title fight booked for UFC 125 in January 2011.
Legacy & Impact
Frankie Edgar’s rematch win removed every qualification from his title claim. The first fight had been close enough to generate doubt; the second was not. BJ Penn could not land a significant shot in the fifth round. Edgar’s speed, takedowns, and accuracy had become the answer to Penn’s power at every moment across all ten rounds of their combined UFC 112 and UFC 118 performances.
Randy Couture's dismissal of James Toney in 3:19 became a reference point for the argument that boxing credentials mean nothing in MMA without wrestling defence. Toney was one of boxing’s great all-time talents. He was made to tap in the first exchange. The fight confirmed what UFC fans had assumed and gave the argument its clearest empirical proof.
FAQ
Was there controversy in the UFC 118 main event?
No. Unlike UFC 112, the rematch at UFC 118 was decided clearly. All three judges scored it 50-45 for Edgar. Edgar took Penn down multiple times and out-struck him across all five rounds.
Was UFC 118 the first UFC event in Boston?
Yes. UFC 118 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts was the first UFC event held in the state of Massachusetts.
How did Randy Couture beat James Toney?
Couture shot a single-leg takedown on the first exchange, mounted, and rear-naked choked Toney at 3:19 of round one. Toney had no wrestling defence. It was Couture's last UFC fight.
Why did Gray Maynard fight at UFC 118?
Maynard fought and defeated Kenny Florian by unanimous decision to become the number one contender for the UFC Lightweight Championship. He earned the title shot because he was the only fighter on record to have defeated champion Frankie Edgar (at UFC Fight Night 13 in 2008).
What was significant about Palhares vs Marquardt at UFC 118?
Rousimar Palhares submitted Nate Marquardt with a heel hook at 1:51 of round three. Marquardt suffered a leg injury in the process. Palhares earned $60,000 for Submission of the Night.
References
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