UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Dana Black
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch. February 27, 2011. Acer Arena, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The second UFC event in Sydney — and the fastest-selling event in UFC history at the time. 18,186 fans attended. Gate: $3.5 million. BJ Penn and Jon Fitch fought to a majority draw — 29-28 for Fitch, 28-28, 28-28 — the second draw in UFC history following the Edgar-Maynard draw at UFC 125 in January 2011.
Michael Bisping defeated Jorge Rivera by TKO in round two, but landed an illegal knee to Rivera’s head in round one and had a point deducted. Mark Hunt won his first UFC fight with a KO of Chris Tuchscherer. Kyle Noke submitted Chris Camozzi in 1:35 in front of the home crowd. Dennis Siver defeated Australian favourite George Sotiropoulos.
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: February 27, 2011 (February 26 USA; time zone difference)
Venue: Acer Arena (now Qudos Bank Arena), Sydney, NSW, Australia (second UFC in Sydney; fastest-selling UFC event)
Attendance: 18,186; Gate: $3,500,000
Main Event: BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch — Welterweight
Result: MAJORITY DRAW (29-28 Fitch, 28-28, 28-28) — second draw in UFC history; Fitch outlanded Penn 149-2 in R3
Notable: Bisping illegal knee on Rivera; Mark Hunt’s first UFC win KO; Noke sub Camozzi at home; $75k bonuses
The Build-Up
The card carried enormous Australian significance. Kyle Noke, George Sotiropoulos, James Te Huna, and Anthony Perosh were all on the card. Sotiropoulos had won FOTN at UFC 110 against Joe Stevenson at the same venue. Rivera had made elaborate pre-fight mocking videos targeting Bisping’s character and style.
Main Event
BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch — Welterweight
BJ Penn dominated round one with submission attempts, nearly finishing Fitch with a rear-naked choke. Fitch survived and took over from round two. In round three, Fitch outlanded Penn 149-2 in total strikes and dominated the full five minutes with wrestling and ground and pound. The scores were one 29-28 for Fitch and two 28-28 draws. Majority draw.
Most observers felt Fitch had done enough to win, particularly given his round-three dominance. BJ Penn had been transitioning to welterweight after losing the LW title to Edgar; the draw confirmed neither fighter had made a decisive title case.
Co-Main Event
Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera — Middleweight
Bisping was ahead on the scorecard in round one when he landed an illegal knee to Rivera’s head while Rivera was a grounded opponent. Rivera was given five minutes to recover. Bisping was deducted one point. Rivera came out for round two but could not defend effectively; Bisping stopped him by TKO. The finish was controversial given Rivera’s incomplete recovery from the illegal strike.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Tiequan Zhang def. Joel Reinhardt — Decision — R3, 5:00
Anthony Perosh vs. Ryan Blackledge — Decision — R3, 5:00 — LHW
James Te Huna vs. Alexander Gustafsson — TKO — R1 — Gustafsson TKOs Te Huna; LHW
Ross Pearson def. Spencer Fisher — Decision — R3, 5:00 — LW
Curt Warburton def. Mateusz Jewtuszko — Decision — R3, 5:00
Main Card
Kyle Noke def. Chris Camozzi — Submission (RNC) — R1, 1:35 — MW; Sub Night ($75k to Noke; home crowd favourite)
Dennis Siver def. George Sotiropoulos — Decision — R3, 5:00 — LW; Sotiropoulos loses at home
Mark Hunt def. Chris Tuchscherer — KO — R1 — HW; Hunt’s first UFC win; KO Night ($75k to Hunt)
Brian Ebersole def. Chris Lytle — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — WW; Fight of the Night ($75k each; Ebersole replaced injured Condit)
Michael Bisping def. Jorge Rivera — TKO — R2 — MW; Co-Main; Bisping illegal knee R1 (point deducted)
Main Event — Welterweight
BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch — MAJORITY DRAW (29-28 Fitch, 28-28, 28-28) — R3, 5:00; second draw in UFC history
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Brian Ebersole vs. Chris Lytle — $75,000 to each fighter.
KO of the Night: Mark Hunt vs. Chris Tuchscherer — $75,000 to Hunt.
Sub of the Night: Kyle Noke vs. Chris Camozzi — $75,000 to Noke.
Records & Milestones
Second UFC draw in history — BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch; majority draw; followed the Edgar-Maynard draw at UFC 125 by 31 days; two draws in 31 days in UFC history.
Second UFC in Sydney — fastest-selling event in UFC history (tied with UFC 115); 18,186 fans; $3.5M gate.
Mark Hunt’s first UFC win — KO of Tuchscherer; redeemed his submission loss to Sean McCorkle at UFC 119; beginning of a resurgent UFC HW career.
Legacy & Impact
BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch produced MMA’s second draw in the span of one month. Two title-calibre fighters were incapable of separating themselves across 15 minutes. Fitch’s wrestling dominance in round three left the outcome contested but the statistical advantage clear. Penn’s submission work in round one had nearly finished the fight. The draw resolved nothing.
Mark Hunt’s UFC 127 KO was the beginning of a career renaissance that made him one of the division’s most popular and feared fighters through to the mid-2010s. The K-1 legend had been submitted at UFC 119 and was at the lowest point of his MMA career. The Tuchscherer KO reversed the narrative.
FAQ
Was UFC 127 the fastest-selling event in UFC history?
Yes. UFC 127 tickets sold out moments after going on public sale on December 16, 2010, selling faster than UFC 110. It tied with UFC 115 as the fastest-selling event in UFC history.
What happened with the illegal knee at UFC 127?
Michael Bisping landed an illegal knee to the head of Jorge Rivera in round one while Rivera was a grounded opponent. Bisping was deducted one point. Rivera was given five minutes to recover. Bisping won by TKO in round two, which remained controversial given Rivera's incomplete recovery.
Was Penn vs Fitch only the second draw in UFC history?
Yes. The Penn-Fitch majority draw at UFC 127 was only the second draw in UFC history, following the Edgar-Maynard split draw at UFC 125 just 31 days earlier.
Was UFC 127 Penn vs Fitch the first UFC draw at welterweight?
Yes. The Penn-Fitch draw was the first draw at welterweight in UFC history.
Was Mark Hunt's UFC 127 win his first in the UFC?
Yes. Mark Hunt's KO of Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 127 was his first UFC victory, following his submission loss to Sean McCorkle at UFC 119 in his UFC debut.
References
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