Introduction
UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz 2. August 6, 2011. Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event was expected to feature Jon Jones’ first LHW title defence against Rashad Evans, but Jones suffered a hand injury that kept him out until September. Evans accepted a rescheduled main event against Tito Ortiz instead.
Rashad Evans stopped
Vitor Belfort knocked out Yoshihiro Akiyama in round one. Brian Ebersole beat Dennis Hallman. Alexander Gustafsson stopped Matt Hamill in round two. Rory MacDonald TKO’d Mike Pyle in round one.
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 6, 2011
Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Attendance: 11,583
Main Event: Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz — LHW (original: Jones vs. Evans for LHW title; Jones withdrew with hand injury)
Result: Evans def. Ortiz — TKO (Knee + Punches) — R2, 4:48; Evans earns #1 LHW contender
Notable: Vitor Belfort KOs Akiyama R1; Gustafsson TKOs Hamill R2; Rory MacDonald TKOs Pyle R1; $70k bonuses
The Build-Up
UFC 133 underwent multiple main event changes. Jon Jones was scheduled to make his LHW title defence against Rashad Evans. Jones’ hand injury forced him out. Evans accepted a fight against Phil Davis, but Davis then suffered a knee injury.
Main Event
Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz II — Light Heavyweight
Tito Ortiz took
Co-Main Event
Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama — Middleweight
Belfort landed a right hand that dropped Akiyama inside the first minute of round one. He followed with more punches on the ground and Yamasaki stopped the fight. The KO Night bonus went to Belfort. There was post-fight controversy over whether the final shots landed behind Akiyama’s head, but the result stood.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Mike Brown def. Nam Phan — Decision (Split) — R3 — FW
Ivan Menjivar def. Nick Pace — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — BW
Chad Mendes def. Rani Yahya — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — FW
Johny Hendricks def. Mike Pierce — TKO — R? — WW
Rafael Natal def. Paul Bradley — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — MW
Main Card
Rashad Evans def.
Alexander Gustafsson def. Matt Hamill — TKO — R2 — LHW
Rory MacDonald def. Mike Pyle — TKO — R1 — WW
Brian Ebersole def. Dennis Hallman — TKO — R? — WW; bonus ($70k to Ebersole)
Vitor Belfort def. Yoshihiro Akiyama — KO — R1 — MW; Co-Main; KO Night ($70k to Belfort)
Costas Philippou def. Jorge Rivera — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — MW
Main Event — Light Heavyweight
Rashad Evans def.
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Rashad Evans vs.
KO of the Night: Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama — $70,000 to Belfort.
Extra Bonus: Brian Ebersole — $70,000.
Records & Milestones
Rashad Evans earns LHW #1 contender slot — returns from 15 months out with a TKO win; first LHW Evans-Jones title fight scheduled for UFC 135.
No title fight on card — second UFC numbered PPV without a title fight in 2011 (after UFC 130).
Legacy & Impact
Rashad Evans's UFC 133 performance settled two questions: he was still a top-five LHW after 15 months away, and he was ready for Jon Jones. The knee to Ortiz’s body was a smart, high-quality strike. Evans looked better in round two than he had in round one, which is the best thing you can say about a fighter returning from a long absence.
Tito Ortiz had submitted Bader at UFC 132 and nearly caught Evans at UFC 133. Back-to-back performances against top-ten opponents proved Ortiz had something left. He said post-fight that he took his hat off to Evans and told him to go win the title.
FAQ
Why was there no LHW title fight at UFC 133?
Jon Jones suffered a hand injury that prevented his scheduled first title defence against Rashad Evans. Evans accepted a fight against Phil Davis instead, but Davis withdrew with a knee injury. Tito Ortiz stepped in as the main event opponent.
What was the outcome of Evans vs Ortiz 2?
Rashad Evans won by TKO at 4:48 of round two. After escaping an Ortiz guillotine, Evans landed a brutal knee to the body followed by ground and pound. Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight.
What happened in Evans vs Ortiz at UFC 73?
Their first fight at UFC 73 in July 2007 ended in a split draw — the UFC 133 main event was the rematch seven years later.
Was Vitor Belfort's KO of Akiyama at UFC 133 controversial?
Yes. Belfort landed punches that may have included strikes to the back of Akiyama's head. Post-fight commentary debated the legality of the finish, but the result was not overturned.
Who did Rashad Evans fight after UFC 133?
Evans was named the #1 LHW contender after UFC 133 and was scheduled to fight Jon Jones for the UFC LHW Championship at UFC 135 in September 2011.