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. The main event was gone. Fans at the venue and viewers at home watching the live PPV were not informed until the end of the broadcast.
The undercard, which was stronger than the circumstances suggested, continued. Jens Pulver made his first UFC broadcast appearance, winning by TKO. Dave Menne debuted in a decision win that signalled a future UFC championship. Shonie Carter and Ian Freeman appeared for the first time. Dan Severn refereed the preliminary bouts. It was, despite everything, a competent card without its headline fight.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: March 10, 2000
📍 Venue: Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA
❌ Main Event: Kevin Randleman (c) vs. Pedro Rizzo — CANCELLED (Randleman knocked out backstage)
🌟 Debuts: Dave Menne (future UFC MW Champion), Shonie Carter, Ian Freeman; Jens Pulver first televised appearance
📝 Note: Dan Severn refereed the preliminary bouts; fans not notified of main event cancellation until end of broadcast
The Night the Title Fight Didn’t Happen
Randleman had won the Heavyweight Championship at UFC 23 in November 1999. UFC 24 was supposed to be his first defence. It is one of the more bizarre incidents in UFC history: the champion neutralised himself before a single punch was thrown. Backstage, during his warm-up, Randleman stepped on a pipe on the concrete floor, lost his footing, and hit his head on the ground with enough force to render him unconscious. Medical staff revived him. Ambulance. Hospital. Concussion diagnosis. Fight cancelled.
The UFC did not announce the cancellation during the broadcast. Fans who had paid for the PPV watched the undercard to its conclusion and then found out the fight they came for had never been possible. It was an operational failure that compounded the promotion’s already severe financial difficulties under SEG. The fight was eventually rescheduled to UFC 26 in June 2000, where Randleman retained the title against Rizzo by unanimous decision.
Full Results
Preliminary Bouts (refereed by Dan Severn)
Scott Adams def. Ian Freeman — Submission (Heel Hook) — R1, 3:09 (Freeman UFC debut)
Shonie Carter def. Brad Gumm — Decision (Unanimous) — R2, 5:00 (Carter UFC debut)
Main Card
Jens Pulver def. David Velasquez — TKO (Punches) — R2, 2:41 (Pulver’s first televised UFC appearance)
Bob Cook def. Tiki Ghosn — Submission (RNC) — R2, 1:29
Dave Menne def. Fabiano Iha — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (Menne UFC debut — future UFC Middleweight Champion)
Lance Gibson def. Jermaine Andre — KO (Knee) — R3, 3:35
Tedd Williams def. Steve Judson — TKO (Punches) — R1, 3:23
Scheduled Main Event (Cancelled)
Kevin Randleman (c) vs. Pedro Rizzo — CANCELLED (Randleman knocked himself unconscious backstage; rescheduled to UFC 26)
Records & Milestones
❌ First UFC title fight cancelled due to pre-bout injury — Kevin Randleman knocked himself unconscious on a concrete floor backstage; the most unusual main event cancellation in UFC history.
🌟 Dave Menne UFC debut — the future UFC Middleweight Champion began his career with a decision win over Fabiano Iha.
🌟 Jens Pulver’s first televised UFC appearance — had fought in an untelevised prelim at UFC 22; UFC 24 was the first time the future UFC Lightweight Champion appeared on a broadcast.
🥊 Dan Severn refereed the prelims — the former multiple-time UFC title contender and UFC Hall of Famer served as referee for the preliminary bouts at UFC 24.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 24 is remembered primarily as the night when nothing happened. A PPV audience paid to watch a title fight that the champion ended before it began — not at the hands of a rival, but by slipping on a floor. The UFC under SEG was already under severe financial pressure in 2000, operating in fewer than 15 US states due to regulatory bans, struggling for cable access, and watching PRIDE FC outperform them in the global market. An event like UFC 24 — where the main event vanished backstage and no one told the fans — captures the instability of the era.
The undercard is more interesting than the circumstances suggested. Menne and Pulver were beginning career arcs that would lead to UFC gold. Carter and Freeman represented the sport’s expanding global reach. Dan Severn refereeing — a man who had competed in UFC 4 in 1994 — was a reminder of how much ground the sport had covered in six years. And in less than a year, the UFC would be purchased by Zuffa for $2 million and the modern era would begin.
FAQ
What happened to Kevin Randleman at UFC 24?
While warming up backstage before his Heavyweight Championship defence against Pedro Rizzo, Randleman slipped on the concrete floor and struck his head hard enough to lose consciousness. He was taken by ambulance to hospital, diagnosed with a concussion, and declared unfit to fight. The title bout was cancelled. The crowd and PPV viewers were not notified until after the undercard concluded.
Was the Randleman vs. Rizzo title fight ever rescheduled?
Yes. The fight was rescheduled to UFC 26: Ultimate Field of Dreams on June 9, 2000 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Randleman retained the UFC Heavyweight Championship with a unanimous decision over Rizzo across five rounds.
Why did the name 'First Defense' become ironic?
The event was named 'First Defense' because it was supposed to be Kevin Randleman's first title defence as UFC Heavyweight Champion. That defence never took place — Randleman knocked himself out on the concrete floor backstage. The event became a card without its main event, and the name became a footnote in the sport's history.
Who made their UFC debut at UFC 24?
Three fighters debuted at UFC 24: Dave Menne (future UFC Middleweight Champion), Shonie Carter (known for a later spinning backfist KO of Matt Serra), and Ian Freeman (one of Britain's first significant UFC fighters). Jens Pulver also made his first televised UFC appearance after an untelevised prelim at UFC 22.