UFC 27: Ultimate Bad Boyz | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
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 — the original 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 submission. Severn, unable to continue after sustained leg kicks that had destroyed his mobility, told the referee he was done.
UFC 27 also featured Jeff Monson's UFC debut, Yuki Kondo's UFC debut, and Frank Shamrock replacing Jeff Blatnick in the announcer’s booth for the first time. The UFC’s parent company SEG was heading toward the sale that would come three months later, when Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White purchased the promotion for $2 million. UFC 27 was one of the last events the sport's original owners would produce.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: September 22, 2000
📍 Venue: Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
🥊 Main Event: Pedro Rizzo def. Dan Severn — TKO (Leg Kicks / Verbal Submission) — R1, 1:33
🌟 Debuts: Jeff Monson, Yuki Kondo; Frank Shamrock replaces Jeff Blatnick on commentary
📜 Context: Final months of SEG era — UFC sold to Zuffa LLC (Dana White, Fertitta brothers) three months later for $2 million
Rizzo vs. Severn: The End of an Era
Dan Severn had first appeared in the UFC at UFC 4 in December 1994. He had reached the finals of three UFC tournaments, won the UFC Superfight Championship at UFC 9, and was an NCAA wrestling champion. By 2000, he was 42 years old and in the late stages of a career that had been one of the most prolific in early MMA. Pedro Rizzo, 26, was a Brazilian kickboxer preparing for a second heavyweight title shot.
Rizzo’s leg kicks were immediate and sustained. Severn, who had built his reputation on wrestling-based control, could not close the distance effectively enough to take the fight to the mat. By the time a minute and a half had elapsed, his legs were compromised enough that he told the referee he was done. Verbal submission by leg kicks at 1:33 of the first round. The contrast with Severn’s 1994 self was stark. The sport had moved. The art of the single-discipline wrestler, dominant in the early years, had run into the evolved striker who could chop legs and create exits from every position.
Full Results
Preliminary Bouts
Brad Gumm vs. CJ Fernandes — Draw — R2, 5:00
Jeff Monson def. Tim Lajcik — Decision (Unanimous) — R2, 5:00 (Monson UFC debut)
Main Card
Ian Freeman def. Tedd Williams — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00
Yuki Kondo def. Alexandre Dantas — TKO (Punches) — R3, 2:28 (Kondo UFC debut)
Fabiano Iha def. LaVerne Clark — Submission (Armbar) — R1, 1:10
Jeremy Horn def. Eugene Jackson — Submission (Armbar) — R1, 4:32
Maurice Smith def. Bobby Hoffman — Decision (Majority) — R3, 5:00
Main Event
Pedro Rizzo def. Dan Severn — TKO (Leg Kicks / Verbal Submission) — R1, 1:33
Records & Milestones
💥 Pedro Rizzo def. Dan Severn by verbal submission (leg kicks) in 1:33 — one of the most vivid demonstrations of how the sport had evolved since 1994; a specialist striker neutralising an all-time great wrestler with leg kicks alone.
🌟 Jeff Monson UFC debut — the future heavyweight title contender made his first UFC appearance, winning by unanimous decision over Tim Lajcik in the preliminary bouts.
🎤 Frank Shamrock in the broadcast booth — the retired champion replaced Jeff Blatnick as commentator at UFC 27, his first appearance in the booth.
📜 Final months of SEG ownership — SEG, the UFC’s founding parent company, sold the promotion to Zuffa LLC in January 2001 for $2 million. UFC 27 was one of the last events under SEG management.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 27 is a document of where the sport stood in late 2000. Severn’s submission to leg kicks told the history of MMA’s evolution more concisely than most analysis could: the dominant pure wrestlers from the early years had been passed by fighters who combined disciplines, trained specifically for the tools their opponents brought, and evolved the game continuously. Rizzo was going to be the heavyweight champion within two months.
The event was also a financial snapshot. SEG had not released UFC 23 through UFC 27 on home video, which it had consistently done through the earlier era. The cost of production, distribution, and paying fighters was exceeding revenue. The PPV market had shrunk. Cable had blocked them. Within months, the Fertittas and Dana White would pay $2 million for a promotion that was effectively insolvent, and the modern UFC era would begin.
FAQ
How did Pedro Rizzo beat Dan Severn so quickly at UFC 27?
Rizzo targeted Severn’s legs with sustained leg kicks from the first seconds. Severn, 42, could not close the distance effectively enough to get a takedown, and within 93 seconds his legs were sufficiently damaged that he told the referee he was finished. Rizzo won by TKO via verbal submission at 1:33 of the first round. The fight was a textbook example of leg kick strategy neutralising a wrestler.
Was UFC 27 the last event before Zuffa bought the UFC?
UFC 27 was held in September 2000, and the Zuffa acquisition happened in January 2001. UFC 28, 29, and 30 were held between UFC 27 and the purchase. UFC 30 was the first event promoted by Zuffa. UFC 27 was one of the final handful of SEG-era events and was released on home video only after Zuffa acquired the promotion years later.
Who was Jeff Monson?
Jeff Monson is an American heavyweight fighter and multiple-time ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship winner. He made his UFC debut at UFC 27, winning by unanimous decision. He later went on to challenge for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 65 and UFC 91, and is one of the most accomplished submission grapplers in MMA history.
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