UFC 39: The Warriors Return | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy

Tito Wordsmith
6 days ago
4 min read

Introduction

UFC 39: The Warriors Return. September 27, 2002. Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut. Ricco Rodriguez won the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship by stopping Randy Couture in the fifth round with a series of elbow strikes that broke Couture’s orbital bone, forcing a verbal submission. It was one of only two fights in UFC history to end in the fifth round. The result ended Couture’s second heavyweight title reign and handed the belt to a 25-year-old “No Mercy” Rodriguez.

The card also featured the UFC debut of Tim Sylvia, a heavyweight from Bangor, Maine, who would go on to win the Heavyweight Championship twice. And it marked the first round of a four-man Lightweight Championship tournament, with B.J. Penn defeating Matt Serra and Caol Uno defeating Din Thomas — both via unanimous decision. Their final at UFC 41 would end in a controversial draw, leaving the lightweight title vacant for years.

Quick Stats

📅 Date: September 27, 2002

📍 Venue: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut, USA

🏆 Heavyweight Championship (vacant): Ricco Rodriguez def. Randy Couture — TKO (Elbows/Verbal Submission) — R5, 3:04 (Rodriguez wins vacant HW title)

🌟 Debuts: Tim Sylvia (future UFC Heavyweight Champion)

📜 Historic: One of only 2 UFC fights to end in R5; first UFC event on DVD; LW tournament semis (Penn + Uno advance); Couture verbally submits with broken orbital bone

Rodriguez Wins the Heavyweight Title in Round Five

Randy Couture had won the vacant Heavyweight Championship by defeating Kevin Randleman at UFC 28, defended it successfully against Pedro Rizzo twice, and then lost it to Josh Barnett at UFC 36. With Barnett stripped for steroids, the title was vacant again. Couture faced Ricco Rodriguez over five rounds for the belt.

The fight was competitive for four rounds. In the fifth, Rodriguez opened a cut on Couture’s face with an elbow that broke his orbital bone. Couture, unable to see clearly and taking more elbows from the top position, verbally submitted. The finish is one of the most unusual in title fight history — a champion tapping to elbow damage rather than to a submission or a sustained knockout assault. Rodriguez was declared the winner and new champion at 3:04 of round five.

The Lightweight Tournament

With the Lightweight Championship having been vacated by Jens Pulver earlier in 2002, the UFC created a four-man tournament to fill it. The semifinals at UFC 39 saw B.J. Penn defeat Matt Serra by unanimous decision and Caol Uno defeat Din Thomas by unanimous decision. Both won their places in the final at UFC 41. The final between Penn and Uno ended in a split draw, leaving the Lightweight title vacant for years.

Full Results

Preliminary Card

Sean Sherk def. Benji Radach — TKO (Doctor Stoppage due to Cut) — R1, 4:16

Matt Lindland def. Ivan Salaverry — TKO — R1, 4:16

Main Card

Phil Baroni def. Dave Menne — KO (Punches) — R1, 0:18

Gan McGee def. Pedro Rizzo — TKO (Corner Stoppage) — R1, 5:00 (Rizzo’s corner threw towel after broken nose in final seconds of R1)

Tim Sylvia def. Wesley Correira — TKO (Corner Stoppage) — R2, 1:43 (Sylvia UFC debut)

Lightweight Tournament — Semi-Finals

B.J. Penn def. Matt Serra — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (Penn advances to LW final at UFC 41)

Caol Uno def. Din Thomas — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (Uno advances to LW final at UFC 41)

UFC Heavyweight Championship (5 rounds) — vacant title

Ricco Rodriguez def. Randy Couture — TKO (Elbows/Verbal Submission) — R5, 3:04 (Rodriguez wins vacant UFC HW Championship; Couture verbally submits with broken orbital bone from elbows)

Records & Milestones

🏆 Ricco Rodriguez becomes UFC Heavyweight Champion — one of only two fights in UFC history to end in the fifth round; Couture verbally submitted due to a cut and broken orbital bone from elbows.

🌟 Tim Sylvia UFC debut — the future two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion made his first appearance, winning by TKO.

💽 First UFC event released on DVD — UFC 39 was the first in the promotion’s history to receive a DVD release.

🇨 Caol Uno and B.J. Penn advance to LW final — their semi-final wins set up the UFC 41 final, which ended in a controversial draw, leaving the Lightweight title vacant.

Legacy & Impact

UFC 39 is most remembered for the title fight. Couture’s verbal submission to elbows in round five was not the dominant narrative his fans expected — he had been the steadiest heavyweight in the promotion and had won and defended the belt twice. Rodriguez’s reign would be short; he lost the title to Tim Sylvia at UFC 41 just five months later. But the fifth-round finish of a Couture title fight was still an extraordinary result.

The Lightweight tournament represents one of the sport’s more frustrating chapters. Penn and Uno fought to a draw at UFC 41, leaving a weight class that the UFC had been building toward since 2000 without a champion. The 155-pound belt would remain vacant for years.

FAQ

How did Ricco Rodriguez beat Randy Couture?

Rodriguez controlled Couture on the ground in the fifth round and opened a cut with an elbow that broke Couture’s orbital bone. With restricted vision and continuing to take elbows, Couture verbally submitted at 3:04 of round five. Rodriguez was awarded the win by TKO and became the new UFC Heavyweight Champion. The fight is one of only two in UFC history to end in the fifth round.

What happened to the Lightweight tournament?

The four-man tournament semi-finals at UFC 39 produced Penn defeating Serra and Uno defeating Thomas. The final at UFC 41 between Penn and Uno ended in a split draw, preventing a champion being crowned. The UFC declared the lightweight title vacant. The 155-pound championship was not awarded again until Sean Sherk defeated Kenny Florian at UFC 64 in October 2006.

Was UFC 39 the first UFC event on DVD?

Yes. UFC 39: The Warriors Return was the first UFC event to be released on DVD. Previous events had been released on VHS. The DVD release was part of Zuffa’s broader effort to modernise the UFC’s commercial and media infrastructure following its 2001 acquisition.