Introduction
UFC 50: The War of ’04. October 22, 2004. Trump Plaza, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Matt Hughes submitted Georges St-Pierre with an armbar at 4:59 of the first round to win the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship for the second time. St-Pierre’s first career loss. The main event featured Tito Ortiz defeating late-replacement Patrick Côté by unanimous decision after original opponent Guy Mezger was taken to hospital with stroke-like symptoms days before the event.
The most consequential UFC development of late 2004 did not take place inside the Octagon. The Ultimate Fighter — the reality series Zuffa and Spike TV had announced in mid-2004 — was filmed that summer and set to premiere in January 2005, and UFC 50 was one of the last pay-per-views the promotion ran before it. The series' finale, featuring Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar, would air the following April and change everything.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: October 22, 2004
📍 Venue: Trump Plaza (Boardwalk Hall), Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
🏆 WW Championship (vacant): Matt Hughes def. Georges St-Pierre — Submission (Armbar) — R1, 4:59 (Hughes wins WW title for the 2nd time; GSP’s first UFC loss)
🏆 Main Event: Tito Ortiz def. Patrick Côté — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (Guy Mezger was original opponent; pulled with stroke-like symptoms)
📺 Historic: held months before The Ultimate Fighter (announced mid-2004) premiered on Spike TV in January 2005 and transformed the UFC
Matt Hughes Submits Georges St-Pierre
GSP was 22 years old and unbeaten when he challenged Hughes at UFC 50. He had won his first three UFC fights and was considered one of the most promising welterweights in the sport. Hughes controlled the fight with wrestling and, late in round one, secured the armbar and extended it to force the tap at 4:59. The submission came as GSP was defending from the bottom.
It was the start of Hughes' second UFC Welterweight title reign — a reflection of the extraordinary dominance he had maintained over the division since first winning the belt in 2001. GSP would go on to defeat Hughes twice in subsequent meetings and establish himself as arguably the greatest welterweight in the sport's history. UFC 50 was where that story began with a loss.
UFC 50 and the Coming of The Ultimate Fighter
By the time UFC 50 took place, the UFC had already committed to The Ultimate Fighter — the reality series it announced with Spike TV in mid-2004 and would premiere in January 2005. The series featured sixteen fighters living in a house, training under coaches, and fighting elimination bouts for a UFC contract. TUF Season 1's coaches were Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture.
The finale of TUF Season 1 — Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar on April 9, 2005 — produced an audience and emotional response that far exceeded projections and is widely credited with making MMA a mainstream sport in the United States. UFC 50 was one of the last pay-per-views the UFC staged before that explosion.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Travis Lutter def. Marvin Eastman — KO (Punch) — R2, 0:43
Ivan Salaverry def. Tony Fryklund — Submission (Body Lock) — R1, 1:36
Main Card
Evan Tanner def. Robbie Lawler — Submission (Triangle Choke) — R1, 2:22
Frank Trigg def. Renato Verissimo — TKO (Elbows) — R2, 2:11 (Fight of the Night)
UFC Welterweight Championship (vacant)
Matt Hughes def. Georges St-Pierre — Submission (Armbar) — R1, 4:59 (Hughes wins WW title for the 2nd time; GSP’s first UFC loss)
Rich Franklin def. Jorge Rivera — Submission (Armbar) — R3, 4:28
Main Event — Light Heavyweight
Tito Ortiz def. Patrick Côté — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (Guy Mezger original opponent; pulled with stroke-like symptoms week of fight; Côté stepped in on one week’s notice)
Records & Milestones
🏆 Matt Hughes regains the welterweight title — his second UFC Welterweight title reign; his run of title wins and defenses since 2001 reflected a level of divisional dominance no UFC fighter had reached to that point.
🌟 Georges St-Pierre’s first career loss — he had been unbeaten at 22 years old; the loss to Hughes began a rivalry that produced two of the sport’s most significant bouts.
📺 On the eve of The Ultimate Fighter — announced in mid-2004 and set to premiere in January 2005, TUF would launch just months after UFC 50 and begin the UFC's transition to mainstream American television.
🏥 Guy Mezger medical emergency — Mezger, a Lion’s Den veteran, was hospitalised with stroke-like symptoms days before UFC 50; Côté was promoted from the undercard to the main event slot on one week’s notice.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 50's place in history owes as much to its timing as to the fights themselves. Within months, The Ultimate Fighter changed the UFC's commercial position in America more decisively than any single event. The show's premiere in January 2005, its Spike TV platform, and the Griffin/Bonnar finale in April 2005 produced an audience the UFC had never previously reached. UFC 50 was one of the last pay-per-views of the era that preceded it.
The Hughes/GSP fight is the starting point of one of MMA’s best rivalries. Hughes won convincingly. GSP absorbed the loss, retooled, and came back to defeat Hughes twice — first at UFC 65 in November 2006 and again at UFC 79 in December 2007. UFC 50 is where the GSP legacy begins in defeat.
FAQ
How did Matt Hughes submit Georges St-Pierre at UFC 50?
Hughes secured control of the fight on the ground and applied an armbar late in round one. St-Pierre tapped at 4:59. It was GSP’s first career loss. Hughes was awarded the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship for the second time.
How does UFC 50 connect to The Ultimate Fighter?
The UFC was preparing to launch The Ultimate Fighter as part of its strategy to expand onto mainstream American television. Zuffa and Spike TV announced the reality series in mid-2004, it was filmed that summer, and it premiered in January 2005 — just months after UFC 50. The TUF Season 1 finale, Griffin vs. Bonnar, aired in April 2005 and is widely credited with making the UFC commercially viable on a mainstream level for the first time.
What happened to Guy Mezger before UFC 50?
Guy Mezger, a veteran Lion’s Den fighter and former UFC light heavyweight contender, was taken to hospital with stroke-like symptoms in the days before UFC 50. He was unable to compete. Patrick Côté, who was already on the undercard, was moved up to the main event slot on one week’s notice to face Tito Ortiz. Côté lost by unanimous decision.