UFC 55: Fury | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy

Tito Wordsmith
5 days ago
3 min read

Introduction

UFC 55: Fury. October 7, 2005. Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut. Andrei Arlovski knocked out Paul Buentello in 15 seconds to make his first defence of the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship. On August 12, 2005, the UFC had upgraded Arlovski’s interim title to undisputed after Frank Mir — still recovering from his September 2004 motorcycle accident — was stripped due to inactivity. Arlovski’s defence was the fastest heavyweight title finish of the Zuffa era.

The card also featured Chael Sonnen’s UFC debut — he was submitted by Renato Sobral via triangle choke in round two. Forrest Griffin defeated Elvis Sinosic by first-round TKO. An Alessio Sakara vs. Ron Faircloth bout ended as a No Contest after an accidental groin kick. The event was the last UFC to air live on a Friday until UFC 141 in December 2011. Attendance: 8,000; PPV: approximately 125,000 buys.

Quick Stats

📅 Date: October 7, 2005

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

🏆 HW Championship (undisputed): Andrei Arlovski (c) def. Paul Buentello — KO (Punches) — R1, 0:15 (15 seconds; fastest HW title finish in Zuffa era)

🌟 Debut: Chael Sonnen — submitted by Renato Sobral via triangle choke

📜 Historic: Last Friday UFC until Dec 2011; Arlovski’s first undisputed HW defence; 125k PPV buys

Arlovski Destroys Buentello in 15 Seconds

Buentello was a powerful, dangerous heavyweight with significant knockout credentials. The fight lasted 15 seconds. Arlovski landed punches immediately, hurt Buentello, and swarmed him before the referee intervened. It was the fastest finish of any heavyweight title fight in the promotion’s history to that point and marked Arlovski as one of the most explosive heavyweights the UFC had ever produced.

Chael Sonnen’s UFC Debut

Sonnen arrived at UFC 55 as a relatively unknown light heavyweight. He was submitted by Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral via triangle choke in round two at 1:20. The loss did not signal the career that followed. Sonnen would become one of the most talked-about personalities and middleweights in MMA history — his run as a contender, his pre-fight rhetoric, and his extended feud with Anderson Silva defined the sport’s cultural conversation from 2009 to 2012. At UFC 55 he was simply a debuting fighter who lost in two rounds.

Full Results

Preliminary Card

Alessio Sakara vs. Ron Faircloth — No Contest — R2, 0:10 (accidental groin kick)

Marcio Cruz def. Keigo Kunihara — Submission — R1

Jorge Rivera def. Dennis Hallman — TKO — R1

Joe Riggs def. Chris Lytle — Decision — R3, 5:00

Main Card

Renato Sobral def. Chael Sonnen — Submission (Triangle Choke) — R2, 1:20 (Sonnen’s UFC debut)

Forrest Griffin def. Elvis Sinosic — TKO — R1, 3:30 (original opponent Ian Freeman withdrew with injury)

Branden Lee Hinkle def. Sean Gannon — KO (Punches) — R1, 4:14

UFC Heavyweight Championship (undisputed)

Andrei Arlovski (c) def. Paul Buentello — KO (Punches) — R1, 0:15 (15 seconds; fastest Zuffa-era HW title finish; Arlovski’s first undisputed HW defence)

Records & Milestones

🏆 Arlovski’s first undisputed HW defence — interim belt upgraded to undisputed on Aug 12 after Mir stripped; Arlovski KOs Buentello in 15 seconds.

📺 Last Friday UFC until UFC 141 (Dec 2011) — the UFC shifted to Saturday scheduling; this was the final Friday live PPV for over six years.

🌟 Chael Sonnen UFC debut — the future Anderson Silva rival and professional trash-talker began his career with a submission loss to Sobral.

Legacy & Impact

UFC 55 is most remembered for the 15-second main event. Arlovski’s combination of speed, power, and technical finishing ability had defined his reign, and the Buentello stoppage was its most visceral expression. His title run continued until Tim Sylvia reclaimed the belt at UFC 59 in April 2006. The Sonnen debut, entirely unremarkable at the time, looks different in retrospect given the career that followed.