UFC 56: Full Force | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy

Roe Jogan
5 days ago
4 min read

Introduction

UFC 56: Full Force. November 19, 2005. MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. The TUF Season 2 coaches — Rich Franklin and Matt Hughes — headlined the card defending their titles. Franklin knocked out Nate Quarry in 2:34 of round one. Hughes won a non-title catchweight bout against Joe Riggs, who had missed weight.

Sean Sherk stopped Georges St-Pierre by TKO in round two — GSP's second career loss. UFC 56 was the first UFC PPV to feature a TUF alumnus (Nate Quarry) fighting for a UFC Championship.

Quick Stats

Date: November 19, 2005

Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Gate: $1,986,600 — 9,995 tickets sold

Main Event: Rich Franklin (c) vs. Nate Quarry — UFC Middleweight Championship

Result: Rich Franklin def. Nate Quarry — KO (Punches) — R1, 2:34 — Franklin retains; Fight of the Night

Co-Main: Matt Hughes (c) def. Joe Riggs — Submission (Kimura) — R1, 3:28 (non-title catchweight; Riggs missed weight)

Notable: Sherk TKOs GSP R2; Gonzaga debut KO; Alves debut TKO

The Build-Up

The TUF Season 2 coaches — Rich Franklin and Matt Hughes — could not fight each other on the show (different weight classes). UFC 56 was the resolution: both defending their titles on the same card, one week after the TUF 2 Finale. Nate Quarry had earned the first TUF-alumnus title shot through his post-show wins.

Georges St-Pierre came in off three UFC wins as the most polished WW contender outside of the champion. Joe Riggs stepped in for the injured Karo Parisyan to face Matt Hughes for the Welterweight title — but missed weight, removing the title stakes.

Main Event

Rich Franklin (c) vs. Nate Quarry — UFC Middleweight Championship

Rich Franklin was the dominant Middleweight champion. Quarry was physically powerful with genuine knockout ability. Franklin's precision landed cleanly from the first seconds — he staggered Quarry and finished by KO at 2:34. The first TUF alumnus to challenge for a UFC title was stopped in round one.

Rich Franklin retained the Middleweight title. He defended again at UFC 58 before losing it to Anderson Silva at UFC 64 in October 2006.

Co-Main Event

Sean Sherk vs. Georges St-Pierre — Welterweight

Georges St-Pierre had won three straight UFC fights and was the most technically polished welterweight contender outside of the champion. Sherk's wrestling grounded GSP and he finished by TKO at 2:53 of round two — GSP's second career loss.

Georges St-Pierre rebuilt from this loss and won the WW title at UFC 65 in November 2006, beginning the most dominant welterweight reign in UFC history.

Full Results

Preliminary Card

Nick Thompson def. Keith Wisniewski — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — not aired

Thiago Alves def. Ansar Chalangov — TKO — R1, 2:22 — Alves UFC debut

Main Card

Sam Hoger def. Jeff Newton — Submission — R2, 2:05

Jeremy Horn def. Trevor Prangley — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00

Sean Sherk def. Georges St-Pierre — TKO — R2, 2:53 — GSP's 2nd career loss; Sherk becomes #1 WW contender

Gabriel Gonzaga def. Kevin Jordan — KO — R3, 4:39 — Gonzaga UFC debut

Matt Hughes (c) def. Joe Riggs — Submission (Kimura) — R1, 3:28 — non-title catchweight; Riggs missed weight

UFC Middleweight Championship

Rich Franklin (c) def. Nate Quarry — KO (Punches) — R1, 2:34 — Franklin retains; first TUF alumnus to challenge for a UFC title; Fight of the Night

Bonuses & Awards

Fight of the Night: Rich Franklin vs. Nate Quarry — dominant first-round championship KO.

UFC 56 was in a transitional period for the formal bonus structure. Fight of the Night recognition was awarded. No KO of the Night or Sub of the Night bonuses were publicly announced.

Records & Milestones

Nate Quarry: first TUF contestant to challenge for a UFC Championship — stopped in round one.

Joe Riggs weight miss: WW Championship bout became a non-title catchweight — the first in the post-TUF PPV era.

Sean Sherk TKOs Georges St-Pierre — GSP's second career loss; Sherk installed as the #1 WW contender.

Gabriel Gonzaga and Thiago Alves both made their UFC debuts at UFC 56, each with major careers ahead.

Legacy & Impact

UFC 56 was the first UFC PPV where a TUF graduate challenged for a UFC title. Rich Franklin's dominant KO of Quarry confirmed the Middleweight division's stability heading into 2006.

Sherk's win over Georges St-Pierre is the card's most consequential result. GSP rebuilt and won the WW title at UFC 65 in November 2006, beginning a reign that lasted until 2013.

FAQ

When and where was UFC 56: Full Force held?

November 19, 2005, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, on pay-per-view.

Who was the first TUF contestant to fight for a UFC title?

Nate Quarry, TUF Season 1 middleweight finalist, challenged Rich Franklin for the Middleweight Championship at UFC 56. He was stopped by KO in round one at 2:34.

Why was Matt Hughes vs Joe Riggs not a title fight at UFC 56?

Joe Riggs missed the 170-pound limit, so the bout became a non-title catchweight. Hughes still submitted Riggs with a kimura in round one at 3:28.

What was the result of GSP vs Sean Sherk at UFC 56?

Sean Sherk stopped Georges St-Pierre by TKO in round two at 2:53 — GSP's second career loss. Sherk became the leading WW contender.

What UFC debuts happened at UFC 56?

Gabriel Gonzaga debuted with a KO over Kevin Jordan in round three. Thiago Alves debuted with a TKO of Ansar Chalangov in round one.

References

UFC 56 — Wikipedia

UFC 56 — Tapology