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.
Georges St-Pierre stopped Sean Sherk by TKO in round two to establish himself as the leading welterweight contender. UFC 56 was the first UFC PPV to feature a TUF alumnus (Nate Quarry) fighting for a UFC Championship.
Contents
1. Introduction | 2. Quick Stats | 3. The Build-Up | 4. Main Event | 5. Co-Main Event | 6. Full Results | 7. Bonuses & Awards | 8. Records & Milestones | 9. Legacy & Impact | 10. FAQ | 11. References
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: GSP TKOs Sherk 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
Georges St-Pierre vs. Sean Sherk — Welterweight
Georges St-Pierre had won three straight UFC fights and was the most technically polished welterweight contender outside of the champion. He outstruck Sherk and finished by TKO with punches and elbows at 2:53 of round two, earning the No. 1 contender spot.
Georges St-Pierre kept his momentum with the win over Sherk and went on to win the WW title from Hughes at UFC 65 in November 2006, beginning one of the most dominant welterweight reigns 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, 2:25 — Alves UFC debut
Main Card
Sam Hoger def. Jeff Newton — Submission — R2, 2:05
Jeremy Horn def. Trevor Prangley — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00
Georges St-Pierre def. Sean Sherk — TKO (Strikes) — R2, 2:53 — GSP 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 predated the UFC's formal post-fight bonus structure. The October 2011 UFC Encyclopedia retroactively recognized Rich Franklin vs. Nate Quarry as Fight of the Night, Rich Franklin for Knockout of the Night, and Matt Hughes for Submission of the Night.
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.
Georges St-Pierre TKOs Sean Sherk — GSP 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.
Georges St-Pierre's win over Sherk is the card's most consequential result. GSP went on to win 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 cast member, 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?
Georges St-Pierre stopped Sean Sherk by TKO (strikes) in round two at 2:53. The win made St-Pierre the leading welterweight 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.