UFC 68: The Uprising | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy

Roe Jogan
5 days ago
5 min read

Introduction

UFC 68: The Uprising. March 3, 2007. Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio. The first UFC event in the state of Ohio, coinciding with the 2007 Arnold Sports Festival. A sold-out crowd of 19,079 — the largest verifiable attendance in North American MMA history at the time. Randy Couture, 43 years old, coming out of 12 months of retirement as a +205 underdog, defeated UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia by unanimous decision over five rounds to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion for the third time.

The fight is considered one of the greatest comebacks in MMA history. Couture had not competed as a heavyweight since UFC 39 in 2002 — more than four years earlier. Randy Couture was 43 years old, a +205 underdog, and had been publicly retired. The crowd at Nationwide Arena received the result with some of the loudest noise in UFC history.

Quick Stats

Date: March 3, 2007

Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Attendance: 19,079 sold-out — largest verifiable in North American MMA history at the time

Context: Coincided with 2007 Arnold Sports Festival; first UFC in Ohio

Main Event: Tim Sylvia (c) vs. Randy Couture — UFC Heavyweight Championship (5 rounds)

Result: Randy Couture def. Tim Sylvia — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 25:00 — Couture wins HW title; +205 underdog, aged 43, 12-month retirement

Notable: Rich Franklin returns (def. MacDonald); Matt Hughes def. Lytle; Kampmann def. McFedries FOTN

The Build-Up

Randy Couture had announced his retirement after losing to Chuck Liddell at UFC 57 in February 2006. He was 43 years old. His last heavyweight fight had been at UFC 39 in September 2002 — more than four years before UFC 68. The argument for him was that his wrestling and ring intelligence might give him an edge against the limited but physically imposing Sylvia. The argument against him was everything else: the age, the layoff, the size disadvantage.

Tim Sylvia was 30 years old, 6 feet 8 inches, and the reigning Heavyweight Champion. He had beaten Arlovski in their rubber match, defended against Monson. The consensus was that Sylvia would win comfortably.

Main Event

Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia — UFC Heavyweight Championship (5 rounds)

Randy Couture landed the first punch of the fight — a right hand that caught Tim Sylvia cleanly and immediately changed the dynamic. Couture clinched, controlled, and outworked Sylvia for 25 minutes. His wrestling was effective; his ring experience was visible in every exchange. Sylvia could not find the distance or the moments he needed. Couture won by unanimous decision.

At 43, coming off 12 months of retirement, Randy Couture won the UFC Heavyweight Championship for the third time. The crowd at the Nationwide Arena gave him one of the loudest receptions in UFC history.

Co-Main Event

Rich Franklin vs. Jason MacDonald — Middleweight

Rich Franklin returned to competition for the first time since losing the Middleweight Championship to Anderson Silva at UFC 64. He defeated Jason MacDonald by decision, demonstrating his continued relevance at the top of the middleweight division.

Full Results

Preliminary Card

Jamie Varner def. Jason Gilliam — Decision — R3, 5:00 — LW

Gleison Tibau def. Jason Dent — Decision — R3, 5:00 — LW

Jon Fitch def. Luigi Fioravanti — Decision — R3, 5:00 — WW

Matt Hamill def. Rex Holman — Decision — R3, 5:00 — LHW

Main Card

Jason Lambert def. Renato Sobral — KO — R? — LHW; KO of the Night

Matt Hughes def. Chris Lytle — Decision — R3, 5:00 — WW

Rich Franklin def. Jason MacDonald — Decision — R3, 5:00 — MW; Franklin’s return

Martin Kampmann def. Drew McFedries — Decision — R3, 5:00 — MW; Fight of the Night

UFC Heavyweight Championship (5 rounds)

Randy Couture def. Tim Sylvia — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 25:00 — Couture wins HW title; +205 underdog; aged 43; 12 months retired

Bonuses & Awards

Fight of the Night: Martin Kampmann vs. Drew McFedries — middleweight main card fight.

KO of the Night: Jason Lambert — knockout of Renato Sobral.

Records & Milestones

Randy Couture becomes 3-time UFC HW champion — at 43 years old, from 12-month retirement, as a +205 underdog.

19,079 attendance — the largest verifiable attendance for an MMA event in North American history at the time.

First UFC event in Ohio — Nationwide Arena, Columbus; coincided with the 2007 Arnold Sports Festival.

Randy Couture's last HW fight before UFC 68 had been at UFC 39 in September 2002 — a gap of over four years.

Legacy & Impact

Randy Couture's win at UFC 68 is one of the most celebrated results in MMA history. The combination of age, retirement length, size disadvantage, and betting odds against him made the win remarkable by any measure. 2007 began with Couture as an underdog nobody expected to win; it continued with him as champion.

The Ohio debut and the Arnold Sports Festival partnership demonstrated the UFC’s strategy of staging events around existing sporting and cultural events to maximise attendance and media attention. The 19,079 crowd was the sport’s largest to that date.

FAQ

How did Randy Couture win the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 68?

Couture, at 43 years old and returning from 12 months of retirement as a +205 underdog, defeated Tim Sylvia by unanimous decision over five rounds. He controlled the fight from the first punch, using his wrestling and ring experience to outwork the younger and larger champion for 25 minutes.

How long had Randy Couture been retired before UFC 68?

Couture had been retired for approximately 12 months. His last fight before UFC 68 had been against Liddell at UFC 57 in February 2006. His last heavyweight fight before that had been at UFC 39 in September 2002 — over four years earlier.

What was the attendance at UFC 68?

19,079 spectators — the largest verifiable attendance for an MMA event in North American history at that time. The event coincided with the 2007 Arnold Sports Festival.

Was UFC 68 the first UFC event in Ohio?

Yes. UFC 68 was the first UFC event held in the state of Ohio, staged at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

What other notable fights were on the UFC 68 card?

Martin Kampmann defeated Drew McFedries to win Fight of the Night. Rich Franklin returned from his title loss at UFC 64 and defeated Jason MacDonald. Matt Hughes defeated Chris Lytle. Jason Lambert KO'd Renato Sobral for KO of the Night.

References

UFC 68 — Wikipedia

UFC 68 — Tapology