UFC 87: Seek and Destroy | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 87: Seek and Destroy. August 9, 2008. Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota. The first UFC event in Minnesota. Georges St-Pierre retained the Welterweight Championship with a dominant unanimous decision over Jon Fitch — 50-44, 50-43, 50-44 — the most lopsided scorecards a five-round championship fight had produced. Fitch had been unbeaten in the UFC at 8-0 and had not been finished in six years.
Brock Lesnar defeated Heath Herring by unanimous decision (30-26 x3) in his hometown of Minneapolis. Jon Jones made his UFC debut as a last-minute replacement. Rob Emerson knocked out Manny Gamburyan in 12 seconds. 625,000 PPV buys — the sixth highest in UFC history at the time.
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: August 9, 2008
Venue: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (first UFC in Minnesota)
Attendance: 15,087; PPV: ~625,000 buys (6th highest in UFC history at the time)
Main Event: Georges St-Pierre (c) vs. Jon Fitch — UFC WW Championship
Result: GSP def. Fitch — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (50-44, 50-43, 50-44) — GSP retains; FOTN
Co-Feature: Brock Lesnar def. Heath Herring — UD (30-26 x3) — R3, 5:00 — HW
Notable: Jon Jones UFC debut; Emerson KO in 12 seconds; Lesnar in home state; Mark Coleman replaced by Herring
The Build-Up
Jon Fitch’s unbeaten UFC run at 8-0 made him the most legitimate WW contender available. He had not been stopped or submitted in six years. Georges St-Pierre had regained the belt at UFC 83 in April 2008 and this was his first defence. Minneapolis added a commercially significant dimension — it was Brock Lesnar’s home state, and the crowd’s reaction to him was unlike anything the UFC had staged outside a Las Vegas arena.
Mark Coleman had been scheduled to fight Lesnar. He withdrew with an Achilles tendon injury. Heath Herring stepped in. Jon Jones’ debut came after Tomasz Drwal was forced out by injury.
Main Event
Georges St-Pierre (c) vs. Jon Fitch — UFC Welterweight Championship
Georges St-Pierre controlled every element. He took Fitch down repeatedly, worked ground and pound from dominant positions, and landed combinations on the feet. The only phase where Fitch was competitive was the standup, and even there GSP outworked him. Fitch’s heart took him to the final bell — the only fight he survived — but the scorecards (50-44, 50-43, 50-44) reflected the margin of control.
Georges St-Pierre's dominant title defence confirmed his position at the top of pound-for-pound rankings. The performance set the tone for a title reign that would extend until November 2013.
Co-Main Event
Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring — Heavyweight
Lesnar dominated from the opening bell. He rocked Herring with a right hand in the first minute, controlled the fight with wrestling and ground and pound, and won all three rounds by a combined 30-26 on every scorecard. The Minneapolis crowd cheered him loudly throughout. Post-fight, Lesnar was disrespectful — pushing Herring after rounds and gesturing theatrically — which drew boos. The performance put him directly in line for a HW title shot.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Ben Saunders def. Ryan Thomas — Submission (Armbar) — R2, 2:28 — WW
Chris Wilson def. Steve Bruno — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (30-27 x3) — WW
Jon Jones def. Andre Gusmao — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) — LHW; Jones UFC debut
Cheick Kongo def. Dan Evensen — TKO — R1 — HW
Main Card
Rob Emerson def. Manny Gamburyan — KO — R1, 0:12 — LW; KO of the Night ($60k to Emerson)
Tamdan McCrory def. Luke Cummo — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — WW
Kenny Florian def. Roger Huerta — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — LW
Demian Maia def. Jason MacDonald — Submission (RNC) — R3, 2:44 — MW; Sub of the Night ($60k to Maia)
Brock Lesnar def. Heath Herring — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (30-26 x3) — HW; Lesnar in home state
UFC WW Championship — Main Event
Georges St-Pierre def. Jon Fitch — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (50-44, 50-43, 50-44) — GSP retains; Fight of the Night ($60k each)
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Georges St-Pierre vs. Jon Fitch — $60,000 to each fighter.
KO of the Night: Rob Emerson vs. Manny Gamburyan — $60,000 to Emerson (12 seconds).
Sub of the Night: Demian Maia vs. Jason MacDonald — $60,000 to Maia.
Records & Milestones
Georges St-Pierre def. Fitch with most lopsided championship scorecards — 50-44 on two judges’ cards; Fitch had not been finished in 6 years.
Jon Jones UFC debut — stepped in as last-minute replacement; won UD; began career at 7-0; future LHW champion.
Rob Emerson KOs Gamburyan in 12 seconds — one of the fastest UFC knockouts.
First UFC in Minnesota — Target Center, Minneapolis; Lesnar’s home state drew a partisan crowd for him; 625,000 PPV buys.
Legacy & Impact
Georges St-Pierre's performance against Fitch is one of the most complete in WW championship history. He took the most credible contender in the division — unbeaten in eight UFC fights — and won 50-44 on most scorecards. Lesnar’s dominant win over Herring sent him directly to a HW title shot against Randy Couture at UFC 91 in November 2008.
Jon Jones’ debut at UFC 87 is one of MMA history’s most consequential moments in retrospect. He was 20 years old, replacing an injured fighter on short notice in Minneapolis. The future LHW champion began his record-setting career in front of Brock Lesnar’s crowd.
FAQ
Why was Jon Jones at UFC 87?
Jon Jones was a last-minute replacement for Tomasz Drwal, who withdrew due to injury. Jones stepped in and defeated Andre Gusmao by unanimous decision in his UFC debut.
How dominant was GSP against Jon Fitch at UFC 87?
GSP won by scores of 50-44, 50-43, and 50-44 — among the most lopsided five-round championship scorecards in UFC history. Fitch, who had been unbeaten in the UFC and unfinished for six years, never seriously threatened the champion.
Who was originally scheduled to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 87?
Mark Coleman was originally scheduled to fight Lesnar but withdrew with an Achilles tendon injury. Heath Herring stepped in as a late replacement.
What was notable about Brock Lesnar's performance at UFC 87?
Lesnar dominated Heath Herring 30-26 on all three judges' scorecards, fighting in his home state of Minnesota in front of a partisan crowd. He was disrespectful post-fight, which drew boos. The performance set up his HW title shot against Randy Couture at UFC 91.
What was the UFC 87 PPV buyrate?
UFC 87 drew approximately 625,000 PPV buys, making it the sixth-highest in UFC history at the time.
References
Comments