UFC 90: Silva vs. Côté | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Tito Wordsmith
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 90: Silva vs. Côté. October 25, 2008. Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois. The first UFC event in Illinois. Anderson Silva retained the Middleweight Championship via TKO at 0:39 of round three when Patrick Côté’s knee gave out as he attempted a kick. Côté had been the first of Silva’s UFC opponents to survive into the third round.
Thiago Alves defeated Josh Koscheck by unanimous decision in the co-main, handing Koscheck his first loss since 2005. Junior dos Santos stopped Fabricio Werdum to announce his arrival in the heavyweight division. 15,359 fans sold out the venue. Gate: $2.8 million.
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: October 25, 2008
Venue: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois, USA (first UFC in Illinois)
Attendance: 15,359 sold-out; Gate: $2.8M; PPV: ~300,000 buys
Main Event: Anderson Silva (c) vs. Patrick Côté — UFC Middleweight Championship
Result: Anderson Silva def. Patrick Côté — TKO (Injury) — R3, 0:39 — Côté’s knee gave out
Co-Main: Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Notable: Côté first Silva UFC opponent to reach R3; JDS KOs Werdum; $65k bonuses
The Build-Up
Yushin Okami had originally been the planned opponent for Anderson Silva but withdrew with a hand injury. Patrick Côté — a TUF 4 finalist and durable Canadian — stepped in as number one contender. The fight was the UFC’s first event in Illinois and the first in the Chicago market.
Côté was known for his chin and resilience. Multiple replacements affected the undercard: Reljic (injury), Sanchez (injury replacing Alves’ original opponent), Guillard (replaced by Gugerty), and Almeida (replaced by Miller).
Main Event
Anderson Silva (c) vs. Patrick Côté — UFC Middleweight Championship
Anderson Silva controlled distance and paced the fight over rounds one and two, landing shots but not finishing Côté — who absorbed a roundhouse kick and flying knee early without serious damage. The crowd began to boo Silva’s conservative approach. Round three: Côté attempted a kick; his knee buckled. He collapsed to the mat. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 0:39.
Anderson Silva's fifth title defence ended in one of the sport’s strangest stoppages. Côté went on to confirm the injury required surgery and multiple rehabilitation periods. He returned to the UFC at UFC 113 in May 2010.
Co-Main Event
Thiago Alves vs. Josh Koscheck — Welterweight
Alves controlled the fight with his kickboxing and top position, winning 30-27 on two scorecards and 29-28 on the third. Koscheck had entered on a long winning streak and had not lost since 2005. Alves’ win positioned him as a top WW contender.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Pete Sell def. Josh Burkman — Decision — R3, 5:00 — WW
Hermes França def. Marcus Aurelio — Decision — R3, 5:00 — LW
Dan Miller def. Matt Horwich — Decision — R3, 5:00 — MW
Spencer Fisher def. Shannon Gugerty — Submission — R? — LW; Sub of the Night ($65k)
Main Card
Thales Leites def. Drew McFedries — Submission (RNC) — R1 — MW
Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — LW; Fight of the Night ($65k each)
Junior dos Santos def. Fabricio Werdum — KO — R1 — HW; KO of the Night ($65k to dos Santos)
Gray Maynard def. Rich Clementi — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — LW
Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) — WW; Co-Main
UFC Middleweight Championship — Main Event
Anderson Silva def. Patrick Côté — TKO (Injury) — R3, 0:39 — Côté’s knee gave out
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin — $65,000 to each fighter.
KO of the Night: Junior dos Santos vs. Fabricio Werdum — $65,000 to dos Santos.
Sub of the Night: Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty — $65,000 to Fisher.
Records & Milestones
Anderson Silva retains via injury TKO — fifth consecutive title defence; Côté the first UFC opponent to survive to round three.
First UFC in Illinois — Allstate Arena, Rosemont; sold out 15,359; Chicago market debut.
Junior dos Santos KOs Werdum — early statement from a future HW champion.
Legacy & Impact
Anderson Silva's UFC 90 title defence is his least celebrated: an injury-ended fight in which the crowd was already booing his pace. Silva’s next fight — against Thales Leites at UFC 97 in April 2009 — produced similar controversy. The Silva era’s extraordinary peak would come at UFC 101 and UFC 112, not UFC 90.
Thiago Alves’ win over Koscheck positioned him for a WW title shot at UFC 100 in July 2009 against Georges St-Pierre. Junior dos Santos’ KO of Werdum was the launch of a run that culminated in the UFC HW Championship at UFC 141 in December 2011.
FAQ
How did Anderson Silva win at UFC 90?
Patrick Côté's knee buckled as he attempted a kick at 0:39 of round three. He fell to the mat unable to continue. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight and awarded a TKO victory to Silva.
Was UFC 90 a good title fight?
The consensus is no. The crowd had already begun booing Anderson Silva's conservative approach before the accidental injury ended the fight in round three. Côté had survived two rounds, but the main event was considered one of the weakest in Silva's title run.
Was UFC 90 the first UFC event in Illinois?
Yes. UFC 90 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont was the first UFC event in Illinois.
What was notable about Junior dos Santos at UFC 90?
Junior dos Santos knocked out Fabricio Werdum with punches in round one, earning KO of the Night. It was an early signal of his power at heavyweight en route to the HW Championship at UFC 141 in 2011.
Did Cote really tear his ACL at UFC 90?
Yes. Cote suffered a knee injury (confirmed as a severe ligament tear requiring surgery) when his knee buckled while attempting a kick in round three. He required multiple surgeries and was sidelined for nearly two years.
References
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