UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Ariel Helwhiney
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2. January 31, 2009. MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. Super Bowl weekend. Georges St-Pierre retained the UFC Welterweight Championship with a dominant four-round performance over
BJ Penn's team immediately filed a formal complaint alleging that GSP’s corner had applied Vaseline to his body during corner breaks — ‘Greasegate.’ Surveillance footage confirmed the application. The UFC changed its Vaseline rules. The result stood.
Lyoto Machida stopped both-13-0 Thiago Silva by KO at 4:59 of round one. Jon Jones defeated Stephan Bonnar. Karo Parisyan vs. Dong Hyun Kim was later overturned to a No Contest after Parisyan tested positive for prescription painkillers.
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: January 31, 2009 (Super Bowl XLIII weekend)
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Main Event: Georges St-Pierre (c, WW) vs. BJ Penn (c, LW) — UFC WW Championship (first two current champions to fight)
Result: GSP def. Penn — TKO (Corner Stoppage) — R4, 5:00 — GSP retains WW title
Co-Main: Lyoto Machida def. Thiago Silva — KO (Punches) — R1, 4:59 — both 13-0 going in
Notable: Greasegate controversy; UFC Primetime first ever; Karo Parisyan result overturned (prescription painkillers); $65k bonuses
The Build-Up
The fight was positioned as the UFC’s greatest ever matchup. Georges St-Pierre had reclaimed the WW title from Matt Serra at UFC 83 and defended it against Jon Fitch at UFC 87.
Main Event
Georges St-Pierre (c) vs. BJ Penn (c) — UFC Welterweight Championship
Georges St-Pierre controlled all four rounds with takedowns, ground and pound, and positional dominance.
The performance cemented Georges St-Pierre's position as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.
Co-Main Event
Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva — Light Heavyweight (Both 13-0)
Two undefeated Brazilians. Machida’s karate-based footwork and counterstriking frustrated Silva throughout the first round. Machida knocked Silva down twice, and at 4:59 — the very last second of round one — Machida dove forward with a punch that knocked Silva cold. Silva’s unbeaten record was over. Machida’s first UFC knockout win.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Dan Cramer def. Matt Arroyo — Decision — R? — WW
Jake O’Brien def. Christian Wellisch — Decision — R? — HW
John Howard def. Chris Wilson — KO — R? — WW; Fight of the Night ($65k each)
Thiago Tavares def. Manny Gamburyan — Decision — R? — LW
Jon Fitch def. Akihiro Gono — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — WW
Main Card
Clay Guida def. Nate Diaz — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00 — LW; Fight of the Night ($65k each)
Jon Jones def. Stephan Bonnar — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — LHW
Karo Parisyan def. Dong Hyun Kim — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00 — WW; OVERTURNED TO NO CONTEST (Parisyan positive for prescription opioids)
Lyoto Machida def. Thiago Silva — KO (Punches) — R1, 4:59 — LHW; Co-Main; KO of the Night ($65k to Machida)
UFC WW Championship — Main Event
Georges St-Pierre def. BJ Penn — TKO (Corner Stoppage) — R4, 5:00 — GSP retains WW title
Bonuses & Awards
KO of the Night: Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva — $65,000 to Machida.
Fight of the Night: Clay Guida vs. Nate Diaz — $65,000 to each fighter.
Fight of the Night: John Howard vs. Chris Wilson — $65,000 to each fighter.
Greasegate note: BJ Penn’s team filed a formal complaint with NSAC regarding Vaseline application by GSP’s cutman Jack Bhatt. Surveillance confirmed the application. The UFC changed its rules for Vaseline application on February 7, 2009. The result was not overturned.
Records & Milestones
Karo Parisyan vs. Dong Hyun Kim — result overturned to No Contest after Parisyan tested positive for prescription painkillers (hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone).
UFC Primetime — first ever; cost $1.7M; 1.4M viewers; set a benchmark for UFC pre-fight promotion.
Lyoto Machida — first KO win; remains undefeated; earns LHW title shot (received at UFC 98 vs. Rashad Evans).
Legacy & Impact
Georges St-Pierre's dominance over Penn remains one of the most complete performances the WW division has seen.
The Greasegate controversy changed how UFC regulated Vaseline application. The surveillance footage confirmed GSP’s cutman had applied Vaseline to his shoulders and back — not just his face. The rule change meant only independent cutmen could apply Vaseline going forward.
FAQ
What was Greasegate at UFC 94?
BJ Penn's team alleged that GSP's cutman Jack Bhatt applied Vaseline to GSP's body (not just his face) during corner breaks, making him slippery and harder to submit. Surveillance footage confirmed the application. The UFC changed its Vaseline rules but the result was not overturned.
How did GSP defeat BJ Penn at UFC 94?
GSP dominated four rounds with takedowns, positional control, and ground and pound. Penn was unable to threaten with his submissions or striking. Penn's corner stopped the fight between rounds four and five.
Was UFC 94 the first time two active UFC champions fought each other?
Yes. It was the first time two fighters who simultaneously held UFC titles at different weight classes competed against each other in the UFC.
What happened with Karo Parisyan at UFC 94?
Parisyan defeated Dong Hyun Kim by split decision, but subsequently tested positive for prescription painkillers (hydrocodone and others). The NSAC suspended him for nine months and overturned the result to a No Contest.
What was significant about Lyoto Machida's performance at UFC 94?
Machida knocked out Thiago Silva at 4:59 of round one — the final second of the first round. It was Machida's first career KO win and both fighters had been 13-0 going in. Machida earned a LHW title shot at UFC 98.
References
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