Introduction
UFC Fight Night 13: Florian vs. Lauzon took place on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado — the first UFC event held in Colorado since The Ultimate Ultimate in Denver on December 16, 1995. The 6,742-fan sellout generated a gate of $753,429 and drew 1.3 million viewers on Spike TV. The event was broadcast as a three-hour special — unusual for a Fight Night — following a successful fan petition and letter-writing campaign to the network. It served as the lead-in to The Ultimate Fighter 7 premiere.
Kenny Florian defeated Joe Lauzon by TKO at 3:28 of round two. James Irvin knocked out Houston Alexander in eight seconds. Thiago Alves knocked out Karo Parisyan in 24 seconds. Gray Maynard defeated Frankie Edgar via unanimous decision in the first fight of what would become a legendary trilogy. Nate Diaz submitted Kurt Pellegrino in round two to earn Submission of the Night.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Wednesday, April 2, 2008
📍 Venue: Broomfield Event Center, Broomfield, Colorado, USA
👥 Attendance: 6,742 (sellout)
💰 Gate: $753,429
📺 Broadcast: Spike TV — 1.3 million viewers (3-hour special; lead-in to TUF 7 premiere)
🏆 Main Event: Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon — Lightweight
✅ Result: Florian def. Lauzon via TKO — R2, 3:28
Main Event: Florian vs. Lauzon
Kenny Florian controlled the lightweight main event with sharp striking and accurate takedowns across two rounds before stopping Lauzon by TKO at 3:28 of round two. The win earned him Fight of the Night and maintained his position as one of the division’s top contenders heading into 2008. Florian’s fourth win in four fights solidified his lightweight ranking ahead of what would eventually be his title shot against BJ Penn.
Full Results
Main Card (Spike TV)
Kenny Florian def. Joe Lauzon — TKO — R2, 3:28 — Lightweight (Fight of the Night, $20,000)
Gray Maynard def. Frankie Edgar — Unanimous Decision — Lightweight (Fight 1 of 3 in their trilogy)
Thiago Alves def. Karo Parisyan — KO — R2, 0:24 — Welterweight
Matt Hamill def. Tim Boetsch — KO — R2, 1:25 — Light Heavyweight
Nate Diaz def. Kurt Pellegrino — Submission (guillotine choke) — R2, 3:06 — Lightweight (Submission of the Night, $20,000)
James Irvin def. Houston Alexander — KO — R1, 0:08 — Light Heavyweight (Knockout of the Night, $20,000)
Preliminary Card
Marcus Aurelio def. Ryan Roberts — Lightweight
Manvel Gamburyan def. Jeff Cox — Welterweight
Anthony Johnson def. Thomas Speer — Welterweight
George Sotiropoulos def. Roman Mitichyan — Welterweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Fight of the Night: Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon — $20,000 each
🥇 Knockout of the Night: James Irvin — $20,000 for the 8-second KO of Houston Alexander
🥇 Submission of the Night: Nate Diaz — $20,000 for the guillotine of Kurt Pellegrino
Legacy & Impact
UFC Fight Night 13 is one of the most historically significant early Fight Night cards. The card launched the Edgar-Maynard trilogy — Frankie Edgar lost this first meeting but went on to win the lightweight title and take the trilogy 2–1. Irvin’s 8-second KO of Alexander stands as one of the fastest KOs in Fight Night history. The fan-petitioned 3-hour broadcast format was a landmark moment in the relationship between the UFC’s fanbase and its television platform. The first UFC event in Colorado since 1995 drew a sellout crowd of 6,742.
FAQ
Why was Fight Night 13 broadcast for three hours instead of the usual two?
MMA fans launched a petition on Sherdog Forums and a letter-writing campaign to Spike TV requesting an extended broadcast. The UFC and Spike agreed, making Fight Night 13 the first Fight Night to air as a three-hour event. It was a demonstration of the UFC fanbase’s growing organisational power and a preview of how fan advocacy would shape UFC programming decisions in the years ahead.
How did the Edgar vs. Maynard trilogy begin at Fight Night 13?
Gray Maynard defeated Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision on the prelims. Neither fighter was yet a household name — Edgar was 6-1, Maynard 6-0. Two years later, Edgar would win the UFC lightweight title from BJ Penn. Their rematch at UFC 125 in January 2011 was a draw. Their trilogy fight at UFC 136 in October 2011 went to Edgar, settling the series 2-1 in his favour.