UFC Fight Night 7: Sanchez vs. Riggs | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 7: Sanchez vs. Riggs. December 13, 2006. MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California. Wednesday night. Free on Spike TV. The first UFC event held on a United States military base. The audience consisted almost entirely of Marines stationed at Miramar; only five pairs of seats were made available to the public via auction, with proceeds going to Marine Corps Community Services. Diego Sanchez knocked out Joe Riggs with a flying knee at 1:45 of round one in the main event.
The card featured nine fights. Karo Parisyan defeated Drew Fickett to win Fight of the Night. Josh Koscheck defeated Jeff Joslin. Alan Belcher defeated Jorge Santiago. Marcus Davis defeated Shonie Carter. The event drew a 1.3 overall Spike TV rating.
Contents
1. Introduction | 2. Quick Stats | 3. The Build-Up | 4. Main Event | 5. Co-Main Event | 6. Full Results | 7. Standout Performances | 8. Records & Milestones | 9. Legacy & Impact | 10. FAQ | 11. References
Quick Stats
Date: December 13, 2006 (Wednesday)
Venue: MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California, USA
Broadcast: Free on Spike TV — 1.3 overall rating
Audience: Almost entirely US Marines stationed at Miramar; only 5 public ticket pairs sold at auction
Main Event: Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Riggs — Welterweight
Result: Diego Sanchez def. Joe Riggs — KO (Flying Knee) — R1, 1:45
Historic: First UFC event on a US military base; Fight of the Night: Parisyan vs. Fickett
The Build-Up
The event was specifically staged for the Marines and Navy personnel at MCAS Miramar as part of the UFC’s relationship with the US military. The civilian audience was effectively zero — ticket access was limited to five pairs auctioned for charity. This made the event unique in UFC history and commercially unusual: the primary audience was not paying PPV or retail admission but rather service members watching as a morale event.
For the fighters, it was a regular competition night. Diego Sanchez had won Fight of the Year at UFC Fight Night 6 (the Parisyan fight in August). A win over Joe Riggs would keep him in the WW title picture.
Main Event
Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Riggs — Welterweight
Diego Sanchez ended the fight quickly. Riggs was covering up early, Sanchez threw a flying knee that connected cleanly to the head, and Riggs was stopped at 1:45 of the first round.
Diego Sanchez remained a top welterweight contender. The finish was explosive and the Marines in the audience gave the event a distinctive atmosphere.
Co-Main Event
Karo Parisyan vs. Drew Fickett — Welterweight
Karo Parisyan, the UFC Fight Night 6 opponent who had fought Diego Sanchez to a Fight of the Year performance in August, returned against Drew Fickett. Parisyan won the Fight of the Night bonus.
Full Results
Full Card
Logan Clark def. Steve Byrnes — Submission — R?
Brock Larson def. Keita Nakamura — Decision — R3, 5:00
Luigi Fioravanti def. Dave Menne — Decision — R3, 5:00
Alan Belcher def. Jorge Santiago — Decision — R3, 5:00
David Heath def. Victor Valimaki — TKO — R?
Marcus Davis def. Shonie Carter — TKO — R?
Karo Parisyan def. Drew Fickett — Decision — R3, 5:00 — Fight of the Night
Josh Koscheck def. Jeff Joslin — TKO (Flying Knee) — R1, 1:45 — Co-Main
Main Event — Welterweight
Diego Sanchez def. Joe Riggs — KO (Flying Knee) — R1, 1:45
Standout Performances
Fight of the Night: Karo Parisyan vs. Drew Fickett.
Diego Sanchez's flying knee KO of Riggs at 1:45 was the night’s most explosive single moment and a highlight-reel finish that showed his aggressive welterweight style at its most decisive.
Records & Milestones
First UFC event on a United States military base — MCAS Miramar, San Diego; the civilian audience was effectively zero.
Proceeds from the five public ticket pairs auctioned went to Marine Corps Community Services Quality of Life Programs for Marines and their families.
1.3 Spike TV overall rating — strong number for a Wednesday-night free TV broadcast in December.
Legacy & Impact
UFC Fight Night 7 was the sport’s first event staged specifically for a military audience. It demonstrated the UFC’s ability to host events in non-traditional settings and its deliberate cultivation of a US military fanbase. The relationship with the armed forces — reinforced by events on bases and collaborations with military charities — became a consistent part of the UFC’s identity in the late 2000s.
Diego Sanchez's flying knee KO continued his position as the top UFC welterweight contender. He fought for the WW title at UFC 69 in April 2007 but was on the wrong side of the sport’s biggest upset that night: Serra stopped GSP, moving the title to Serra and pushing Sanchez’s title shot back further.
FAQ
Where was UFC Fight Night 7 held?
At MCAS Miramar (Marine Corps Air Station Miramar) in San Diego, California, on December 13, 2006 — the first UFC event held on a US military base.
What was unique about the audience at UFC Fight Night 7?
The audience consisted almost entirely of US Marines stationed at Miramar. Only five pairs of seats were made available to the public via charity auction. All proceeds went to Marine Corps Community Services Quality of Life Programs.
Who won the main event at UFC Fight Night 7?
Diego Sanchez defeated Joe Riggs by KO with a flying knee at 1:45 of round one.
What bonus was awarded at UFC Fight Night 7?
Karo Parisyan vs. Drew Fickett won Fight of the Night.
Was UFC Fight Night 7 on pay-per-view?
No — free on Spike TV. The event drew a 1.3 overall rating on a Wednesday night in December 2006.
References
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