Introduction
UFC Fight Night 9: Stevenson vs. Guillard took place on Thursday, April 5, 2007 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, broadcast live on Spike TV with an attendance of 1,734. Joe Stevenson submitted Melvin Guillard via guillotine choke from bottom guard at 0:27 of round one in the lightweight main event — one of the fastest submissions in UFC Fight Night history. Kenny Florian defeated Dokonjonosuke Mishima by rear-naked choke in round three, earning Fight of the Night honours. Kurt Pellegrino's Achilles lock win over Nate Mohr earned him Performance of the Night.
The card was notable for the volume of submission finishes across the main card — four submission victories from nine bouts. The lightweight division was stacked with talent: Stevenson, Florian, Fickett, Clementi, Pellegrino, and Tavares all competed on the same card. This was the lightweight division at its 2007 peak of depth, three months before BJ Penn began to reassert his dominance of the 155-pound weight class.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Thursday, April 5, 2007
📍 Venue: Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
👥 Attendance: 1,734
📺 Broadcast: Spike TV
🏆 Main Event: Joe Stevenson vs. Melvin Guillard — Lightweight
✅ Result: Stevenson def. Guillard via Submission (guillotine choke from bottom guard) — R1, 0:27
Main Event: Stevenson vs. Guillard
Melvin Guillard was one of the most athletically gifted lightweights in the UFC at the time — a fast, powerful striker with knockout power in both hands. Joe Stevenson was the submission specialist. The fight lasted 27 seconds. Guillard charged forward immediately; Stevenson shot underneath him, pulled guard, and locked up a guillotine choke from the bottom. Referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight at 0:27 of round one. Stevenson earned Performance of the Night for the breathtaking brevity of the finish.
Full Results
Main Card (Spike TV)
Joe Stevenson def. Melvin Guillard — Submission (guillotine choke) — R1, 0:27 — Lightweight (Performance of the Night)
Justin McCully def. Antoni Hardonk — Unanimous Decision — R3, 5:00 — Heavyweight
Kenny Florian def. Dokonjonosuke Mishima — Submission (rear-naked choke) — R3, 3:57 — Lightweight (Fight of the Night)
Wilson Gouveia def. Seth Petruzelli — Submission (guillotine choke) — R2, 0:39 — Light Heavyweight
Drew Fickett def. Keita Nakamura — Unanimous Decision — R3, 5:00 — Welterweight
Kurt Pellegrino def. Nate Mohr — Submission (Achilles lock) — R1, 2:58 — Lightweight (Performance of the Night)
Preliminary Card
Kuniyoshi Hironaka def. Forrest Petz — Unanimous Decision — R3, 5:00 — Welterweight
Roan Carneiro def. Rich Clementi — Unanimous Decision — R3, 5:00 — Welterweight
Thiago Tavares def. Naoyuki Kotani — Unanimous Decision — R3, 5:00 — Lightweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Fight of the Night: Kenny Florian vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima — $50,000 each
🥇 Performance of the Night: Joe Stevenson — $50,000 for the 27-second guillotine choke of Guillard
🥇 Performance of the Night: Kurt Pellegrino — $50,000 for the Achilles lock submission of Nate Mohr
Legacy & Impact
UFC Fight Night 9 is the definitive early Fight Night showcase of the lightweight division's depth. Four submission finishes across nine fights, a 27-second main event, and a Fight of the Night in the Florian-Mishima match that went three competitive rounds. Stevenson's win set up his eventual lightweight title shot against BJ Penn at UFC 80. Florian's continued Fight Night dominance kept him in the lightweight top-ten conversation heading into his own title shot campaign.
FAQ
How did Stevenson submit Guillard so quickly?
Guillard charged forward aggressively from the opening bell — his natural instinct as a power striker. Stevenson anticipated the rush, shot underneath, pulled guard, and locked up the guillotine choke from the bottom. Guillard's forward pressure worked against him: it added to the choke's leverage and gave Stevenson no angle to defend. The tap came at 0:27. Stevenson later described the finish as a textbook trap — inviting the aggression and using it as the submission's engine.