UFC 44: UNDISPUTED
September 26, 2003
Las Vegas, Nev. at Mandalay Bay

-Lightweight Bout. In the opening preliminary match, Caol Uno, a veteran Japanese fighter and occasional pro-wrestler, takes on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Hermes Franca.

1 -- CAOL UNO VS. HERMES FRANCA

ROUND ONE: In a show of respect, the fighters touch gloves to start. Hermes Franca strikes first with a high kick that grazes the head of Caol Uno. The fighters clinch standing up, Uno with the double under hooks. Franca uses the position against Uno and gets a takedown with a leg sweep. The two crash to the ground with Franca having the advantage on top with side control. Uno manages to squirm his way out of side control into the half guard. Franca grabs Uno's ankle for a leg lock, but Uno is able to escape to a standing position. Franca remains lying on his back, his feet up in the air to defend against Uno. Uno holds onto Franca's legs and throws haymaker punches down towards Franca, mixed with kicks to his thigh. Joe Rogan notes these kicks are the worst to take because you are not able to brace yourself for the impact. Uno continues to tenderize the meat of Franca's thigh with his shin, all the while throwing down pot shots towards Franca's face and body.

Franca manages to grab Uno around the waist, which allows him to stand up. The fighters are back on their feet, but remain clinched. Uno takes Franca back down to the ground, landing on top of Franca in the half guard position. Uno stands up, with Franca still on the ground. Uno goes back to striking and kicking Franca on the ground. Mike Goldberg notes how Uno is kicking the thigh of Franca over and over on the same spot, with pinpoint accuracy. Rogan notes how Franca looks bewildered, while Uno looks calm. Round one comes to an end with Caol Uno clearly winning the round, as Rogan notes that was a bad round for Hermes Franca.

ROUND TWO: The fighters come out and circle each other a bit, each looking to land a kick. A few kicks are thrown back and forth, until Franca lands a big high kick to the side of Uno's head. Franca follows up with a left hook that knocks Uno down to his knees. Uno immediately shoots in for Franca's legs. Franca sprawls, then falls to his back pulling Uno into his guard. The two roll around awkwardly on the ground until they end up with Uno on his back and Franca standing over him, throwing down strikes in a role reversal from the first round. Both fighters get back to their feet, again clinched with Uno having the double under hooks. Uno throws some knees while holding onto Franca. Uno tries to drive Franca down to the ground, but Franca shifts his weight and takes down Uno, quite nastily, literally spiking Uno head first onto the canvas. Ouch.

Franca lands on top of Uno in the mount position and unleashes a barrage of punches to the head of Uno. Franca slides into side control, headlocks Uno with one arm and uses his other arm to repeatedly strike Uno in the face. Uno is dazed, but endures and manages to get Franca into his half guard. The action settles down a bit. Franca gets Uno's back on the ground. Uno stands up with Franca behind him, but Franca reaches around Uno to continue to throw punches to his face. Uno is rocked. Uno manages to land a straight left punch just as Franca lands a straight right to his chin. Uno collapses and the ref steps in.

FINISH: Hermes Franca Wins by Knock-Out at 2:46 of the Second Round.

STAR RATING: (***-) The first round was one-sided with Franca only playing defense. Both fighters are extremely agile, so there was some unique grappling, but not really any submission attempts, as both fighters were looking to strike. Franca redeemed himself in the second round by landing a pivotal high kick and, from that point on, it was just a matter of Franca hitting another big one to finish off Uno. Great KO finish with both fighters landing punches at the same time. Uno, unfortunately for him, took his right on the chin.

RAMIFICATIONS: This was the biggest win in the career of Hermes Franca. Unfortunately, Franca would go on to lose his next two UFC matches, at UFC 46 against Josh Thompson and UFC 47 against Yves Edwards. Franca would not be back in the octagon again until UFC 61, where he defeated Joe Jordan. He went on to beat Jamie Varner at the most recent event, UFC 62. Hermes Franca is currently on a hot streak in MMA, having won his last 6 matches. Caol Uno has not fought in the UFC since this loss, instead he has been fighting back in his native Japan for K-1.

-Welterweight Bout. In a preliminary match, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner Nick Diaz fights Jeremy Jackson in a rubber match. The two have split wins against each other outside of the UFC.

2 - JEREMY JACKSON VS. NICK DIAZ

ROUND ONE: The fighters touch gloves and start circling each other. Diaz shoots in, but Jackson sprawls to avoid the takedown. Jackson hits a good left hand. Diaz persists for the takedown and is successful, landing on top of Jackson in the half guard. Just as Joe Rogan says Jackson is not going to be able to get out of this position, Jackson escapes to a standing position. Diaz will have none of this though, and takes Jackson back down again, slamming him to the mat, again with Diaz on top of Jackson in the half guard. Rogan notes how Jackson is inexperienced on the ground. Diaz is working to pass Jackson's guard. Diaz hits a series of shoulder thrusts to the face of Jackson. Rogan notes how these are intended to distract Jackson, so Diaz can pass his guard. Diaz passes to get side control and rises up to knee-on-stomach, but gets sloppy with his positioning and loses both his balance and his position, allowing Jackson to escape to a standing position.

Nick Diaz immediately goes for the single leg trying to take Jeremy Jackson down. Diaz works the legs of Jackson up against the cage until he gets him back down to the ground, this time Diaz is in Jackson's closed guard. Jackson holds on, as the two exchange strikes. Diaz stands up, and Jackson sends up a kick to the head of Diaz from the ground. Diaz drops down into side control, but Jackson pulls him into the half guard. Diaz rises up and drops down left hands to Jackson's face. Jackson counters with another vicious upward kick to the head of Diaz. Jackson manages to pop up to his feet.

Diaz lands a punch and Jackson appears dazed, but when Diaz drops his hands to go in for the kill, Jackson instantly regains his composure and throws a straight right hand with all his muster. Diaz ducks to barely avoid the punch of death. Jeremy Jackson pulled a page out of Ric Flair's playbook here, playing opossum to give his opponent a false sense of confidence, and Diaz bit perfectly. It would have been one of the greatest endings ever to a fight had that punch landed and KO'd Diaz.

Nick Diaz goes back to hugging Jeremy Jackson's leg like he never wants it to leave, trying to get Jackson off his feet. Jackson shows excellent takedown defense by sprawling to avoid the takedown. Jackson swats at the head of the pesky Diaz with punches, but Diaz is ever persistent and keeps trying for the takedown until the round ends. Diaz's persistence has to give him the round.

ROUND TWO: In a true show of respect, the fighters again touch gloves to start the second round. Nick Diaz, who obviously has missed Jeremy Jackson's leg since he last held it, shoots right in for the single leg takedown. Jackson goes back to sprawling and punching, trying to avoid the inevitable. Diaz gets Jackson to the ground, but stands back up and drops a couple of brutal strikes down to the body of Jackson. As Rogan notes, with nothing behind him but the canvas, these punches to Jackson's stomach are especially sick.

Diaz drops down into the full guard and lands a couple of nasty elbows to the face of Jackson. Diaz gets half guard, and then side control. Jackson scrambles and Diaz gets his back. Diaz works to lock in a choke. Jackson rolls to counter the position, and gets into Diaz's full guard. Jackson finally has Diaz on his back. Jackson unleashes a storm of strikes, landing several big bombs to the face of Diaz. Diaz is bloodied on the bridge of his nose. With Jackson in his guard, Diaz works for an omoplata. Jackson defends well. The fighters get to their feet and the round ends. Close round. Mike Goldberg notes how a judge could easily give round one to Diaz, and round two to Jackson.

ROUND THREE: Jeremy Jackson again offers his glove to Diaz to start the round. Mike Goldberg speculates this may be an effort by Jackson to delay being taken to the ground for a few more seconds. Diaz decides to play the stand up game, but only long enough to duck under a punch and get yet another single leg takedown. Jackson escapes to his feet. Diaz grabs Jackson's leg and rides him around the ring until he goes down again. Diaz gets side control on Jackson. Diaz locks his arms around Jackson in a modified scarf hold.

Jackson gets to his feet, but Diaz still has a hold of his head and tries for a guillotine. It looks like Diaz might have Jackson for a few seconds, but Jackson pops his head out. Joe Rogan notes how Diaz's gamble to give up position, and hold on for the guillotine choke, didn't pay off, as Jackson is now on top of him. Diaz has bigger and better plans, though, as he works his legs around the arm of Jackson to lock in an armbar for the sudden submission victory.

FINISH: Nick Diaz Wins by Tap Out at 2:04 of the Third Round.

STAR RATING: (***+) Great match with a really sweet spot where Jeremy Jackson plays opossum, appearing dazed to trick Nick Diaz. Diaz was relentless for the entire fight, shooting in on Jackson for the single leg. Jackson showed incredibly impressive takedown defense and showed patience when Diaz did take him to the ground. Both fighters looked very impressive, with good back and forth. There were a couple of false finishes where it seemed like Diaz had finally gotten Jackson. The actual finish to the fight proves how the simplest of mistakes in the octagon, letting your guard down for one second, can result in a loss. For two and a half rounds, Jackson was on point, but in the third round, he made the mistake of letting his arm dangle near Diaz for a little too long.

RAMIFICATIONS: Nick Diaz would go on to take out Robbie Lawler at UFC 47, but suffered a set back in a loss to Karo Parisyan at UFC 49. Diaz would come back to the UFC with two wins in a row, over Drew Fickett at UFC 51 and Koji Oishi at UFC 53. Diaz would then suffer the worst losing streak of his career, losing to TUF 1 winner Diego Sanchez at the Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale, losing to Joe Riggs at UFC 57 and losing to Sean Sherk at UFC 59. Diaz had to go outside of the UFC to get a win, then came back to the most recent event, UFC 62, and beat Josh Neer to get back to his winning ways in the UFC. Jeremy Jackson, on the other hand, has yet to return to the UFC since this loss, but is currently a contestant on this season's The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback.

-Lightweight Bout. In a preliminary match, American Kickboxing Academy member Josh Thompson takes on jiu-jitsu specialist Gerald Strebendt.

3 - JOSH THOMPSON VS. GERALD STREBENDT

ROUND ONE: The fighters touch gloves to start the fight. Both fighters aggressively circle each other. Josh Thompson scores first with a takedown. Gerald Strebendt grabs Thompson's leg, going for the submission, but leaving himself open for strikes. Thompson finagles his way out of the leglock and gets into Strebendt's guard. Joe Rogan notes that Strebendt has excellent ground jiu-jitsu. Strebendt goes for an omoplata. Thompson escapes but willingly falls back down into Strebendt's guard. Rogan notes how Thompson doesn't seem to be afraid of Strebendt's guard and how this could be a mistake on the part of Thompson. Strebendt has a gogoplata on Thompson. Thompson escapes and Strebendt shifts his focus to a leglock. Thompson escapes again, smirking at Strebendt and his submission attempts.

Thompson gets Strebendt's back, but even in this vulnerable position Strebendt continues to work for a submission, applying a keylock. Thompson escapes and Strebendt goes back to the leglock. This time Strebendt would pay for leaving himself open to strikes, though, as Thompson lands a loaded back fist straight to the side of Strebendt's face. Strebendt lets go of the leg and goes into retreat mode, as he is rocked. Strebendt stands up, but starts falling backwards on his own feet. Thompson moves in for the kill, nailing Strebendt with a right hand that takes him to the ground. Strebendt is grabbing at Thompson for his life, trying to catch any limb he can. Thompson continues to pummel him with punches on the ground. Strebendt rolls to his stomach and Thompson is unloading on him. Finally, Big John McCarthy has seen enough unanswered blows, and steps in to stop the fight.

FINISH: Josh Thompson Wins by TKO at 2:45 of the First Round.

STAR RATING: (**-) Josh Thompson arrogantly fended off Strebendt's submission attempts, giving him no respect, perhaps rightfully so, from his perspective. Strebendt operated with relentless effort, but a risky game plan, leaving himself open to strikes while going for it all with the submission attempts. A noble attempt by Strebendt, but Thompson is a beast and it is seems likely he's going to catch you with a debilitating strike before you're going to find a submission on him.

RAMIFICATIONS: Josh Thompson would go on to defeat Hermes Franca at UFC 46, but lose to Yves Edwards at UFC 49. Thompson has not been back in the UFC since his loss. This was Gerald Strebendt's one and only match in the UFC.

-Welterweight Bout. In the last preliminary match, Karo Parisyan, a 21-year-old judo expert with 19 fights under his belt, takes on freestyle fighter Dave Strasser.

4 - DAVE STRASSER VS. KARO PARISYAN

ROUND ONE: There is no glove touch in this fight. The two clinch up against the fence and grapple for position. Karo Parisyan throws a knee dangerously close to the groin of Dave Strasser. Parisyan throws the next knee a little higher and a lot more effectively, landing it into the gut of Strasser. Parisyan follows up with some punches and then performs a beautiful judo throw, whipping Strasser over his shoulder to the ground. Parisyan lands on top of Strasser in his half guard. Parisyan quickly makes Strasser's stay on the ground uncomfortable, rubbing his elbow into Strasser's face.

Parisyan stands up and comes back down at Strasser, bringing a right hand for his noggin with him. Parisyan is in Strasser's guard, working punches and looking for a submission. Parisyan gets a leglock, but Strasser escapes to a standing position. The fighters are back on their feet. The two throw strikes and Strasser lands a soft kick to the head of Parisyan. The two clinch and Parisyan uses his leg to sweep Strasser to the ground. Parisyan is lying on top of Strasser with his back to him, holding onto Strasser's arm. The two stand up with Parisyan still holding onto Strasser's arm. Parisyan rolls down towards the ground, using Strasser's arm to take him down with him. Parisyan, still holding onto the arm, rolls around until he is able to lock in a kimura to submit Strasser.

FINISH: Karo Parisyan Wins by Tap Out at 3:52 of the First Round.

STAR RATING: (**) Excellent finishing sequence as Karo Parisyan held onto Dave Strasser's arm as they transitioned from the ground to standing and then back down to the ground, where Parisyan found what he was looking for by locking in the armbar. Strasser was a mere whipping boy in this one, being thrown around by Parisyan.

RAMIFICATIONS: Karo Parisyan would go on to lose a unanimous decision to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 46. He would come back stronger than even, though, and win his next four UFC matches in a row. Parisyan defeated Nick Diaz at UFC 49, Chris Lytle at UFC 51, Matt Serra at UFC 53 and Nick Thompson at UFC 59. Parisyan suffered a setback at his most recent UFC event, losing to TUF 1 champion, Diego Sanchez, at UFC Ultimate Fight Night 6. Strasser has not returned to the UFC since this loss.

-Light Heavyweight Bout. In the opening PPV match, wrestler Rich Franklin takes on "Babyface" Edwin Dewees.

5 - RICH FRANKLIN VS. EDWIN DEWEES

ROUND ONE: Instead of a glove, Edwin Dewees offers a straight right kick to start the match, which Rich Franklin politely declines. The fighters hands are up and they are circling to strike. Joe Rogan notes there are rumors that Franklin has suffered a groin injury and is not looking to go to the ground in this fight. The fighters clinch, Franklin hits a nice knee, and Dewees throws Franklin to the ground. Dewees is in Franklin's half guard. Dewees works on top of Franklin, looking for an opening. Franklin is able to stand up, but Dewees grabs his head in a guillotine. Franklin slides out and stands up.

Both fighters are back on their feet. They clinch against the fence. Franklin throws knees and punches, with a nice uppercut landing to Dewees. Franklin has the double underhooks. Dewees bends over and Franklin throws a jumping knee, which lands to the head of Dewees. Franklin follows up with a right hook and Dewees is stunned. Franklin starts the assault. Dewees takes a few more punches and falls to the ground. Franklin senses Dewees is not out and backs off, allowing Dewees to pop back up to his feet. Dewees looks like The Terminator as he charges forward towards Franklin, who is backing up to reestablish a stand up position.

The fighters circle and Dewees gets caught leaning forward again, as Franklin plants a knee in his face. Franklin has Dewees clinched around the back of his neck and sends up several more brutal knee strikes. Franklin lands a left hand and Dewees is rocked again. Franklin goes for broke again. Dewees takes a few more strikes and falls to his back on the canvas, he is still in the fight, but has a frustrated look on his face. Franklin backs off and Dewees rises up out of what would have been a mere mortal man's grave, after having been hit so many times by Rich Franklin. Edwin Dewees is no mortal man, and he charges right at Franklin. The fighters clinch again against the fence, which is a position that has not resulted in anything positive for Dewees thus far in the fight.

The commentators say what a dream come true having this match in the UFC is for Edwin Dewees. Seems even a nightmare would pale in comparison to the idea of having to fight Rich Franklin for most people. Dewees goes down again, perhaps from exhaustion, although Franklin is throwing strikes. Dewees is on all fours and Franklin lands a soccer kick to his gut, which is legal, as only kicks to a downed opponent's head are prohibited. Franklin throws some bombs down on Dewees and lands a hard knee to his body. Franklin with another big knee to the body which brings a wincing moan from the audience. Franklin throws more knees and strikes, and the ref steps in to end the fight.

FINISH: Rich Franklin Wins by TKO at 3:35 of the First Round.

STAR RATING: (**+) Welcome to the UFC, Edwin Dewees. Dewees showed a ton of heart in this match, taking ruthless punishment and still pursuing Rich Franklin. Franklin displayed all kinds of knee strikes and punches. Dewees really didn't have much offense, but he was prepared to wear Franklin down just by taking a beating from him. The finish came as a ref stoppage, not a KO, which is remarkable considering how many stiff knees were taken by Dewees to the head.

RAMIFICATIONS: Rich Franklin is the current UFC Middleweight Champion. Since this fight, Rich Franklin has won 5 matches in a row in the UFC. Franklin would go on to defeat Jorge Rivera at UFC 50, UFC legend Ken Shamrock at the first UFC Ultimate Fighter Finale, Evan Tanner at UFC 53, Nate Quarry at UFC 56 and David Loiseau at UFC 58. Franklin is set to face perhaps his toughest opponent yet, in Anderson Silva, at UFC 64. Edwin Dewees would not be back in the UFC until UFC Ultimate Fight Night 2, where he lost again, this time to TUF 1 contestant Chris Leben. Dewees is currently a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback.

-Middleweight Bout. Canadian David "The Crow" Loiseau weighed in four pounds over the weight limit the day before the fight, cut the necessary weight, and is set to take on Jorge "El Conquistador" Rivera.

6 - DAVID LOISEAU VS. JORGE RIVERA

ROUND ONE: The fighters touch gloves and starting circling. Both fighters are looking to stand up and fight. The fighters clinch and exchange punches. Jorge Rivera lands some knees. David Loiseau gets an inside Muay Thai clinch. Loiseau gives Rivera a taste of some dirty boxing. Loiseau lands a few vicious elbows, one of which opens a gash on the top side of Rivera's head, above his ear. Loiseau gets hit hard by Rivera's fist and smiles, which usually means it hurt. The ref calls for time, so that the doctor can attend to Rivera's cut. The fighters return to the fight and clinch with some more dirty boxing. Loiseau continues to throw nasty right elbows, slicing the point of his elbow across Rivera's head. Rivera now has two gashes on his head, as there is another above the first one, on the top of his head. The round ends. Mike Goldberg calls the round close, but Joe Rogan gives the advantage to Loiseau.

ROUND TWO: The fighters touch gloves and then exchange leg kicks. Loiseau hits a nice right hand. Goldberg notes how there is no sign of a ground game in this fight. Loiseau throws some more elbows. Rogan notes how Loiseau is throwing his elbows with the form and speed of a punch. Loiseau is intentionally missing punches to follow up with his elbow to the head of Rivera. Rivera throws a succession of punches, as Loiseau covers up and backs toward the fence, braving the storm. Loiseau lands another right elbow. Rivera just keeps taking the brutal elbows, and again moves in with a fury of punches. Loiseau defends well against the combination punches. Loiseau is protecting his head, so Rivera lands a hard body punch, followed up with some uppercuts. Another close round.

ROUND THREE: Jorge Rivera starts the round pressing the action. Loiseau is backing up in a straight path, which gets him punched in the face a few times. Rivera gets some big body shots in on the fatigued Loiseau. The fighters have the Thai clinch. Both fighters land some hard shots. Rivera unleashes a storm, this time Loiseau is not able to protect himself well and is taking significant strikes. Loiseau appears hurt. Stamina seems to be the factor, as Rivera has taken control of the fight. Rivera hits a stiff uppercut, followed by more punches. Loiseau is rocked. Rivera is taking it to him on the fence. Loiseau pushes Rivera off of him and staggers away from the cage.

The fighters are reset on their feet and Loiseau is still in the fight, but has a bloody nose. The fighters clinch and Rivera hits a knee inside. Rivera is also fatigued now. Ten seconds left in the round. With less than 5 seconds remaining in the fight, Rivera nails Loiseau with several strong punches and Loiseau flops to the ground, his legs buckling underneath him. Loiseau drops to all fours and holds on, Rivera frantically tries to strike Loiseau to finish it, but the round ends before the ref steps in. Loiseau is extremely wobbly when he gets up. Rivera had Loiseau on his knees, covering his head. Another few seconds and it would have been over.

FINISH: Jorge Rivera Wins by Unanimous Decision (29-28 / 29-27 / 29-28)

STAR RATING: (***) An impressive, if one-dimensional, match where neither fighter left their feet until Loiseau flopped to the ground in the last seconds of the fight. David Loiseau threw and landed some of the nastiest elbows you'll see in an MMA match, and to Rivera's credit, he took them. Both men were rock solid, taking stiff shots from each other for all three rounds. Loiseau gassed towards the middle of the second and Rivera in the third, but they both left everything in the ring. A respectable stand-up effort from both. The match was a nice change of pace from some of the earlier matches on the card, where a lot of grappling was featured.

RAMIFICATIONS: David Loiseau would come back to win his next 3 UFC fights, over Gideon Ray at UFC 51, Charles McCarthy at UFC 53 and Evan Tanner at UFC Ultimate Fight Night 2. Loiseau would then fail in his attempt to take the Middleweight Championship away from Rich Franklin at UFC 58. Jorge Rivera would go on to lose his next two UFC matches, at UFC 46 against Lee Murray (who was recently charged in association with the largest cash robbery in the history of Great Britain) and against Rich Franklin at UFC 50. Rivera would come back to win a unanimous decision against Dennis Hallman at UFC 55 and lose to TUF 1 contestant Chris Leben at UFC Ultimate Fight Night 3. Jorge Rivera is currently a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback.

-Heavyweight Championship Bout. UFC Champion and Miletich Martial Arts member Tim Sylvia defends his title, as an underdog, against Gan "The Giant" McGee. Odds makers have McGee as a 5 to 1 favorite.

7 - TIM SYLVIA VS. GAN McGEE

ROUND ONE: The fighters touch gloves and this UFC Heavyweight Championship bout is underway. Both fighters look relaxed, as they circle and exchange jabs. Both fighters land a few punches, and miss a few haymakers. McGee tries for a some kicks. McGee hits a few combination punches. McGee's hands are down, and Sylvia lands a brutal straight right hand to the button of McGee and he is out. McGee falls to the ground on his stomach. Sylvia continues to rain down 6 more punches to the skull of the unconscious McGee before Big John McCarthy dives in between the fighters. Sylvia immediately calls out PRIDE's Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko.

FINISH: Tim Sylvia Wins by Knock-Out at 1:54 of the First Round.

STAR RATING: (*+) A championship match with an excellent KO. The only problem is this description literally sums up the match. An odd placement of this fight on the card, a Heavyweight Championship match taking place before another heavyweight match, puts to question the level of attraction this match had at the time. Within the match, there was enough time for the fighters to feel each other out, and for Sylvia to land a very lucrative punch, one that made fools of the odds makers who had McGee as a 5 to 1 favorite to win the match.

RAMIFICATIONS: Tim Sylvia would lose the UFC Heavyweight Championship in his next match against Frank Mir at UFC 48. The title would end up getting held up, and Andrei Arlovski won the interim Heavyweight Championship, which became undisputed when Tim Sylvia lost to Andrei Arlovski in a Heavyweight Championship match at UFC 51. Tim Sylvia would come back with a vengeance, beating Tra Telligman at UFC 54, Assuerio Silva at UFC Ultimate Fight Night 3, and recapturing the UFC Heavyweight Championship title from Andrei Arlovski at UFC 59. Sylvia solidified his status as UFC Champion by defeating Arlovski again, at UFC 61. Gan McGee, on the other hand, has yet to return to the UFC. He has only fought twice since this loss, in PRIDE, losing both matches.

-Heavyweight Bout. Two hard-hitting Eastern European heavyweights, Andrei "Pitbull" Arlovski and Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko, battle it out to get to the top of the division.

8 - ANDREI ARLOVSKI VS. VLADIMIR MATYUSHENKO

ROUND ONE: The fighters start out looking to strike. Vladimir Matyushenko lands a right punch to the head of Andrei Arlovski. Matyushenko shoots in several times, but Arlovski avoids the takedown. Arlovski lands a big right hand which sends Matyushenko to his back on the canvas. Arlovski dives on top of him and is teeing off with right hands. Matyushenko grabs onto Arlovski and Arlovski tries for the guillotine. Arlovski is on top in the half guard and Matyushenko is holding on. The fighters get to their feet. Matyushenko throws a wild punch which misses Arlovski, and Matyushenko almost eats a hard counter punch. Arlovski throws a punch so hard that when he misses, his momentum takes him face first onto the mat. Matyushenko tries for a knee to Arlovski's head while he is on the ground, which is illegal, but Arlovski is able to mostly avoid it. Arlovski is backing up and the ref steps in for time. Matyushenko is penalized a point for the illegal strike.

After the restart, Matyushenko shoots in for the takedown, but instead ends up mounted by Arlovski. Arlovski has the full mount and Matyushenko is clinching him for all that he's worth. Arlovski is showering Matyushenko with punches. Arlovski gets his back, but releases Matyushenko and stands back up. Arlovski is not looking for a choke in this one, he wants a KO. Arlovski lands a big right uppercut. Matyushenko tries a straight kick, but Arlovski sidesteps the kick and delivers a lethal uppercut to the chin of Matyushenko and he is down. The ref allows Arlovski to get one strike across the front of Matyushenko's face before he steps in to end the fight.

FINISH: Andrei Arlovski Wins by Knock-Out at 2:14 of the First Round

STAR RATING: (*+) Vladimir Matyushenko got in a little punishment on Andrei Arlovski before falling victim to the Pitbull. Arlovski is at the top of his game here, while Matyushenko has seen better days. Consider this a passing of the torch for the Eastern European fighters.

RAMIFICATIONS: After the fight, Joe Rogan speculates how an Andrei Arlovski versus Tim Sylvia match would be a dream match. After Arlovski beats Wes Correira at UFC 47 for the interim Heavyweight Championship, the dream match comes true as Arlovski beats Sylvia to become the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion at UFC 51. Arlovski would go on to beat Justin Eilers at UFC 53 and Paul Buentello at UFC 55. Arlovski would then lose his title in his rematch with Tim Sylvia at UFC 59 and again lose to Sylvia at UFC 61. Matyushenko has not returned to the UFC since this loss.

-Light Heavyweight Championship Bout. In the main event, 40-Year-Old wrestler and interim UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture looks to become undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion against former champion Tito "the Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Ortiz, who had to drop his title due to injury.

9 - TITO ORTIZ VS. RANDY COUTURE

ROUND ONE: No glove touch to start this fight. The fighters clinch with Tito Ortiz going for a takedown, but Randy Couture shakes him off. Ortiz pushes Couture up against the fence, with double underhooks around him. Ortiz gets the single leg. Joe Rogan points out that Tito Ortiz has never been taken down in his UFC career. Ortiz works Couture's legs for the takedown, but Couture is too well versed and avoids going to the ground. Couture now has the double underhooks, as he locks his hands together and takes Ortiz down, getting the first takedown of Ortiz in the UFC out of the way early. Couture gets Ortiz's back, has a crossface, but cannot get the choke before Ortiz gets back to his feet. The two are clinched up against the fence. Both men are using a lot of gas, maneuvering for position in the standing clinch. Couture locks in the double underhooks and slams Ortiz to the mat for another takedown. Rogan gives the round to Randy Couture. The crowd seems to prefer Tito Ortiz.

ROUND TWO: Tito Ortiz lands a high kick that gets Randy Couture's attention to start the second round. The two clinch, Greco-Roman style, with Couture out powering Ortiz. Couture slams Ortiz to the mat again. Rogan points out that Ortiz looks tired. Couture hits some elbows inside. Couture is in Ortiz's guard with the fighters up against the fence. Ortiz is getting pounded, as Couture smothers him. Couture gets the half guard. Rogan points out how Ortiz is out of his element, being on the defensive on the ground. Ortiz is trying to stand up, holding onto Couture's head. Ortiz rolls, trying to get an armbar. Couture smashes Ortiz with elbows. Complete domination by Couture for the round.

ROUND THREE: Joe Rogan points out how Randy Couture is not breathing heavy, while Tito Ortiz is looking worried, having most likely lost the first two rounds. Ortiz lands a straight right hand. It looks like the fighters might stand and fight, until Couture shoots in and grapples for a takedown, which he gets. Couture gets the back of Ortiz again. Couture has Ortiz's arms neutralized in a crucifix position, nailing down punches to the head of Ortiz. Ortiz escapes and goes for Couture's ankle. He pulls Couture's legs out from under him and Ortiz scores a takedown.

Couture tries to stand up, but Ortiz lands a knee to his body. Couture relentlessly grapples to regain position on Ortiz. Couture is now in Ortiz's guard, pushed up against the fence. Couture rains down punches on Ortiz. Ortiz counters with a stiff elbow. Couture continues to smother Ortiz, throwing down punches and elbows. Ortiz desperately tries to escape. Couture gets the half guard. Couture passes the guard and mounts Ortiz for only a second until Ortiz escapes. Couture gets side control with 5 seconds left in the round. The round ends with Couture punching Ortiz in the face. Randy Couture seemingly has this fight locked up, if it goes the distance.

ROUND FOUR: Randy Couture opens the fourth round with a big right punch to the head of Tito Ortiz. Couture follows up by driving Ortiz to the ground for the takedown. Couture has the half guard, once again imposing his will on Ortiz. The crowd has turned on Ortiz and is now chanting for Couture. Couture gets Ortiz's back again and lands a vicious knee to the kidneys of Ortiz. Couture is looking to get his hooks in for a choke. Ortiz rolls over and Couture has the mount. Ortiz covers up and Couture rains down a flurry of punches to the big head of Ortiz. Couture keeps swinging and swinging, to a point where the fight could potentially be stopped. Ortiz escapes, but Couture still has side control and continues to throw punches to the head of Ortiz until he needs a break from all the punching. Couture goes back to punching some more, throwing in a few elbows and dominating the round once again. Joe Rogan believes Ortiz has lost every round. It seems that it will be impossible for Ortiz to win without a finish.

ROUND FIVE: Mike Goldberg notes that this fight has been decided, unless there is a miracle for Tito Ortiz. The fighters clinch up against the fence again. Randy Couture gets a single leg takedown on Ortiz. Couture continues to aggress, looking to finish the fight on his own terms. Rogan points out how Ortiz is not worn out, but he is beaten down. Short elbows by Couture to the head of Ortiz. Ortiz manages to stand up, but Couture still has a hold of him. Couture is holding Ortiz from behind and sends him to the mat with a suplex. Couture, seemingly able to do whatever he wants, gets Ortiz's back again. Ortiz is able to get Couture into his half guard. Couture, his arm like the pendulum on a clock, continues to throw down punches to Ortiz.

Ortiz, with his first sign of life all match, grabs Couture's leg and goes for a kneebar. As Ortiz twists at Couture's leg, Couture playfully pats Ortiz on the butt. Couture continues to slap Ortiz on the butt, and then, not so playfully, he punches him hard on the butt. Randy Couture has literally and figuratively spanked Tito Ortiz in this match, sending him and the world a clear message. The announcers have no doubt Randy Couture has won this fight, with Joe Rogan proclaiming Couture is his hero and the "baddest dude on the planet." Tito Ortiz is crying as the judges decision is read. In a show of respect, Ortiz straps the undisputed UFC Light Heavyweight Championship title around the waist of Randy Couture.

FINISH: Randy Couture Wins by Unanimous Decision (50-44 / 50-44 / 50-45)

STAR RATING: (***-) One of the biggest matches in the history of the UFC, at this point. An undisputed champion was established, a veteran fighter solidified his Hall of Fame career and one of the cockiest fighters in the game was humbled. This was a completely dominating performance by Randy Couture. While a finish never came, it was somewhat cathartic getting to see Tito Ortiz taught a lesson by one of the classiest guys to ever step inside the octagon. Even though he was manhandled by Couture, Ortiz definitely should have already earned everyone's respect with his stellar career, therefore, there was always a chance in this fight that Ortiz might be able to find the miracle he was looking for. This match was, perhaps, more important than entertaining.

RAMIFICATIONS: Randy Couture would go on to lose his title, in controversial fashion, to Vitor Belfort at UFC 46. He would turn around and win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship right back from Belfort at UFC 49, only to lose it to Chuck Liddell at UFC 52. Couture would come back to defeat Mike Van Arsdale at UFC 54. In his final MMA match, Couture would lose in a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship rematch against Chuck Liddell at UFC 57. Randy Couture announced his retirement from MMA in the post-match interview.

Tito Ortiz would lose his next match, in a long-awaited match against Chuck Liddell at UFC 47. Ortiz would come back to win his last 4 matches in the UFC, however, defeating Patrick Cote at UFC 50, then winning split decisions over Vitor Belfort at UFC 51 and Forrest Griffin at UFC 59. Ortiz most recently defeated Ken Shamrock at UFC 61 and will fight Shamrock for the third time at the upcoming UFC Ultimate Fight Night 7.

[End Show]

BEST FIGHT: Nick Diaz vs. Jeremy Jackson

WORST FIGHT: Andrei Arlovski vs. Vladimir Matyushenko

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MMA TORCH STAR RATING SYSTEM (By Wade Keller)

We have created a star rating system for use at MMATorch.com as a courtesy for readers looking for a quick reference to decide which DVDs to rent or purchase, and as a subject for discussion among MMA followers.

Our star rating system is not judging the performance of fighters, whose job it is to win their match, not entertain. If a fighter can win in a few seconds, he's doing his job as he should, yet the match would not receive a high star rating because it wasn't substantial enough to be considered a "must see" or "go out of your way to see" match.

We have a basic five-star rating system, with no quarter or half stars, but instead a plus (+) or minus (-) to indicate whether it was a strong or weak version of two-star or four-star match, etc.

The criteria is based primarily on "drama" or "entertainment value" - the primary reason anybody watches any sport, but with a healthy dose of consideration (20 percent) on strong technique being shown by fighters and a final dose of consideration (10-20 percent) on whether the fight is "significant" in the sense of history (a dream match between known fighters, an upset by a newcomer over an established fighter), or changing the title picture. In other words, a **+ match might become a ***- because it has major ramifications or a surprising finish. A * match might move to **- because the technique of the submission or knockout was noteworthy.

ONE STAR: Every fight gets one star for merely taking place, so a *- would indicate the least entertaining fight possible (Severn-Shamrock draw debacle or a sloppy one minute submission). A *+ rating would go to a match that was forgettable and perhaps mostly boring, but with a redeeming quality, such as a few good punches, reversals, or a submission of note.

TWO STARS: This is your typical average MMA fight that you might forget about within minutes, if not for one or two decent rounds or a memorable knockout or submission or historical significance. (Sylvia vs. Arlovski III as an example might be considered **- because the title being at stake added drama, but otherwise it was a *+ propped up only by a solid first round; Liddell vs. Sobral would be probably ranked only two-stars because it was so short, but I'd add a plus because it was a Liddell title match and Sobral had a strong winning streak and a title was at stake, adding elements of drama to it going in and ramifications afterward.)

THREE STARS: This is good fight, where if there were three of them on an event, it'd make it an event worth seeing with some good technique, although not superior. (Hughes vs. Gracie might arguably reach three-stars because of the stature of the fight, the drama of the armbar, and historical significance, although I'd be tempted to have it **+ because it was so short.)

FOUR STARS: This is an elite fight, where it can carry a show on its own or come close to it, or a good match between two name fighters. If it's one dimensional with no ground fighting, or all ground fighting with no stand-up, that can work against it, unless the stand-up or ground fighting is compelling throughout.

FIVE STARS: This happens maybe twice a year, and would be up for MMA Fight of the Year. It could be an awesome undercard match between two up-and-comers, but more often will be a match with something at stake, high interest going into the fight to add drama, and a match that exceeds expectations and goes at least two rounds. (Griffin-Bonner I would be five-stars as it fits much of the criteria perfectly, only falling short in not being a showcase for any ground fighting - but that's a small factor. Another potential five-star level match this year was Diego Sanchez vs. Karo Parisyan from the Aug. 17 Ultimate Fight Night Live.)

We will track on MMATorch.com a list of four-star and five-star matches during the year, as graded by our official contributors reviewing live events, TV shows, and DVDs. We will also compile over time a list of top rated match from past years, as they are reviewed for MMATorch.com by our contributors, and a note of their availability on DVD.