UFC 47: IT'S ON
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
April 2nd, 2004

We get started right away with the classic, over-the-top UFC "Gladiator" intro. I don't care what people say, this still gets me pumped for a show every time. We get the interview highlights from the participants in our main event: Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. Tito claims this fight hasn't happened yet because they were good friends and agreed never to fight each other. Chuck says there was never an agreement, and not only that, but they were never even friends. Merely acquaintances. Ouch.

Enough talking. It's fight time!

1 - MIKE BROWN vs. GENKI SUDO

In our first fight of the night, a preliminary fight, American Top Team fighter Mike Brown takes on unorthodox Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Genki Sudo.

ROUND 1: Glove touch to start. Sudo starts out in one of his trademark crazy stances. It's not a technique, it's just something to make him stand out. The fighters clinch and both land some good inside knees. Sudo gets the first takedown, but it doesn't last long and both fighters stand. Brown then gets a takedown, and Sudo tries for a triangle and then an omoplata. Brown brushes off both attempts and settles into Sudo's guard and lands some nice punches. Sudo locks in an armbar and a triangle. Brown lands some hard punches to the face trying to break the hold, but Sudo won't let go and Brown is forced to tap to the armbar.

FINISH: Genki Sudo by submission (armbar) at 3:31 of Round 1

STAR RATING: (*+) Not very long but pretty good action while it lasted. It gets a bump up for the nice submission by Sudo.

RAMIFICATIONS: This was the first and last fight in the UFC for Mike Brown. He went on to fight for several smaller organizations over the last few years. His most recent fight was probably the biggest win of his career; a decision victory over Yves Edwards for BodogFight. This was also the last UFC fight for Genki Sudo as he signed with K-1 shortly after this fight. He has gone 6-1 since joining K-1 with his biggest win probably being a first round knockout of Royler Gracie.

2 - WADE SHIPP vs. JONATHON WIEZOREK

In our second and last prelim fight of the night, Wade Shipp takes on wrestler Jonathon Wiezorek in the UFC debut for both men.

ROUND 1: Wiezorek runs across the cage to start the fight looking for a takedown. In return he eats a huge knee. The entire first minute and a half of the fight consists of Wiezorek clinching with Shipp trying to get a takedown and absorbing big knees and big uppercuts for his trouble. The action stalls in the clinch as Wiezorek looks gassed already. Wiezorek does finally get the takedown and easily takes Shipp's back. All Shipp can do is cover up as he is also gassed and has no answer for the punches raining down on his head. The ref steps in and this one is over.

FINISH: Jonathon Wiezorek by TKO at 4:39 of Round 1

STAR RATING: (*) It started out promising, but both fighters gassed within two minutes. The finish was boring. Wiezorek's punches were weak but there was no choice but to stop the fight because Shipp wasn't defending himself.

RAMIFICATIONS: This was the first and last UFC fight for both men. They both came out trying to prove they belonged and give the fans an exciting fight, but in the process just proved that neither belonged in the big leagues of MMA just yet. Wiezorek, to his credit, does hold a submission victory over Dan Severn.

3 - WES SIMS vs. MIKE KYLE

In the first fight off of the main card, Team Hammerhouse and legit giant (he's 6'10) Wes Sims takes a fight on one day notice against freestyle fighter Mike Kyle.

ROUND 1: Wes Sims starts the fight with possibly the slowest high kick I've ever seen. In his defense though his legs alone are as tall as me. The fighters clinch against the cage. A guillotine attempt by Sims fails and in the process he pulls guard. Sims goes for an arm triangle from the bottom. After a few attempts at this and some uneventful action, the ref stands them up. Sims is completely gassed and barely even turns around in time to see Kyle charging at him. Kyle nails two huge knees to the head and it looks like Sims is calling for the towel! He doesn't get it. What he does get is another big knee and a huge right hand to the face as he's propped up against the cage to drop him with one second left in the round! It's all over.

FINISH: Mike Kyle by KO at 4:59 of Round 1

STAR RATING: (**) It wasn't the most action packed fight of all time, but Sims did a nice job of looking for submissions the whole time. The knockout was pretty spectacular though especially considering the height difference. If Sims had worked on his cardio at all, this had a chance to be a pretty good fight.

RAMIFICATIONS: As I said before, Sims took this fight on one day notice so it's hard to penalize him for that. This was his third and final fight in the UFC, finishing 0-3 with this loss and two previous losses to Frank Mir (when Frank Mir was unstoppable). That's nothing to be ashamed of. He seems to have a problem with his tougher opponents though with other losses to Tim Sylvia, Antoni Hardonk and Dan Severn. His only win of note in his career was against Kimo. This fight earned Mike Kyle two more UFC appearances which he split, knocking out James Irvin and getting knocked out by Justin Eilers.

4 - NICK DIAZ vs. ROBBIE LAWLER

In our next fight, a welterweight contest, Nick Diaz, a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu fighter, takes on "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler, an up and coming striker from the Miletich Fighting System.

ROUND 1: Diaz comes out and throws a side kick. The fighters circle and Diaz starts taunting Lawler for backing off by putting his hands down and sticking his chin out. Diaz knocks Lawler down with a right hook. Lawler gets up quickly and smiles at Diaz. They clinch and Diaz lands a nice knee. Diaz taunts him some more. Lawler gets rocked by a big right hand. He gets angry and starts throwing wildly. As the round wears on Lawler starts to connect with some nice combos and a flying knee. The bell sounds and Lawler throws not one, but two more punches clearly after the round is over. He does this because...well, because Robbie Lawler is a prick and he didn't like that he was losing the round. Great first round though. All striking, but it caused a buzz in the crowd that the other fights hadn't so far.

ROUND 2: Round 2 starts with more stand-up, this time with Lawler getting the better of it. Lawler comes in throwing big, but gets caught with his hands down and eats a huge right hook that sends him face first to the mat. The ref steps in to stop it but the fighters want more. Lawler tries to stand up but falls backwards and into the cage. Diaz is trying to get around the ref to inflict more damage. Cooler heads prevail though and this one is over.

FINISH: Nick Diaz by KO at 1:31 of Round 2

STAR RATING: (***) Sweet fight. One dimensional, but who cares. Lawler was supposed to blow through Diaz, and Diaz was expected to try to take the fight to the ground if he had any chance to win. Diaz said screw that and stood toe to toe with a striker and knocked him out. He also put a top Miletich fighter in his place, so he earns extra points from me for that.

RAMIFICATIONS: This fight definitely knocked Robbie Lawler down a peg. He was going to be in line for a title shot if his teammate Matt Hughes ever lost the belt. He lost his next fight to Evan Tanner which was also his last fight in the UFC. He's bounced around a bit since then, most recently winning fights in Pride and the IFL. For Nick Diaz, this fight really put him on the welterweight map. He lost his next fight after this, a split decision to Karo Parisyan, but there's no shame in that. Last year he actually had a three fight losing streak, but they were all decisions. He got back to his winning ways though and has won his last four fights, including an amazing performance in a his last fight; a submission victory over the top lightweight in the world Takanori Gomi via the gogoplata. Its almost certain to win submission of the year. If you haven't seen it, look it up on Youtube. I promise it's worth it.

5 - CABBAGE CORREIRA vs. ANDREI ARLOVSKI

Heavyweights collide in our next bout as Hawaiian Wesley "Cabbage" Correira takes on Belarusian Sambo fighter Andrei Arlovski. Correira is UFC's version of Mark Hunt. Not overly skilled, but has pretty good hands and a giant concrete head.

ROUND 1: Arlovski is employing the gameplan of coming in and throwing a combo and then backing off. Against Cabbage, it works. He does it most of the round. He also does a great job of using leg kicks to set up his punches. Arlovski with a great flurry of uppercuts, hooks, and a big knee, but nothing seems to faze Cabbage. More of the same from Arlovski as the round ends. Dominant round by Arlovski as Cabbage landed very few punches, but Arlovski never seems close to ending the fight.

ROUND 2: Cabbage stalks Arlovski to start the round. He must have a death wish. An unbelievable flurry by Arlovski as he lands about fifteen rights and lefts. He backs off and then comes in with a big right uppercut that drops Cabbage. Mario Yamasaki steps in and stops the fight. Joe Rogan thinks it was a premature stoppage, but Cabbage doesn't seem to be complaining.

FINISH: Andrei Arlovski by TKO at 1:15 of Round 2

STAR RATING: (**+) Very entertaining fight. A showcase for Arlovski. He proved that he is one of the top heavyweights around. Cabbage, once again, proved that he can take a mean punch.

RAMIFICATIONS: This was Arlovski's third T(KO) victory in a row, and it set him up for a title shot. He capitalized on the opportunity by submitting Tim Sylvia and winning the vacant Heavyweight Title. He would later lose the title to Sylvia and drop the rematch, putting him in the background of the title picture for awhile. With the belt now off Sylvia, it opens the door for Arlovski to get another title shot. For Cabbage, this fight proved what everyone already knew; that he could get beat up with the best of them. He has some nice wins to his credit, but just isn't skilled enough to ever receive a title shot.

6 - YVES EDWARDS vs. HERMES FRANCA

In a battle of top lightweight contenders, American Jiu-Jitsu fighter Yves Edwards battles Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Hermes Franca.

ROUND 1: Glove touch to start. Wild overhand right misses by Franca. He does, however, shoot in and get a single-leg takedown. Edwards reverses and ends up on top. Nice punches from the top by Edwards, but he doesn't feel like playing with fire and backs out. Nice leg kick by Edwards. Two high kicks by Franca partially connect. Franca misses with another big overhand right, but still gets the takedown. Both fighters stand. Franca shoots in for another takedown, but Edwards ends up on top as the round ends. Close first round, but I'll give a slight edge to Franca for the takedowns and controlling the fight.

ROUND 2: Another glove touch. High kick by Franca misses. Good takedown by Franca. He transitions to half guard. He tries to pass into mount but Edwards reverses it and ends up on top. Edwards tries to back out, but Franca grabs a leg and pulls him back down and tries to work for a leg lock. Edwards escapes. Franca goes for another takedown and both look for heel hooks. Both go to stand up and Edwards misses a knee as they do. Franca tries to grab a leg as the bell sounds. Another good round and this one is too close to call.

ROUND 3: A third glove touch. I love that. Immediate takedown attempt is successful for Franca as he gets the single-leg and ends up in Edward's butterfly guard. Edwards goes for a kimura, but Franca rolls over on top and almost catches Edwards with an armbar. Edwards ends up on top and backs out. Franca stands up. He misses with a combo and tries for a takedown, but Edwards again ends up on top. Nice shoulder strikes from the top by Edwards. He tries to back out, but Franca hits an upkick on his way out. Franca goes for the takedown and starts grabbing for any limb he can, trying to finish the fight. He can't get a submission and the fight ends. Another close round, with this one going to Edwards.

FINISH: Yves Edwards by split decision at 5:00 of Round 3. Hermes Franca walks out of the octagon immediately after the announcement, clearly upset at the decision.

STAR RATING: (***) Easily the most diverse and technically sound fight of the night. Great takedowns and reversals. Both fighters stayed active on the ground. Just a good fight all around.

RAMIFICATIONS: Yves Edwards won his next fight against Josh Thompson in what had to be considered a number one contender fight. Unfortunately for him, the UFC dissolved the lightweight division shortly after that and Edwards went to fight elsewhere. When the UFC brought the division back last year, Edwards was brought back as the uncrowned champ. He forgot to hold up his end of the bargain, however, losing fights to Mark Hominick and Joe Stevenson, costing himself a title shot. Ironically enough, Hermes Franca is currently on an eight fight win streak and is scheduled to be Lightweight Champ Sean Sherk's first opponent when he comes back from injury. Funny how things work out sometimes.

7 - CHRIS LYTLE vs. TIKI GHOSN

In our next to last fight of the night, solid journeyman Chris Lytle takes on Team Punishment fighter Tiki Ghosn.

ROUND 1: Nice body kick to start by Lytle. Tiki goes for a high kick, but Lytle catches his leg and gets a trip takedown. Tiki gets up quickly though. Both fighters are pretty active on the feet, but not much is connecting. The fighters clinch and we get some good exchanges inside, including a nice combo by Tiki. Round one ends with the fighters standing apart. Close round, but mostly because not much damage was done either way. I'll give the slight edge to Lytle.

ROUND 2: Round two starts out similarly, but with more shots connecting. Lytle catches a kick attempt again and gets another trip takedown. He passes to side control. Lytle takes Ghosn's back and gets a tap from a side headlock choke, or as Joe Rogan puts it, "a simple schoolyard headlock".

FINISH: Chris Lytle by submission (side choke) at 1:55 of Round 2

STAR RATING: (**) Decent fight. Not a good showing for Tiki to get submitted by such a simple hold. Nothing spectacular here, but it did have a couple nice takedowns and some good exchanges in close.

RAMIFICATIONS: This was the last fight in the UFC for Tiki. It's also the fight that started his current three fight losing streak. He ended up 0-4 in the UFC and this was the one that put the nail in the coffin. This was a good win for Chris Lytle. He's well rounded and pretty good at everything, but not great at anything. It causes problems for him when he fights top flight competition because they always seem to have a distinct advantage in one area over Lytle. Just look at the Matt Hughes fight. This fight and his good showing against Robbie Lawler are probably what earned him a spot on The Ultimate Fighter 4, where he gained more fame in a couple months than he had in his whole career prior to that.

8 - CHUCK LIDDELL vs. TITO ORTIZ

In our main event it's the long awaited fight between former training partners Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. This fight is also for the number one contender to the Light Heavyweight title. Before the fight we get one last video package with fighter interviews to hype the fight. Then we get the celebrities in the audience's predictions. I don't know why, but I love when they do that.

ROUND 1: Extended feeling out process to start. LOUD Tito chants from the crowd. Tito fakes a shot and backs off. Straight left and an overhand right by Liddell connects. Nice right by Tito. Liddell starts to unload with some combos and a right high kick as the round ends. Tito pushes Big John and says, "bring it on!". Not much action in the first round but the absolutely electric crowd made it seem much more exciting. Advantage to Liddell for his flurry to close it out.

ROUND 2: Liddell takes the center to start, looking to be more aggressive. Nice leg kick by Tito. Tito takes an inadvertent thumb to the eye. Liddell smells blood and goes in for the finish. UNBELIEVABLE! Liddell absolutely unloads one of the most vicious flurries I've ever seen and knocks out Tito. Twenty punches land. Seriously. I counted. Amazing.

FINISH: Chuck Liddell by KO at 0:38 of Round 2

STAR RATING: (***) This is as little action you can possibly have and get this high of a rating. The drama, the crowd, and the finish put it right up there though. If this fight had any kind of long competitive action it could've challenged for five stars. It was just that exciting.

RAMIFICATIONS: This is one of the most important matches in MMA history. It established Chuck Liddell as the biggest star in MMA, and he hadn't even won the belt yet. He's neither lost nor given up his role as biggest star since then. He went on to beat Randy Couture for the title in his next fight and he hasn't looked back. Tito Ortiz fought two more times for the UFC after this before leaving due to contract disputes for over a year. He did come back though and had won five fights in a row to earn another shot at Chuck Liddell, this time for his old belt. The results were the same though as Tito was stopped in the third round of their rematch. Sitting at 0-2 versus the champ, he'll probably be on the outside looking in as far as the title picture is concerned until Liddell either loses or retires. And I'm sure Tito doesn't care which one comes first.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: If stand up and knockouts is your thing, go pick this DVD up right now. Of the eight fights, only one went to a decision, one was a submission, and the other six were T(KO) stoppages. No four-star fights, but a solid three three-star fights. I'll give Diaz-Lawler the nod for fight of the night. You also get to see the historic coronation of Chuck Liddell as MMA's poster boy, along with one of the best finishes of all time. If you're a jiu-jitsu enthusiast you can skip this one. There's only one fight here that will hold your interest. My one complaint (and this is a complaint I have with all UFC DVD's) is that you can't just hit play and watch the event from start to finish. After every fight it takes you back to the main menu to pick what fight you want to watch next. It can be distracting and can completely keep you from watching the event if you've lost your remote. Overall I give this show a solid thumbs up. I rented it from Blockbuster and I think I've seen it at most of them I've been to.