FACEBOOK TWITTER RSS APP PODCAST Special Event Coverage : UFC 100 COVERAGE : UFC 100 History HISTORY: UFC 100 Countdown - "How we got here" - UFC 31 - Weight classes and the debut of the Prodigy

Jun 27, 2008 - 7:53:15 PM
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC has been through many ups and downs throughout it's 16 year history. From the beginnings of the sport as "anything goes, which style is better" contests, to the dark ages with little pay-per-view coverage to this booming mega sport garnering millions of dollars in live gates and pay-per-view buys, it's been a long road getting to UFC 100 on July 11th. With this series we will highlight many of the key numbered events, in chronological order, that have led to this historic pay-per-view card. New events will be covered daily as we come up on the July 11th event.

Zuffa took over the reigns of the UFC just weeks before UFC 30 in February of 2001, but the kickstart to the sport we know today began at UFC 31 with the UFC adopting the weight classes set forth by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial arts. While there have been some changes discussed in recent years, the sport today is still largely using the rules and weight classes set forth before this card.

With the five main weight classes in place that the UFC uses to this date, this event set up Chuck Liddell as a legitimate contender in the light heavyweight division, saw another war involving the "Natural" Randy Couture and featured the debut of one of the sport's most talented fighters and the current Lightweight Champion B.J. "The Prodigy" Penn.

Penn would need just one round to dispatch of his opponent, Joey Gilbert, picking up the TKO victory as time was near expiring, something he's repeated in future performances. It was clear from this first bout that Penn would be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Chuck Liddell destroyed former Heavyweight Champion Kevin Randleman, who had dropped down to the light heavyweight division, knocking him out in 1:18 of the first round. It was Liddell making a statement that he was of Championship caliber.

In the main event of the evening, Randy Couture defeated Pedro Rizzo via decision to retain the UFC Heavyweight Championship in one of the great fights in UFC history. In an extremely close fight, Couture pulled out the unanimous decision. With how close the bout was, not to mention how good it was, the two were matched up yet again later that year, a fight Couture also won.

It was the beginning of something bigger for the UFC and the sport of MMA in general, but there were many more high and lowpoints left on this road to 100.

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