© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com
www.knucklepit.com All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges
Although The Ultimate Fighter competitors are not as polished in their craft as most UFC veterans of the Octagon, their bouts are more reflective of the raw skills displayed in bar-room brawls and street fights. While it's great to witness the likes of such legendary professionals as Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell pushing the boundaries of Mixed Martial Arts, it's also enjoyable to see their proteges competing whilst displaying less finesse, but more adrenalin. And fans were treated to the sight of not two, but three beautiful ring-card girls for this event. As the famous physicist, Ian Albertstein, once wrote: "Less is more, but more is more better!"
The Ultimate Fighter #1 Results
Alex Karalexis (5'8" 169 lb) v Josh Rafferty (6'0" 169 lb) – Welterweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Josh opened the bout with a right body kick, followed by leg and high kicks. Alex moved in with a series of fists that failed to connect before the pair clinched. Karalexis forced Rafferty against the fence and landed a powerful right fist to the temple. They fell to the floor, still in the clinch, where Josh attempted a guillotine. Alex easily escaped the choke and dished out fistfuls of leather. After a bit of scrummaging, Karalexis attacked from his feet while Rafferty kicked up from his back. Josh grazed Alex's head then Alex feinted with a dummy fist before delivering a damaging right. Karalexis knew he'd scored with the powerful knuckle express and looked at the referee to intervene. But Mazzagatti wasn't convinced and instructed Alex to bat on. So Karalexis obliged before Mazzagatti agreed with Alex. A dazed Rafferty didn't object to the stoppage.
Result: Alex Karalexis by KO – 1.40, Round One
Mike Swick (6'1" 185 lb) v Alex Schoenauer (6'3" 185 lb) – Middleweight
Referee: Herb Dean
This fight was over in just 20 seconds. Swick closed in fast and shot out a right leg kick. Schoenauer returned a right cross that missed, then caught Mike with a right leg kick, followed by a misplaced left front kick. Swick ducked out of harm's way before returning with blazing, looping lefts and rights. A number of the punches connected and Alex was out before he hit the canvas.
Result: Mike Swick by KO – 0.20, Round One
Nate Quarry (6'0" 184 lb) v Lodune Sincaid (5'9" 184 lb) – Middleweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
Nate adopted the hit-and-run strategy, using his reach advantage to precision-jab Lodune, then moving out of range. Sincaid didn't really get a chance to show off his skills until 3.55 into the fight when he cut the ring off and caught Quarry with some nice leatherwork. But at 3.50, Nate was floating out of range again and caused Lodune's face to glow and swell. Quarry kept Sincaid at bay with more long-reaching jabs and front kicks.
2.58: Nate Quarry rubbed his right eye – as Gresham, Oregon folks often do; fortunately he was okay and continued to wear his opponent down. Lodune was scoring with good leg kicks, but they were usually at a price for closing the gap.
2.06: Nate landed a wrenching, right body-punch, followed by a salvo of head shots, then he connected with a straight right body kick. At 1.58 Lodune was a passive target and Big Mac pulled the fight up.
Result: Nate Quarry by TKO – 3.17, Round One
Josh Koscheck (5'10" 185 lb) v Chris Sanford (5'8" 183 lb) – Middleweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Two very determined fighters entered this battle, with plenty of ill will stored up between them. Josh tried for an early leg kick that was more of a threat than a serious attack. He then moved in again and ducked under a volley of powerful fists from Chris, before backing out of reach. Koscheck fired a tentative jab and Sanford answered with a sharp leg kick. If this match was going to remain standing, it appeared Josh could have his hands full.
4.02: Koscheck shot for Sanford's left leg and drove him to the ground, with Chris forced against the fence. Josh dispatched elbows whilst keeping his opponent pinned to the cage. At 3.00, Josh got the mount and began his ground'n'pounding campaign, but at 2.54, Chris wriggled free and slapped on a heel hook. Both men started moving like sea otters from one position to another. And at 2.45, Josh looked to be going for a front choke, while Chris was looking to reintroduce the vertical game. But Josh had Chris where he wanted him and latched onto Sanford's thighs to keep the fight horizontal.
2.23: Koscheck was g'n'p-ing Sanford against the wires. Chris momentarily climbed to his feet, only to be hoisted up, Matt Hughes-style, then carried and slammed into the canvas at 1.50. Josh achieved side control, pinning Chris to the mat and raining down elbows. Sanford looked gassed. He seemed to have spent too much of his energy trying to escape the ground game, rather than fighting back. Koscheck was still fresh, landing a succession of right fists to Sanford's jaw and face when Steve Mazzagatti pulled it up.
Result: Josh Koscheck by KO – 4.21, Round One
Chris Leben (5'11" 185 lb) v Jason Thacker (5'10" 183 lb) – Middleweight
Referee: Herb Dean
Chris and Jason squared off from the opening second, exchanging lefts and rights. Leben, the southpaw, caught Thacker with a left knee to the body and they clinched. The pair collapsed to the ground with Jason pulling Chris's head down to prevent Leben striking from the guard. Chris crab-crawled the locked fighters to the fence, and hammered Jason's head and body with left fists and elbows.
3.50: Leben climbed to his feet to gain more leverage for the assault. Herb Dean has proven himself to be one of the best referees in MMA, and watched the action closely before intervening.
Result: Chris Leben by TKO – 1.35, Round One
Sam Hoger (6'3" 205 lb) v Bobby Southworth (6'2" 204 lb) – Light Heavyweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
Round One
Pat Miletich team representative Sam Hoger looked confident facing the more experienced Bobby Southworth. Bobby shaped up to Sam like a seasoned prize fighter, guarding well with his gloves and spitting out sharp jabs. His snapping leg kicks stood out in contrast to Sam's slow high kicks. Hoger also tried some front kicks, but they were too telegraphic for his nimble adversary, and Southworth was easily blocking most of the incoming punches and kicks.
3.52: Bobby threw a left hook and caught Sam's jaw with a strong right cross. The pair clinched at 1.58, but neither fighter was achieving much, so they separated at 1.40. Bobby continued to land with punishing leg kicks to Sam's left thigh, whilst blocking and stepping back from Sam's firepower. In the final seconds of round one, Hoger seemed to turn his attack up a notch and caught Southworth with a nice left jaw-rattler.
Round Two
The battle recommenced under similar circumstances except that Hoger added a little speed to his attack game and was catching Southworth with more of his strikes. And rather than striking and moving off at angles to avoid Sam's assault, Bobby was backing up in a straight, regimental line, allowing Sam to trap him at the fence and unload.
This was a more even round, closing with Bobby smashing Sam's left thigh with another cracking leg kick.
Round Three
The action recommenced with gloves blazing, then Bobby elected to take the fight down at 4.46. Sam agreed the ground was a good place to continue their feud and complied with Southworth's request. He then attempted a kimura before pulling Bobby into his guard, trying to set up a triangle, whilst Bobby attacked Sam's head and body with sharp hooks and elbows.
3.25: Southworth stood back up and they faced off for more toe-to-toe warfare.
Southworth attempted another takedown that Hoger resisted at 3.10. Bobby then caught Sam with another busting leg kick that showed they were taking their toll on Sam's mobility.
2.32: Hoger had Southworth on his back and was delivering shoulder strikes to Southworth's face. Bobby was warned by Big Mac to keep his elbow strikes away from the back of Sam's head. This was a pretty even battle. The victory could have gone either way at the round's end, and some spectators voiced their disapproval of the judgement.
Result: Sam Hoger by decision.
Diego Sanchez (5'10" 184 lb) v Kenny Florian (5'10" 183 lb) – Middleweight Final
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Florian wanted to dance. Sanchez wanted to fight. At 4.03, Sanchez had had enough and closed in with fists blazing. Florian was up against the cage and Sanchez made it clear he wanted Florian on the ground. But Kenny resisted the takedown, and after an exchange of knees at 3.33, they separated.
3.16: Diego closed in again and took Kenny down. Diego had side control but chose to stand and lunge in on the horizontal Florian – a la Joe Riggs style, with Florian kicking up from the ground. Sanchez dived in and landed a big left fist. He rose to his feet again and continued to rain down punches on his horizontal opponent.
2.35: Sanchez mounted Florian for some g'n'p-ing.
2.11: Referee Steve Mazzagatti called it a day.
Result: Diego Sanchez by referee stoppage – 2.49, Round One
Forrest Griffin (6'3" 205 lb) v Stephan Bonnar (6'3" 204 lb) – Light Heavyweight Final.
Referee: Herb Dean
Round One
This bout was all go from the opening bell. Both fighters were there for business and stood toe-to-toe. If one scored with a blow, the other was determined to reply.
3.15: Bonnar landed a right spinning back-kick, followed by a high spinning kick and rapid fists. But Griffin wasn't rattled easily and continued his pursuit, unloading knees and fists.
2.45: Stephan closed in on Forrest. Forrest covered well and caught Stephan with a solid right hand. They kept the exchange going with Bonnar still a little stunned. Griffin took Bonnar to the canvas with a leg sweep, but Bonnar rolled Griffin and attempted the full-mount position. Forrest resisted before taking the fight back to a standing clinch. Forrest caught Stephan with a few strikes, then decided to separate for some open-plan combat. But this scenario seemed to benefit Bonnar more, so Griffin went for another clinch.
Each time they broke free, Bonnar appeared to outgun Griffin in the leather trade-offs. Forrest was more at home when he was able to dish out knees and fists in close.
Joe Rogan aptly commented during the last minute of round one: "I'd hate to have to score this fight."
0.46: They were back on the mat with Forrest g'n'p-ing from the guard. Stephan rolled and Forrest took his back, attempting an arm bar in the process. When the hooter sounded, the combatants returned to their corners as the crowd stood in appreciation.
Round Two
The match recommenced at a slower pace after both men had given so much in the previous round.
4.25: Griffin was pursuing Bonnar and attacked with a leg kick. They exchanged in-close fists before separating. Bonnar faked a leg kick, then caught Griffin with a spinning right fist. The pair swapped roles and it was Bonnar's turn to pursue Griffin. Forrest clinched and spun Stephan into the cage before taking him down. Stephan had Griffin in his half guard when blood appeared from somewhere. As Griffin raised his head to g'n'p, his face was covered in claret.
3.43: Herb Dean separated the fighters. Griffin's nose was wiped and the cut was checked before the action resumed. There was a furious exchange of gloves, and Bonnar looked to have the edge, before trying to take Griffin down. They clinched, then separated for another knuckle shake.
2.35: Forrest had Stephan against the fence and was firing solid knees to the body – some hit their mark, some were blocked. Both men were digging deep for fuel in this action-packed war. Stephan dispatched a hard driving knee of his own, but Forrest wouldn't give up.
1.50: They were against the fence in a clinch. With the two men gassed, neither could take the upper hand. They were just too evenly matched in skill, strength and heart. The round ended with Griffin's face painted red again, and both gladiators stumbling to their corners.
Round Three
Only true grit and warrior courage allowed these two hard men to return for the final round. Griffin notched up a cracking leg kick and both scored with punches. In the clinch, Griffin had more success with his knee shots. Just when he appeared to be taking charge of this epic battle, Bonnar turned the tide at 3.19, and caught Griffin with a volley of straight fists. Forrest tried to hold on, but Stephan shoved him away.
3.00: Griffin was closing in on Bonnar again. Joe Rogan best summed things up: "Two minutes and forty five seconds to go, and in my opinion, it's anyone's fight." That's how close the bout had been after more than 12 minutes of brutal warfare.
Some blows were missing, but they were all thrown with KO intentions. Neither man would give an inch. With the crowd roaring in appreciation for the last 30 seconds of battle, Bonnar somehow summoned the energy to attempt a high spinning-kick, which Griffin blocked with his gloves.
When the bell sounded, Forrest and Stephan each raised their hands in victory. This had always been a very even fight. Although the verdict was given to Griffin unanimously, the only factor that could have tipped the scales Griffin's way was that he did pursue Bonnar for most of the fight.
Result: Forrest Griffin by unanimous decision.
Rich Franklin (6'1" 202 lb) v Ken Shamrock (6'1" 203 lb) – Light Heavyweight Main Event.
Referee: Big John McCarthy
Prior to the fight, the combatants had this to say:
"I am the most well-rounded at this point in time, at this stage of the game, from ground to stand-up, to knees, to elbows, takedowns…Everything is all there." – Ken Shamrock.
"I consider myself a well-rounded fighter. I can go strong at everything." -Rich Franklin.
"This guy has no fear of me. He has no fear of what I'm about, or where I came from. He knows, in order to get where he wants to be, he has to go through me." – Ken Shamrock.
"He's a pioneer for what Mixed Martal Arts has become." – Rich Franklin.
Ken Shamrock was in the unique position of having fought at the first Ultimate Fighting Championship and the first Ultimate Fighter finale. And at 41, Ken looked to be in better shape than the two up-and-coming athletes in the light-heavyweight final.
The pair shape up – Rich the southpaw and Ken standing orthodox. Both men had earlier vowed the fight would not go to the judges. It starts at a whip-cracking pace.
4.46: Franklin discharges a high left kick that Shamrock blocks with his gloves.
4.22: Franklin closes in and they exchange punches.
4.06: Shamrock dives to his knees and grabs Franklin's right leg, but wears a right fist from Franklin in the process. Rich seizes Ken's right arm and whacks on a shoulder lock. Shamrock stands in a crouched position.
3.52: Franklin grabs Shamrock's right ankle with his left hand, attempting to capitalise on the hold, then he delivers blows to Ken's head, and works to further secure the shoulder lock.
3.45: Shamrock starts pulling his right arm free.
3.39: Shamrock is free and applies a right leg lock.
3.29: Franklin prepared for this manoeuvre in training and proceeds to roll his way out of the submission attempt.
3.19: Rich is free and climbs to his feet. He catches Ken with some fists and a left kick to the head as Ken climbs up. The kick is partially taken on Shamrock's forearm.
3.16: They are again facing off, toe-to-toe.
3.00: Franklin connects with a left body shot. He tries with two right jabs that Shamrock backs away from.
2.43: Rich fires off a left body shot, which Ken intercepts with his forearms. Both fighters miss with punches.
2.38: Rich scores with a left body kick.
2.32: Shamrock tries a right high kick, but slips and falls to the canvas. Rich rushes in as Ken tries to regain his footing, and pushes Ken onto his back.
2.28: Franklin unloads vicious left and rights fists that stun Shamrock. Ken covers up, but Rich continues to hit with clean shots. Big Mac has seen enough.
Result: Rich Franklin by TKO – 2.44, Round One.
