© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
photos by Joshua Hedges
In the lead up to UFC 43 Meltdown, the Ultimate Fighting Championships promoters promised to deliver an 8-fight, Mega-Star event for fight fans to enjoy the world over. With some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts history on the card, such as Tank Abbott, Kimo Leopoldo, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Tre Telligman, Frank Mir, and Vitor Belfort, it was easy to see why the UFC is the world's premier mixed martial arts tournament. And as with all sporting events, there were upsets, and some fans would have been disappointed to see their heroes go down. But UFC 43 did live up to the hype, delivering a brilliant assortment of mixed martial arts, and proving to be still the reckoning ground for the world's best ?as real as it gets? fighters.
June 6, 2003 saw a crowd of nearly 10,000 Mixed Martial Arts fans pack the Colosseum (or was it the Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas?). And when renowned fight identity Bruce Buffer, sounding more like an intergalactic auctioneer than a ring announcer, declared "Ladies and gentlemen?we are Live", the Meltdown crowd erupted.
Other UFC identities such as referee Big John McCarthy, UFC president Dana White, USA Today Oddsmaker Danny Sheridan and ring announcer Mike Goldberg made this special night seem surreal. Vanilla Ice, Dean Cain, Mario van Peebles and Sacramento Kings Bobby Jackson were some of the celebrities in the crowd. Interviewer Lisa Dergan and the gorgeous ring card girls were happy to be noticed and very pleasing to the eye.
UFC Ring Card Girl
THE BATTLES:
Frank Mir 248 lbs & Wes Sims 244 lbs (heavyweights)
6?10" former basketball player Wes Sims was expected to stay on his feet and use his height and striking superiority, but elected to immediately take Frank Mir to the ground with a guillotine. Sims gave up his back early in the battle and Mir ('the heavyweight who moves like a lightweight?) applied a choke and then an arm bar, both of which Sims escaped. The fight appeared to be evenly matched, but ended when Sims was disqualified for stomping on Mir's jaw/throat area and Mir was unable to continue. A rematch would certainly be a crowd pleaser.
Ian Freeman 220 lbs & Vernon White 208 lbs (heavyweights)
This match was billed as Freeman and Ken Shamrock, but due to an anterior cruciate ligament tear, Shamrock was replaced by one of his proteges Vernon White. Although White was making his Octagon debut, the Lion's Den fighter was no novice to mixed martial arts tournaments and was a fair match for his opponent. Whilst Freeman was keen to slug it out toe-to-toe, White displayed his well-rounded skills. With Shamrock in White's corner and Jeremy Horn in Freeman's, both Ian and Vernon being fighting veterans showed they were too cunning to be submitted by the other. And during round three, the pair even seemed to be performing synchronized heel locks. These men were too well matched and the fight ended appropriately in a draw.
Vitor Belfort delivering a right knee. Note the gash above Marvin Eastman's eye from Belfort's left knee.
Vitor Belfort 203 lbs & Marvin Eastman 203 lbs (light heavyweights)
Eastman the Beastman entered the bout with a respectable reputation for his powerful striking and wrestling abilities on the B-grade MMA circuit. And Belfort, although no stranger to the MMA, was regarded as an unknown quantity, because Vitor doesn't sit on the fence ? his heart is either in the Octagon or it's outside the Octagon. With dark curly hair and mustache, Belfort was looking more like an undercover cop from Miami Vice than the Vitor Belfort of old, but his heart was definitely in the Octagon tonight. At the opening bell, Eastman tried some shin kicks on Belfort, but Vitor returned with some Thai techniques of his own, downing Eastman with a left and right knee, followed by gattling-gun fists to Eastman from the mount position. On seeing the deep meat-clever gash above Eastman's right eye, McCarthy immediately stopped the fight, with Vitor the victor.
Eddie Ruiz escaping triangle from Yves Edwards
Yves Edwards 155 lbs & Eddie Ruiz 154lbs (lightweights)
Edwards displayed outstanding well-rounded skills and was never really threatened by Ruiz. To Ruiz's credit, the Tank Abbott prot? showed he had the heart of a lion and was not going to be stopped, as he continually attempted shoots in an effort to take Edwards down. When Edwards did adjourn to the canvas, it was at Ruiz's expense as Yves applied triangles to Eddie's body and nullified his mobility. However, even the tightest of holds could not stop Ruiz. At one point Edwards connected with a shin kick that hit Ruiz flush on the jaw. The smacking sound could be heard in the bleachers, but Ruiz continued as though it must have been someone else who?d been the recipient of the powerhouse kick. Inevitably Yves was awarded the win, but the bravery of both men made this battle another outstanding event.
Edwards delivering knee strike
Kimo Leopoldo ready for battle
Kimo Leopoldo 248 lbs & Tank Abbott 251 lbs (heavyweights)
On paper, this bout was going to be the clash of two freight trains, but it wasn't to be. Kimo, the man known for putting Royce Gracie out of action in UFC 3, had adopted Gracie's approach to UFC 43. At the opening bell, Kimo fired a kick at Tank and then took Tank to the ground, mounted him and applied a front choke with Tank's left arm in the hold. Abbott was unable to escape the choke and eventually had to tap out. The referee Larry Landless separated the pair after 1:59.
Beware the Fury of a Wounded Tank. David L. Abbott will be back!
Randy Couture 205lbs & Chuck Liddell 205 lbs (light heavyweights)
This title fight was to have been between Liddell and Tito Ortiz, but Tito was not available, and some speculated that he was deliberately avoiding Chuck. In a pre-fight interview, Liddell said, "Randy has balls, unlike some people I know." Of Randy Couture, Liddell stated, "I'm a better striker than he is. And he's going to have a real hard time, while I'm striking, taking me down." But ring commentator Joe Rogan observed that Liddell seemed focused on Tito rather than Randy. The only man to have won two heavyweight titles, Randy Couture entered the UFC light heavyweight Title match as the underdog. But as Mike Goldberg had observed, "Randy is best in fights he's expected to lose."
Chuck Liddell & Randy Couture
On his stroll to the Octagon, dressed in sandals, red shorts, white fleecy-lined hooded jacket and blue peak cap, Couture looked like he was there to check out the surf rather than battle for a world title.
Another Gorgeous UFC Ring Card Girl
From the utterance of Big John McCarthy's famous line, "Let's get it on", Randy 'the Natural? Couture held his hands high and Chuck 'the Iceman? Liddell kept his hands down. Randy used knee strikes early in the fight and, in a counter to Chuck's left shin kick, brought Liddell to the mat with a huge body slam. Chuck delivered some knee spikes to Randy's lead thigh, but the mood had been set. Within the opening minute Randy had assumed the caretaker position in The Iceman's Iglootagon. Couture's straight jabs were continuously landing on the button, and he employed some excellent American wrestling takedowns, whilst countering Chuck's looping strikes.
Randy & Chuck exchanging blows
Frustration drains fighters and Chuck looked disappointed after the first round, and suffered a cut above his left eye early in the second round. Randy's straight jabs and right crosses were out-gunning Liddell's hooks. In round three Couture body-slammed Liddell to the canvas and then continued to ground and pound Chuck until referee McCarthy intervened. Chuck Liddell had been out-struck, but refused to submit.
On the mat after another explosive Couture takedown
Randy became the first man to win titles in two weight categories. Looking into the camera, Couture announced to Tito, "If you want this belt, you're going to have to come in here and take it."
Randy Ground 'n' Pounds Chuck
In earlier bouts, heavyweight Pedro Rizzo was triumphant after Tra Telligman was stopped due to a cut, and middleweight Falaniko Vitale won his battle when Matt Lindland KO?d himself in a takedown attempt.
The theme music for the main event was "Too Cold" by Vanilla Ice, but after a gutsy performance by all sixteen competitors, V-Ice could have performed a rendition of "You Gotta Have Heart".
Randy Couture with UFC Light Heavyweight Title Belt
