© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges
UFC 48 was billed PayBack, but as Spence Johnston stated after the event, there was little payback to be had on June 19, 2004. However, the only score that possibly needed settling was between Evan Tanner and Phil Baroni after UFC 45: Revolution, where the fighters did not appear to determine the bout's outcome.
The 48th edition of MMA's bi-monthly Super Bowl also proved to be THE place for beautiful ladies to gather. Amongst the many, many gorgeous women in the audience was the stunning Cindy Crawford. And those delightful ring card girls would make any red-blooded fight fan's heart skip a beat.
With each event, the Ultimate Fighting Championship's popularity is spreading like wildfire throughout the world, and UFC 48 was patronized by yet another sell out crowd. So it's not surprising that the world's ultimate proving ground for Mixed Martial Artists will be moving to MGM's Grand Garden Arena for UFC 49: Unfinished Business.
To be held August 21, 2004, UFC 49's card thus far includes Vitor Belfort v Randy Couture, and Chuck Liddell v Vernon White, and promises to be another big night for fight fans.
UFC 48: PayBack Results
Georges St Pierre (5?10" 169 lb) v Jay Hieron (5?11" 167 lb) – Welterweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
This match was a battle between St. Pierre, the well-rounded Mixed Martial Artist, and Jay Hieron, the wrestler. The bout started with both fighters electing to go toe-to-toe. St Pierre displayed powerful boxing skills, tagging Hieron a number of times, and trying for some colourful roundhouse and spinning back-kicks.
Although Jay is renowned for his wrestling ability, Georges didn't let Jay fight on his own terms, and continued to out-strike Hieron. Georges landed a power-packed right, left, right combination, sending Hieron to the ground and finishing Jay off with ground'n'pounding fists and elbows.
With an MMA record now at 7-0, and a previous UFC victory over Karo Parisyan, Georges St. Pierre is proving himself to be a true force in the welterweight division.
Result: Georges St. Pierre by TKO ? 1.45, Round One
Trevor Prangley (6?1" 185 lb) v Curtus Stout (6?0" 183 lb) – Middleweight
Referee: Herb Dean
South Africa's Trevor Prangley stepped in for this match on late notice, after Britain's Lee Murray was unable to compete due to visa problems. Southpaw Curtis Stout had proven himself to be a capable striker and dynamic KO specialist in previous UFCs. His opponent from Cape Town entered the Octagon as an unknown quantity, but was soon displaying excellent wrestling skills.
Curtis commenced the action with a left shin kick, and Trevor immediately took the fight to the canvas. With Stout's head against the cage, Prangley attacked Curtis's left ribs, before firing fists and elbows at Stout's head.
With 2.10 remaining in the first round, Herb Dean brought the men to their feet. Wanting the action to remain vertical, Curtis delivered a left fist and leg kick. Trevor tried for a shoot and Stout resisted with a sprawl, followed by a powerful left knee to Prangley's head. Curtis attempted another knee strike, but Trevor rolled Stout to the mat and fought from Curtis's guard.
Round two resumed with Stout delivering a front leg kick, before Prangley took the fight again to the mat. Curtis was unable to regain his footing and Trevor caught Curtis's head and right arm in a lock that constricted Stout's rib cage and caused Curtis to tap out.
Result: Trevor Prangley by submission ? 1.09, Round Two
Matt Serra (5?6" 155 lb) v Ivan Menjivar (5?6" 154 lb) – Lightweight
Referee: Mario Yamasaki
This bout was an exceptional exhibition of grappling skills from both competitors. Serra's philosophy was that it's better to lose a fight than to be regarded as being a boring fighter. And Menjivar listed the Boston crab as his favourite technique. No one knew quite what to expect from these warriors, but early in the match the fight began to resemble a spar between two sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf.
Round one was a display of high-speed wrestling, with both men happy to take risks. Ivan offered his back for Matt to try a choke and countered by attempting a lock on Matt's foot.
In round two Serra fired out a front kick, then took the match to the floor, attacking with punches and elbows from Ivan's guard. With 2.44 remaining, Serra got the mount, and Menjivar again sacrificed his bask, but resisted Serra's rear-naked choke attempt. Matt was the willing aggressor and Ivan adopted the slippery-fish role. Menjivar tried for a kimura, and Matt slammed Ivan into the canvas with an attempted suplex. But Ivan maintained the kimura. The end of round two prevented Serra from showing whether he could have escaped the hold.
Ivan was ready for Matt's front kick when round three commenced and answered with a right cross. At 46 seconds into the last round, the gladiators returned to the deck, where Serra administered a dose of g'n'ping from Menjivar's guard. With 1.19 remaining, Ivan attempted a shoulder lock, but Matt was too elusive. The duel went before the judges.
Result: Matt Serra by unanimous Decision
Evan Tanner (6?0" 185 lb) v Phil Baroni (5?9" 183 lb) – Middleweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
There was a lot of interest in this fight following the controversial outcome at UFC 45. Evan entered the Octagon looking like Ryan O?Neill in "The Thief who came to Dinner". When Big John McCarthy asked Phil Baroni if he was ready, Phil answered with a wink and a smile.
"Well he may have a punch like a sledgehammer, but if you can't hit somebody with it, it's irrelevant in the fight," said Tanner of Baroni's iron fists, prior to this match.
"From now on, I'm going to win every second of every fight," responded Baroni after UFC 45. But the slimmed down Baroni seemed unable to employ his strategy against Tanner in their rematch. At the first Baroni v Tanner duel, Baroni took the fight to ET from the start. This was not the case in the sequel.
After 55 seconds into round one, Evan had Phil on the ground without Baroni having landed a solid punch. ET forced Baroni against the Octagon fence and served up some g'n'ping from Phil's guard. With 1.55 to go, the fighters were back on their feet. ET delivered some of his trademark knees and Phil answered with a right fist, but it didn't have the ?Brooklyn Bang? to it that Baroni's punches are famous for.
Perhaps Phil was too weakened by the loss of size to inflict those Brooklyn Brawler sledgehammers, and ET never seemed intimidated by them. Soon the bout resembled UFC 43: Meltdown 's match between Couture v Liddell. Had Randy played a part in teammate Evan's preparation for this battle?
Tanner came out in round two firing off a salvo of punches, knees and a sidekick. At 3.42 remaining on the clock, Baroni landed a strong right fist, but ET kept working, using his jab and knees. With 2.20 remaining, Tanner was outstriking the striker, forcing Phil against the cage and unloading elbows and body rips, before taking Baroni to the ground for some more g'n'ping. Phil tried for a kimura, however ET was too strong and continued his assault on Baroni's ribs and lat area.
Round three was more of the same. Tanner used his reach advantage to punch and run. At 3.52 to go in the final round, Baroni ripped a rattling fist into Tanner's midsection. This shook Tanner, but Baroni didn't follow up, and allowed ET to walk it off. At 3.23 Baroni landed another solid rip to ET's abs, followed by some rocking rights to the head. Again, Tanner danced out of range and was able to recover. The round ended with Tanner in Baroni's guard; both men punching it out in the remaining seconds.
Result: Evan Tanner by unanimous decision.
Matt Hughes ( 5?9" 170 lb) v Renato Verissimo (6?1" 170 lb) ? Welterweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Hughes went for an immediate takedown to eliminate Verissimo's reach advantage. With 4.25 remaining, Hughes was successful in his takedown attempt. Up against the Octagon fence, Verissimo had Hughes in a half-guard. At 3.29, Renato caught Matt in a triangle. Matt stood and slammed Renato into the floor to escape the choke. Ring commentator Joe Rogan suggested that technique overcomes power, but it was through strength and determination that Hughes was able to continue.
Verissimo kept fighting from his back with Hughes in his guard. Whenever Matt tried to strike from Renato's guard, he was under threat from Renato applying triangles or armbars. With 0.16 left, Renato tried for another triangle. At the end of round one, Hughes was the survivor.
In round two, Hughes was in Verissimo's half-guard, before Matt moved in for a rear-naked choke. However, Renato was too slippery and rolled out At 4.34 Renato had Matt in his full guard, with Matt trying short punches from on top to avoid surrendering an arm to Renato. At 1.20 to go, Verissimo had both of Hughes's arms trapped with his left arm and was delivering right elbows to Matt's head.
Referee Mazzagatti separated the fighters at 1.20. Renato elected to knee-strike and Matt took the fight back to the ground.
Hughes came out in the final round delivering a right punch and two knees to Verissimo, before taking Renato back to the ground and endeavoring to press Verissimo's head into the fence. Renato responded from his back with short slaps to Matt's head. At 0.30 Matt went for a kimura, but Renato was too elusive.
At the end of round two, Joe Rogan had both rounds going to Renato. This fight could have gone either way.
Result: Matt Hughes by unanimous decision
Frank Mir (6?3" 253 lb) v Tim Sylvia (6?8" 263 lb) – Heavyweight
Referee: Herb Dean
A cloud of doubt hung over both combatants? heads as they entered the Octagon to fight for UFC's World Heavyweight Title. Some questioned Mir's fitness level and others were concerned by Sylvia's absence from The ?Gon since UFC 44.
Mir opened the bout with a right shin kick to Sylvia's left thigh. Tim answered with a right knee to Frank's lower left ribs. Mir fired another right shin kick. Sylvia caught Mir's kick and took down Mir.
At just 30 seconds into the fight, Mir had Sylvia's right arm in an armbar and an alert Herb Dean saw Tim's forearm pop.
Originally the crowd booed. Even ring announcers Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan thought Dean had over-reacted, but when the crowd were shown the replay, there was a unanimous "Ooooh."
A courageous Tim Sylvia wanted the fight to continue, but all his hand gestures were made with his left hand. X-rays later confirmed both bones in Tim's forearm to be fractured.
Disappointed by the crowd's response, Mir said, "Let me break it next time all the way, and then we won't have this argument."
Will we see a match-up between Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski next?
Result: Frank Mir by referee stoppage ? 0.50, Round One
Frank Trigg ( 5?9" 169 lb) v Dennis Hallman ( 5?9" 170 lb) – Welterweight
Referee: Mario Yamasaki
Prior to this fight, Mike Goldberg referred to Hallman as a 'submission Whiz?, with an MMA record of 51-8-2. As per usual, Trigg entered the Octagon and chose to turn his back on the opponent rather than getting caught up in a stare-down.
This grudge match commenced with both fighters comparing sparring notes. Frank was keeping his hands high and his defence tight. Dennis held his hands out and was looking for an opening to take advantage of. Frank landed a crisp right to the jaw, and Dennis went for the takedown. Trigg resisted Hallman's takedown with a strong sprawl and ended up in Hallman's guard.
Dennis held Frank's right wrist while punching Frank with left fists to the head. Hallman then went for a heel lock, leaving his own head unguarded. Frank seized the moment, delivering powerful punches to Dennis's face. While in Hallman's guard, Trigg connected with elbows, then stood over Hallman to deliver some g'n'ping, before Yamasaki stopped the fight.
There was a lot of bad blood coming into this fight, and at the end of the bout, Trigg indicated to Hallman that he had arthritis in his two middle fingers. Frank also called for a rematch with Matt Hughes at UFC 50.
Result: Frank Trigg by KO ? 4.15, Round One
Ken Shamrock (6?0" 218 lb) v Kimo Leopoldo (6?1" 244 lb) – Heavyweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
As the round started, two of the most intense warriors in MMA shaped up for battle: Ken Shamrock, a veteran of UFC 1, and Kimo Leopoldo, a veteran from UFC 3.
At nearly two stone heavier, Kimo moved in on Shamrock, dispatching a few jabs before trying to bulldoze his opponent. Ken sidestepped Kimo's rush and diverted Kimo into the Octagon fence. The heavyweights tied arms in a clinch, like two bulls locking horns, and proceeded to exchange knee strikes.
Kimo pushed Ken into the fence and Shamrock managed a double under-hook. As Kimo lowered his head, Ken delivered a sleep-inducer, by way of a jaw-rattling right knee.
As in UFC 6: Clash of the Titans, where Shamrock defeated Dan Severn, Ken reconfirmed his expertise at finding a chink in his opponent's armour. When Kimo dropped his head, Shamrock capitalized.
UFC cameras had caught Kimo entering the arena earlier in the day with a pillow under his arm. Was this an omen? Kimo was gracious in defeat. And Ken was happy to be one step closer to a rematch with Tito Ortiz.
Result: Ken Shamrock by KO ? 1.26, Round One
For more on UFC 49: Unfinished Business ? www.ufc.tv
For Ken Shamrock's post-fight interview ? www.knucklepit.com
