UFC 43
Encyclopedia
UFC 43: Meltdown was a mixed martial arts
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
on June 6, 2003, at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas
. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view
in the United States
, and later released on DVD
.
and Chuck Liddell
.
Ken Shamrock
was originally slated to face Ian Freeman
at this event, but was forced from the card with a torn ACL. Vernon White
would step in as his replacement.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
on June 6, 2003, at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and later released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
History
Headlining the card was the Interim Light Heavyweight Championship match between Randy CoutureRandy Couture
Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
and Chuck Liddell
Chuck Liddell
Charles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
.
Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
was originally slated to face Ian Freeman
Ian Freeman
Ian William Freeman, a.k.a. "The Machine," is a retired English mixed martial artist. He used to fight as a light heavyweight for Cage Rage. He was their final British Light Heavyweight champion....
at this event, but was forced from the card with a torn ACL. Vernon White
Vernon White
Vernon Verdell White is a professional mixed martial arts fighter who has fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship , Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, King of the Cage, Pancrase, and the International Fight League . He lives in California, and belongs to the fighting team The Lion's...
would step in as his replacement.
Preliminary card
- Heavyweight bout:
Pedro RizzoPedro RizzoPedro Augusto Rizzo is an Brazilian mixed martial artist and Muay Thai fighter. He has a professional MMA record of 19–9–0 as of July 17, 2010. He holds notable victories over former UFC Champions Mark Coleman, Dan Severn, Josh Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, Ricco Rodriguez and Ken Shamrock.-Mixed...
vs.
Tra TelligmanTra TelligmanTracy Telligman is a retired American mixed martial artist and boxer who has fought in Japan, Russia and the USA...
- Rizzo wins by technical knockout due to doctor's stoppage at 4:25 of Round 2.
- Middleweight bout: Matt LindlandMatt LindlandMatthew James Lindland is an American mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler and politician. He won the Oregon Republican Party's nomination for the Oregon House of Representatives, District 52 seat on May 20, 2008....
vs. Falaniko VitaleFalaniko VitaleFalaniko "Niko" Vitale is an American mixed martial artist. He competes in the Middleweight division.He holds notable victories over Matt Lindland, Dave Menne, Kalib Starnes and Yushin Okami....
- Vitale wins by technical knockout at 1:56 of Round 1. Lindland botched a throw attempt and landed on his own head, instantly knocking himself out.
Main card
- Lightweight bout:
Yves EdwardsYves Edwards|-| Win| align="center" | 41-17-1| Rafaello Oliveira| TKO | UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson| | align="center" | 2| align="center" | 2:44| Washington, D.C||-| Loss| align="center" | 40-17-1| Sam Stout| KO...
vs. Eddie Ruiz
- Edwards won via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
- Heavyweight bout: Frank MirFrank MirFrancisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
vs. Wes SimsWes Sims (fighter)Wesley Edward Sims is an American mixed martial artist. He is one of the tallest MMA combatants in recent times at 6 ft 8 in and is known for his unorthodox fighting style. He is currently a member of Team Hammer House. Sims began training to compete in MMA after meeting Mark Coleman...
- Mir won via disqualification (stomping the head of a downed opponent) at 2:56 of Round 1.
- Heavyweight bout:
Ian FreemanIan FreemanIan William Freeman, a.k.a. "The Machine," is a retired English mixed martial artist. He used to fight as a light heavyweight for Cage Rage. He was their final British Light Heavyweight champion....
vs. Vernon WhiteVernon WhiteVernon Verdell White is a professional mixed martial arts fighter who has fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship , Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce, King of the Cage, Pancrase, and the International Fight League . He lives in California, and belongs to the fighting team The Lion's...
- Freeman and White fought to a split draw (30–27, 28–29, 29–29)
- Light Heavyweight bout: Vitor BelfortVitor BelfortVítor Vieira Belfort is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Belfort was born in Rio de Janeiro and studied jiu-jitsu with the Gracie family, namely Carlson Gracie. He received a black belt under Carlson and currently trains with Xtreme Couture, fighting in...
vs. Marvin EastmanMarvin EastmanMarvin Lee Eastman is an American mixed martial artist with a background in collegiate wrestling and Muay Thai. He is currently the light heavyweight champion of the Elite Fighting Championship and the IFO champion...
- Belfort won via TKO (strikes) at 1:07 of Round 1
- Heavyweight bout: Kimo LeopoldoKimo LeopoldoKimo Leopoldo , or simply Kimo, is an American mixed martial artist. He made his MMA debut at UFC 3 in 1994 losing to Royce Gracie by submission. Kimo's fighting style has been described as freestyle, with a mixture of striking and grappling techniques.He was credited with a black belt in Taekwondo...
vs. Tank AbbottTank AbbottDavid Lee Abbott is an American mixed martial arts fighter and former professional wrestler. He has described his fighting style, which he developed brawling in the bars and streets of Huntington Beach, California, as "street fighting"...
- Leopoldo won via Submission (head arm choke) at 1:59 of Round 1.
- Interim Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Chuck LiddellChuck LiddellCharles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
vs. Randy CoutureRandy CoutureRandy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
- Couture won via TKO (strikes) at 2:39 of Round 3. Couture becomes the Interim Light Heavyweight Champion, and the first person to win a title in two different weight divisions (Couture was a two-time Heavyweight Champion).