UFC 57
Encyclopedia
UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3 was a mixed martial arts
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
on February 4, 2006. It was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center
on the Las Vegas Strip
in Nevada
, and broadcast live on pay-per-view
in the United States
.
Headlining the card was an anticipated rubber match
between top UFC stars and former coaches of The Ultimate Fighter
Chuck Liddell
and Randy Couture
, widely touted and marketed as MMA's first major trilogy
.
It was the UFC's largest grossing gate to date, $3.3 million , in addition to an estimate of over 400,000 pay-per-view buys. The disclosed fighter payroll for the event was $667,000.
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 February 4, 2006. It was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Mandalay Bay Events Center is a 12,000 seat indoor arena, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, on the Las Vegas Strip, in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by MGM Resorts International.It has hosted many music, boxing and mixed martial arts events....
on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, and 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...
.
Headlining the card was an anticipated rubber match
Rubber match
According to Paul Dickson's The New Dickson's Baseball Dictionary , a "rubber game" is "The last and deciding game of a series when the previous games have been split; e.g., the seventh game of the World Series." This tie-breaking sense of "rubber" apparently originated in the English game of...
between top UFC stars and former coaches of The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...
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...
and Randy Couture
Randy 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...
, widely touted and marketed as MMA's first major trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
.
It was the UFC's largest grossing gate to date, $3.3 million , in addition to an estimate of over 400,000 pay-per-view buys. The disclosed fighter payroll for the event was $667,000.
Preliminary card
- Light Heavyweight bout:
Keith JardineKeith JardineKeith Hector Jardine is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division and is best known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
vs. Mike WhiteheadMike WhiteheadMichael Joe Whitehead is a professional mixed martial arts fighter. He has fought in the light heavyweight and heavyweight weight classes for the UFC, IFL, Affliction, and Strikeforce.-Mixed martial arts career:...
- Jardine wins by a unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28). This match was a preliminary match and was not aired on the pay-per-view broadcast.
- Heavyweight bout: Jeff MonsonJeff MonsonJeffrey William Monson is an American mixed martial artist from Olympia, Washington. He is a 2 time winner of the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, and a No Gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion. He currently holds the Heavyweight titles in the International Sport Karate Association...
vs. Branden Lee HinkleBranden Lee HinkleBranden Lee Hinkle is an American mixed martial artist. Hinkle has fought in UFC Ultimate Fight Night 5, UFC 57, and has a notable win over the famed Sean Gannon at UFC 55.- Titles :Hinkle has held the following titles:* NCAA DIV II national wrestling champ...
- Monson wins by technical submission (referee stoppage) with a North/South choke in the first round at 4:35. This match was a preliminary match, but was aired on the pay-per-view broadcast.
- Heavyweight bout: Paul BuentelloPaul Buentello|-| Loss|align=center| 29–14| Cole Konrad| Decision | Bellator 48| |align=center| 3|align=center| 5:00|Uncasville, Connecticut, United States| Non-title bout.|-| Win|align=center| 29–13| Kerry Schall| Decision...
vs. Gilbert AldanaGilbert AldanaGilbert "El Peligro" Aldana was an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Heavyweight division. His final fight was at RITC 90 - Rage in the Cage against Rich Beecroft on January 27, 2007....
- Buentello wins by technical knockout in the second round at 2:27. This match was a preliminary match, but was aired on the pay-per-view broadcast.
- Light Heavyweight bout:
Alessio SakaraAlessio SakaraAlessio Sakara is an Italian mixed martial artist and boxer, who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's Middleweight Division. Sakara is also a Former World Junior Boxing Contender. He holds notable wins over Elvis Sinosic, Thales Leites, James Irvin.-Background:Sakara was born...
vs
Elvis SinosicElvis SinosicElvis Sinosic is a retired Australian professional mixed martial artist.-Biography:Born in Canberra, Elvis Sinosic now resides in Sydney, where he practises his martial arts training. Elvis was born to Croatian parents and is proud of his Croatian heritage...
- Sakara wins by unanimous decision (29–25, 29–26, 29–26). Sakara got a point deduction for an illegal vertical elbow to the head of Elvis Sinosic. This match was a preliminary match and was not aired on the pay-per-view broadcast.
Main card
- Welterweight bout: Joe RiggsJoe RiggsJoseph Jonathan Riggs is an American mixed martial arts fighter. He has competed at weights ranging from Heavyweight down to Welterweight. Currently, Riggs fights as a Middleweight.-Background:...
vs. Nick DiazNick DíazNicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
- Riggs wins by unanimous decision (29–28, 30–27, 29–28).
- Light Heavyweight bout:
Renato "Babalu" SobralRenato SobralRenato da Cunha Sobral , also known as "Babalu", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, and former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. He is regarded as one of the best light heavyweights of the night, and noted for his aggressive style, grappling prowess, and high-caliber submissions. Sobral...
vs Mike van ArsdaleMike van ArsdaleMike van Arsdale is an American mixed martial artist who has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
- Sobral wins by submission (rear naked choke) in the first round at 2:19.
- 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 Marcio CruzMárcio CruzMárcio "Pé de Pano" Cruz is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist. In BJJ, he is a third degree black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr....
- Cruz wins by technical knockout in the first round at 4:10.
- Heavyweight bout: Brandon VeraBrandon VeraBrandon Michael Vera is an American mixed martial artist. He competes as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the winner of the WEC 13 Heavyweight Tournament and currently resides in San Diego, California. He holds notable victories over Frank Mir, Assuerio Silva,...
vs. Justin EilersJustin EilersJustin Mark Eilers was an American professional mixed martial artist, formerly with the UFC and WEC. Eilers trained with Miletich Fighting Systems in Bettendorf, Iowa.-Biography:...
- Vera wins by knockout in the first round at 1:22.
- 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...
(c) 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...
- Liddell wins by knockout in the second round at 1:28. Couture announces his retirement after the loss.
Fighter Payouts
- Chuck Liddell: $250,000
- Randy Couture: $225,000
- Renato "Babalu" Sobral: $32,000
- Frank Mir: $26,000
- Paul Buentello: $22,000
- Joe Riggs: $20,000
- Mike Van Arsdale: $16,000
- Keith Jardine: $10,000
- Nick Diaz: $10,000
- Alessio Sakara: $10,000
- Brandon Vera: $10,000
- Marcio Cruz: $8,000
- Elvis Sinosic: $6,000
- Jeff Monson: $6,000
- Mike Whitehead: $5,000
- Justin Eilers: $5,000
- Branden Lee Hinkle: $4,000
- Gilbert Aldana: $2,000
- Total Fighter Payouts: $667,000
Sources
- "Liddell’s KO Outshone Only by Couture’s Retirement" by Josh Gross, Sherdog, February 5, 2006, retrieved February 19, 2006
- Mixed martial arts show results, Mandalay Bay, February 4, 2006 (PDF), Nevada State Athletic Commission, retrieved February 23, 2006
- Top MMA Gates, Nevada State Athletic Commission, retrieved February 19, 2006
- UFC PPV Buys Explode in 2006
- UFC Fighter Salaries for 2006 (includes fighter salaries for UFC 57)