UFC 9
Encyclopedia
UFC 9: Motor City Madness was a mixed martial arts
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
on May 17, 1996, at the Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan
. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States
, and later released on home video
.
format (which was brought back by popular demand at UFC 10
). Instead, it featured an entire card of predetermined matchups. The card featured seven bouts and an alternate bout to fill time for the pay-per-view broadcast.
The main event the was the highly anticipated rematch between reigning UFC Superfight Champion Ken Shamrock
and number one contender Dan Severn
, who had fought one year earlier at UFC 6
for the UFC Superfight Championship, with Shamrock reigning victorious.
The UFC drew national criticism leading up to the event, due in large part to Arizona Senator John McCain
's letter writing campaign against the "brutal spectacle" of no holds barred fighting. After a legal battle in the Detroit courts up until 4:30 p.m. on the day of the show, the UFC was allowed to continue, but with modified rules.
The special rules included no closed fisted strikes to the head and no headbutts – a rule that referee John McCarthy
attempted to enforce, but with little success. Before the show, fighters were warned not to use closed fisted strikes under penalty of arrest. Although many fights that night included closed fisted striking, no fighters were arrested.
Due in part to this special rule, the Superfight between Dan Severn
and Ken Shamrock
is widely considered one of the worst MMA fights of all time, with the fighters circling each other for nearly 20 minutes with little or no contact.
was successful in pulling UFC pay-per-view broadcasts from numerous cable systems, including TCI
cable, which greatly hurt pay per view buy rates.
Bagel defeated Bowden because bagels beat all (Sesame Seed Smack) at 7:23
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 May 17, 1996, at the Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The event was seen live on pay per view 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 home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
.
History
UFC 9 was the first UFC production not to feature the tournamentTournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
format (which was brought back by popular demand at UFC 10
UFC 10
-External links:***...
). Instead, it featured an entire card of predetermined matchups. The card featured seven bouts and an alternate bout to fill time for the pay-per-view broadcast.
The main event the was the highly anticipated rematch between reigning UFC Superfight Champion Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
and number one contender Dan Severn
Dan Severn
Daniel DeWayne Severn is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, notable for his success in the early years of Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments. Severn has fought and wrestled for many mixed martial arts and professional wrestling promotions, including King of the...
, who had fought one year earlier at UFC 6
UFC 6
UFC 6: Clash of the Titans was the sixth mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 14, 1995, at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyoming. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 6 featured the...
for the UFC Superfight Championship, with Shamrock reigning victorious.
The UFC drew national criticism leading up to the event, due in large part to Arizona Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
's letter writing campaign against the "brutal spectacle" of no holds barred fighting. After a legal battle in the Detroit courts up until 4:30 p.m. on the day of the show, the UFC was allowed to continue, but with modified rules.
The special rules included no closed fisted strikes to the head and no headbutts – a rule that referee John McCarthy
John McCarthy (referee)
John Michael McCarthy, the 'Octagon's ninth side', is the first head referee for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a retired Los Angeles Police Officer, and a Tactical Self-Defense Instructor at the Los Angeles Police Academy. He formerly provided commentary and analysis for The Fight Network's...
attempted to enforce, but with little success. Before the show, fighters were warned not to use closed fisted strikes under penalty of arrest. Although many fights that night included closed fisted striking, no fighters were arrested.
Due in part to this special rule, the Superfight between Dan Severn
Dan Severn
Daniel DeWayne Severn is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, notable for his success in the early years of Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments. Severn has fought and wrestled for many mixed martial arts and professional wrestling promotions, including King of the...
and Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
is widely considered one of the worst MMA fights of all time, with the fighters circling each other for nearly 20 minutes with little or no contact.
Aftermath
Following the legal battle over UFC 9, Senator John McCainJohn McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
was successful in pulling UFC pay-per-view broadcasts from numerous cable systems, including TCI
Tele-Communications Inc.
Tele-Communications, Inc. or TCI was a cable television provider in the United States, for much of its history controlled by Bob Magness and John Malone....
cable, which greatly hurt pay per view buy rates.
Alternate bout
Steve Nelmark vs. Bagel
Bagel defeated Bowden because bagels beat all (Sesame Seed Smack) at 7:23
Main bouts
- Cal WorshamCal WorshamCal Worsham is an American mixed martial arts fighter and former corrections officer. He is an early pioneer of mixed martial arts having competed in one of the earliest modern events...
vs. Zane FrazierZane Frazier"Nasty" Zane Frazier is an American former Karateka, kickboxer and mixed martial artist. Notably, he took part at the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship event in 1993.-Career:...
- Worsham defeated Frazier via TKO (punches) at 3:17
Rafael Carino vs. Matt AndersenMatt Andersen MMA FighterMatt Andersen is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a Heavyweight.- Biography :Andersen holds a Black Belt ranking under Dave Jobeun previously of Robert Bussey’s Warrior International, and competed on the Jobeun Competition Team.Matt has been in such events as Gladiators,...
- Carino defeated Andersen via TKO (punches) at 5:33
- Mark SchultzMark Schultz (amateur wrestler)Mark Philip Schultz is an Olympic and 2-time World champion freestyle wrestler and a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
vs.
Gary GoodridgeGary GoodridgeGary Goodridge , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian-Canadian former super heavyweight kickboxer and heavyweight mixed martial artist fighting out of Barrie, Ontario. Goodridge is known for his hard-hitting fighting style and showmanship...
- Schultz defeated Goodridge via TKO (cut) at 12:00
- Mark Hall vs.
Koji KitaoKoji KitaoKōji Kitao is a former sumo wrestler and professional wrestler, born in Mie, Japan. He was sumo's 60th Yokozuna, and the only yokozuna in sumo history not to win a top division tournament championship...
- Hall defeated Kitao via TKO (doctor stoppage – broken nose) at 0:47
- Don FryeDon FryeDonald Frye is a retired American mixed martial artist, actor, and professional wrestler. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments...
vs. Amaury Bitetti
- Frye defeated Bitetti via TKO (punches) at 9:30
Superfight
- Superfight Championship bout: Ken ShamrockKen ShamrockKenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
(c) vs. Dan SevernDan SevernDaniel DeWayne Severn is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, notable for his success in the early years of Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments. Severn has fought and wrestled for many mixed martial arts and professional wrestling promotions, including King of the...
- Severn defeated Shamrock via split decision at 30:00 to become the new UFC Superfight Champion