UFC 94
Encyclopedia
UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2 was a mixed martial arts
(MMA) pay-per-view
event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) on January 31, 2009. The card featured five televised MMA bouts, as well as five un-aired preliminary bouts. It was the second UFC event of 2009 and took place on the weekend of Super Bowl XLIII
.
The main event featured the UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St-Pierre, defending his title against UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn. This represented the first time two current titleholders competed against each other in the UFC. Penn also sought to become the first fighter in the UFC to concurrently hold two championships in two separate weight classes. The contest was heavily promoted, featuring a publicity tour to Canada
and Hawaii
, as well as the introduction of UFC Primetime
, a preview show that cost $1.7 million to produce. The co-main event of the evening was a battle between two undefeated light heavyweights sporting 13–0 records in Lyoto Machida
and Thiago Silva.
The main event featured the UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre defending his championship against UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn in a fight contested at the UFC welterweight limit of 170 pounds (77.1 kg). B.J. Penn sought to become the first fighter in the UFC's history to simultaneously hold two championship belts in two separate weight classes. The fight also represented the first time two current title holders faced off in the UFC. The UFC 94 main event was met with a high level of anticipation from both the media and the fans. Sherdog
called the fight between St-Pierre and Penn the most anticipated bout of 2009, and NBC Sports
described it as one of the most anticipated fights in MMA history. In an article previewing the fight, Dave Meltzer
discussed the over-usage of exaggerations to promote contests in combat sports, but argued that the January 31 match between St-Pierre and Penn was "one of the true epic matches in the history of the sport." The fans voiced their opinion in a poll conducted by Inside MMA
, where 45 percent of the viewers voted the match up between St-Pierre and Penn as the most anticipated fight to take place between December and February. The poll also featured (in descending order according to the results) Fedor Emelianenko
vs. Andrei Arlovski
, Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson
, and Rich Franklin
vs. Dan Henderson
.
St-Pierre is a fighter with very strong wrestling, and trains with the Canadian Olympic team. His conditioning, strength and athleticism have also been identified as strong attributes. He became the undisputed UFC Welterweight Champion by winning the interim-championship against Matt Hughes
at UFC 79
, and successfully unifying
the championship against Welterweight title holder Matt Serra
at UFC 83
in Quebec
, St-Pierre's home province. St-Pierre's fight prior to the UFC 94 event was a successful title defense against Jon Fitch
at UFC 87
via unanimous decision, where he won every round on the judge's scorecards. Penn is a fighter noted for his outstanding jiu-jitsu, as he is the first non-Brazilian to win the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship
at the black belt level. His other notable strengths include boxing, and wrestling/takedown defense. Penn captured the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship by defeating Joe Stevenson
at UFC 80
. The belt was vacant as a result of the California State Athletic Commission
stripping then-champion Sean Sherk
of the title for testing positive for anabolic steroid Nandrolone, or more commonly known as Decadurabolin, following a title defense. Penn entered the UFC 94 fight following a successful title defense as well, with a 3rd round TKO of former champion Sean Sherk at UFC 84
. St-Pierre and Penn had fought once before in a welterweight number one contenders match at UFC 58
on March 4, 2006, where St-Pierre won in a very evenly matched contest by split decision.
Promotion for the St-Pierre and Penn contest began in November 2008, with UFC President Dana White
, and the two main event fighters embarking on publicity tours in Toronto, Canada and Honolulu, Hawaii
. The fighters answered various fan questions, and signed autographs. In an effort to further promote the contest, the UFC introduced UFC Primetime
, a three-part series that cost $1.7 million to produce. UFC Primetime
detailed the final preparations of St-Pierre and Penn's before their fight. Spike aired the half-hour episodes on the final three Wednesdays leading up to the fight, beginning on January 14, 2009 and concluding on January 28, 2009. Camera crews spent twenty five days with each fighter rather than the three days for a standard UFC Countdown preview show, and episodes aired shortly after they were filmed. The episodes were aired quickly to provide weekly updates on each fighter's current status. After the first episode aired, it was reported by MMAjunkie.com that B.J. Penn was unhappy with his portrayal in the program, and wanted to withdraw from the project. Penn made a subsequent appearance on TapouT
radio to discuss this report and confirmed that he was has taken issue with his portrayal on the show. He was adamant that he would not continue to allow filming unless his portrayal changed. In the end, UFC Primetime
proved to be a ratings success, as it was announced by Spike that the program was the most watched UFC preview show ever, drawing 1.4 million viewers for its first episode (880,000 viewers for first airing and 614,000 viewers for an immediate repeat). The second episode averaged 825,000 viewers, while the third episode drew 662,000 viewers.
The co-main event featured a bout between two top contenders and undefeated light heavyweights, Lyoto Machida
and Thiago Silva. The two were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 89
, but a back injury forced Silva to withdraw from the contest. UFC President Dana White
indicated in the pre-fight press conference that Machida would receive a title shot with a victory, while Silva would need to defeat Machida and win one more contest before earning the same opportunity. Machida is a fighter who prefers to counter-strike, and combines Shotokan Karate, sumo wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu
to form his own style. Silva is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, but prefers to fight standing. Machida entered the UFC 94 fight following a unanimous decision victory over former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz
at UFC 84, where he won every round on the judge's scorecards. Thiago Silva entered the contest with 1st round TKOs over Antonio Mendes
at UFC 84, and Houston Alexander
at UFC 78
.
The event also featured the return of two more fighters from injury, in Karo Parisyan
and Stephan Bonnar
. Parisyan, a judo
standout, had to withdraw from a scheduled fight against Yoshiyuki Yoshida
at UFC 88
with a back injury just one day before the fight. His opponent for UFC 94 was undefeated South Korean welterweight Dong Hyun Kim
. Bonnar, a light heavyweight, was to take on Matt Hamill
at UFC Fight Night 13
, but a left knee injury during training on forced him out of that bout. His opponent, the 21 year old Jon Jones
was a national amateur wrestling champion and coming off a unanimous decision victory over Andre Gusmão
at UFC 87, where he took the fight on three weeks notice. Rounding out the main card was a lightweight contest between the winner of the fifth season
of the UFC's reality television series and MMA competition The Ultimate Fighter
, Nate Diaz, and contender Clay Guida
. The Ultimate Fighter is a single-elimination reality series featuring fledging professional MMA fighters competing for the title of The Ultimate Fighter, and a six-figure, multi-fight contract with the UFC. Diaz is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt under Cesar Gracie
, and Guida is noted by MMA journalist Sam Caplan as one of the UFC's most highly regarded fighters. The two were expected to fight in December 2008, but the fight failed to materialize due to a foot injury to Guida.
The event consisted of ten mixed martial arts bouts all sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and contested under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. All bouts consisted of three five-minute rounds except for the main-event championship match between St-Pierre and Penn which was five five-minute rounds. Five of the bouts were part of the non-televised preliminary card. The reported attendance was 14,885 with a total gate of $4,290,020. The UFC announced on January 14, 2009 that the event was completely sold out, however MMAjunkie.com noted that at the time of announcement, it was still possible to find single tickets. The reported buyrate of the pay-per-view was 800,000.
became the first fighter to be successful in a professional mixed martial arts debut at a UFC pay-per-view event since Marcio Cruz
at UFC 55
. In his fight with Matt Arroyo
, Cramer executed a takedown and attempted punches on the ground while avoiding the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown-belt's submissions during the first two rounds, while the third and final round saw Arroyo taking Cramer's back on the ground and unsuccessfully going for a rear naked choke
. Two of the three judges scored the bout 29–28 for Cramer while the remaining third judge saw it 28–29 for Arroyo, giving Cramer the split-decision victory.
In the second bout of the event, Jake O'Brien
rebounded from two TKO losses in a row with a split-decision win over Christian Wellisch
. O'Brien, a former wrestler at Purdue University, was able to take Wellisch down and control his opponent on the ground but was hurt on the feet in the first and second rounds. The judges saw it 29–28, 28–29 and 29–28 in favor of O'Brien. This was both fighters first fight at light heavyweight after dropping down from heavyweight.
In one of the two bouts being awarded "Fight of the Night" bonuses, John Howard
defeated Chris Wilson
by split decision in their welterweight contest. Howard was able to take down Wilson in all three rounds where he scored with ground-and-pound and once went for a rear naked choke. Wilson had some success on his feet, but Howard landed the harder strikes. The contest was scored twice 29–28 for Howard and once 28–29 for Wilson.
The only lightweight bout on the preliminary card saw Thiago Tavares
defeating Manny Gamburyan by unanimous decision. Tavares went for ground-and-pound after takedowns, while the smaller Gamburyan tried to push the pace on the feet but was unable to counter Tavares' more powerful strikes. All three judges scored it 29–28 in favor of Tavares.
In the last fight on the preliminary card, American Kickboxing Academy
's Jon Fitch
faced Akihiro Gono
. The bout saw Fitch continually taking down Gono and landing with ground-and-pound punches on the downed opponent. Fitch came close to submitting Gono in the first and second rounds when he went for a rear naked choke and an armbar respectively, but he was unable to finish the Japanese fighter. All three judges scored the bout in favor of Fitch, two scoring it 30–27 with one judge seeing it 30–26 giving Fitch the unanimous decision victory.
The first bout on the televised portion of the event saw Nate Diaz taking on Clay Guida
in a lightweight contest. Diaz, who had a eight-inch reach advantage on Guida, was able to frustrate him with punches on the feet while Guida has success with leg-kicks followed by a right hand straight. After closing the distance, Guida used his wrestling experience to avoid submissions while controlling and pressuring Diaz both in the clinch and on the ground throughout the fight. Diaz rallied with punches in the final round but was unable to finish off Guida. The judges scored the bout 29–28 twice for Guida and once for Diaz for the split-decision victory. The bout was awarded the event's second "Fight of the Night" honor gaining both fighters a $65,000 bonus.
The second bout saw two judo black belts fighting as Karo Parisyan
went up against undefeated Dong Hyun Kim
in a matchup at welterweight. Kim took Parisyan's back in the first round and threatened with submissions as Parisyan attempted to regain position, while the second round saw Parisyian executing a judo-throw and going for a kimura-submission. The final round was mostly spent in the clinch with both fighters getting takedowns. Parisyian was awarded a split-decision victory with the scores 29–28, 28–29 and 29–28. However, the result was later changed to a "no decision" after Parisyian tested positive for three banned painkillers in the post-fight drug test also resulting in a nine months suspension and $32,000 fine.
In only his second fight for the UFC, Jon Jones
took on The Ultimate Fighter 1
runner-up Stephan Bonnar
at light heavyweight in the third fight on the main card. Jones was able to execute multiple throws and takedowns during the first two rounds, at one point suplexing Bonnar. Jones also had the most success striking and was able to knock down his opponent with a spinning elbow-strike. Bonnar rallied with strikes against the tiring Jones in the third round, but the bout went the distance with the judges scoring it 29–28 twice and once 30–27 all in favor of Jones giving him the unanimous decision.
The fourth fight featured two undefeated Brazilians meeting at light heavyweight in Lyoto Machida
and Thiago Silva. Machida was able to knock down Silva twice during the first round before ultimately knocking him out after tripping him and jumping in landing the knockout punch at 4:59 of the first round. The finish marked the first win for Machida by knockout, and netted him a $65,000 bonus as it was awarded "Knockout of the Night".
The fifth and final bout of the main card was the UFC Welterweight Championship match between Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn regulated by referee Herb Dean
. The bout started out with the two fighters clinching and throwing knees. St-Pierre dropped down for a single-leg takedown but Penn defended while standing on one leg with his back to the cage. Unable to get the takedown, St-Pierre let go and connected with a right hand punch. They meet up and clinched in the middle of the cage with St-Pierre pushing Penn towards the fence. There, St-Pierre attempted a takedown but went back the clinch when he was unable to finish it. The two fighters continued trading punches to end the first round.
Round two started with two fighters throwing strikes with St-Pierre landing a punch drawing blood from Penn's nose. St-Pierre then clinched up and tripped Penn to the ground. There Penn attempted to defend using the rubber guard, but St-Pierre passed to half-guard and eventually side-control while landing punches. The two continued grappling
with Penn taking several ground-and-pound punches from St-Pierre until the round ended.
The third and fourth round saw St-Pierre continue his ground-and-pound on a visibly discouraged Penn, and at the end of the fourth Penn's corner motioned for the cage-side doctor to stop the fight. The referee waived off the contest, officially declaring St-Pierre the winner, retaining his UFC Welterweight Championship, by TKO due to "referee stoppage on doctor's advice".
The contest between St-Pierre and Penn was a source of significant controversy. In between rounds one and two, as well as round three, one of St-Pierre's cornermen, Phil Nurse
, was seen applying petroleum jelly
(brand name Vaseline) on the shoulder and the back of St-Pierre by members of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Vaseline is used to aid cuts in boxing as well as MMA, but applying it to parts of the body other than the face is illegal because of the element of grappling in the sport. A fighter that is "slippery" as a result of the vaseline will have an added advantage, because friction and grip are compromised. UFC President Dana White addressed the issue during a radio appearance in Boston, Massachusetts. He indicated that he did not believe the vaseline influenced the outcome of the fight, but still expected Nurse to be punished.
Penn's brother revealed two days after the bout that the Penn camp would be making a formal complaint to the NSAC. In addition, Penn's head coach, Rudy Valentino alleged that St-Pierre also had an illegal substance on his body during his April 2008 rematch with Matt Serra. NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer confirmed that improprieties had occurred in St-Pierre's corner. He witnessed St-Pierre's cornerman Phil Nurse
apply Vaseline to St-Pierre's face and then immediately rub St-Pierre's shoulders and back before Nurse wiped his hands. Kizer had St-Pierre's back wiped down after the second round, and confirmed after the third round that no Vaseline was being applied. Kizer was critical of the cornerman's action, but expressed doubts that the controversy would overturn St-Pierre's victory.
On March 12, 2009, B.J. Penn filed a formal request for investigation to the NSAC stating that St-Pierre used an illegal "greasing" agent on his body during the fight. The formal, written complaint consisted of twenty pages. It began by stating that "other renowned fighters" have also had similar experiences with St-Pierre, that his body was "unnaturally slippery." It continued by accounting an apparent "pre-bout warning" made by Penn's camp to the NSAC that St-Pierre will engage in the illegal application of vaseline. Next, a request to monitor St-Pierre and members of the team to prevent future misconduct was made, namely a monitored shower of St-Pierre and/or hygiene cleansing. The written statement concluded with Penn seeking fines against trainer Greg Jackson
, Nurse, and "other unnamed individuals" of $250,000 each. In addition, that St-Pierre's license be suspended or revoked, and that the result of the bout be changed to a no-contest.
St-Pierre's trainer Greg Jackson denied any wrongdoing, stating that Nurse was rubbing and tapping on St-Pierre's body as part of a drill to aid in his breathing techniques. Jackson said that any Vaseline transferred from residue on Nurse's fingers was accidental and wiped off when pointed out. Georges St-Pierre spoke to Sports Illustrated
with regard to the controversy stating, "I haven't seen the fight yet, but I remember at some point something happened and the athletic commission was complaining. They used a towel to wet my back and wipe it off. I don't mind. I didn't put Vaseline on myself and I'm not a cheater." However, St-Pierre offered Penn a rematch in the summer that Penn verbally accepted but is unlikely to happen due to the fact they have both since been scheduled for title defenses.
On March 17, 2009, the NSAC held a formal hearing about the matter. Penn, his mother Lorraine Shin, and his attorney were present to make statements. Greg Jackson, Phil Nurse, and St-Pierre's attorney participated in the hearing as the opposing side. St-Pierre himself was not present. Shin read from a written statement, urging the NSAC to "do the right thing", and punish St-Pierre to the "fullest extent of authority." Jackson and Nurse apologized for the incident, but maintained that they did not knowingly cheat. At the hearing's conclusion, the NSAC Executive Director stated that St-Pierre's victory would not be changed to a no contest, nor would other sanctions, such as the loss of licenses be taken, unless a member of the NSAC files a disciplinary complaint against any of the accused. However, the committee left it ambiguous whether the matter was conclusively closed. Representatives from the Penn camp indicated that they were "unsure" of their next move.
Following the main event at UFC 94, top welterweight contender Thiago Alves
made his way into the cage to congratulate St-Pierre on the victory. After interviews with both fighters, it was announced that Alves would be next to challenge for St-Pierre's championship. This fight has since taken place and was the co-main event of the UFC 100
card. St-Pierre's dominant victory also opened up discussion for a possible "superfight" with UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva
in 2010. Dana White stated that this bout was a possibility, and he would like to see it. St-Pierre has also expressed interest in the fight.
After Penn's loss to St-Pierre, reports surfaced that the UFC Lightweight Champion was contemplating retirement. However, during his first public appearance since the loss in Honolulu, Hawaii, he announced that he would continue to fight. He admitted that he was affected by the loss, and that "a lot of things were going through his head." In regards to his next bout, Penn stated that he was in negotiation to fight top contender Kenny Florian
in the summer of 2009. Penn would go on and defeat Florian at UFC 101
, winning in the fourth round by rear naked choke.
In the wake of the Vaseline controversy, the UFC responded by implementing immediate rule changes on February 7, 2009. These changes were discussed by long time cutman
Jacob "Stitch" Duran. According to Duran, under the new rules, only cutmen who are independent of both corners will be allowed to apply Vaseline to the fighter's faces. However, Duran was not able to confirm whether the rules will apply at all UFC events or just the events that take place in Nevada.
Despite Lyoto Machida's knockout of Thiago Silva, Dana White indicated that he was not the number one contender for a title shot. Instead, a scheduled fight between former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson
and Keith Jardine
would determine Machida's title fate. A victory for Jackson would earn him a fight with champion Rashad Evans
, but a win for Jardine would mean Machida will be awarded with a title shot. Jackson won the fight via unanimous decision, but torn ligaments in his jaw forced the former champion out of the bout. Instead, Machida will challenge Evans for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 98
. Jackson will retain his title shot against the winner of that match upon returning from injury. Following the loss to Machida, Thiago Silva was scheduled to return to action against former champion Forrest Griffin
at UFC 101
, but his opponent was later changed to Keith Jardine
.
Karo Parisyan's next fight was to be against American Kickboxing Academy's Josh Koscheck
at UFC 98. However, due to Parisyan's nine-month suspension from the NSAC for a failed drug test due to painkillers, the future of this fight is uncertain.
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...
(MMA) 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...
event promoted 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...
(UFC) on January 31, 2009. The card featured five televised MMA bouts, as well as five un-aired preliminary bouts. It was the second UFC event of 2009 and took place on the weekend of Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
.
The main event featured the UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St-Pierre, defending his title against UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn. This represented the first time two current titleholders competed against each other in the UFC. Penn also sought to become the first fighter in the UFC to concurrently hold two championships in two separate weight classes. The contest was heavily promoted, featuring a publicity tour to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, as well as the introduction of UFC Primetime
UFC Primetime
UFC Primetime is a television series currently airing on Spike TV in the United States. The show chronicles the training regimens of two UFC fighters prior to their next upcoming main event bout.-Premise:...
, a preview show that cost $1.7 million to produce. The co-main event of the evening was a battle between two undefeated light heavyweights sporting 13–0 records in Lyoto Machida
Lyoto Machida
Lyoto Carvalho Machida is a Japanese-Brazilian mixed martial artist from Belém, Brazil who fights as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
and Thiago Silva.
Background
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...
called the fight between St-Pierre and Penn the most anticipated bout of 2009, and NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
described it as one of the most anticipated fights in MMA history. In an article previewing the fight, Dave Meltzer
Dave Meltzer
David A. Meltzer is the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Sports Illustrated senior writer Frank Deford has praised Meltzer's work, saying that "Meltzer, I believe, is the most accomplished reporter in sports journalism." Meltzer has written for the Oakland Tribune, the Los Angeles...
discussed the over-usage of exaggerations to promote contests in combat sports, but argued that the January 31 match between St-Pierre and Penn was "one of the true epic matches in the history of the sport." The fans voiced their opinion in a poll conducted by Inside MMA
Inside MMA
Inside MMA is an hour-long program on Mark Cuban's HDNet television network hosted by Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice. The hosts, along with a revolving panel of three guests, provide commentary on mixed martial arts events around the globe...
, where 45 percent of the viewers voted the match up between St-Pierre and Penn as the most anticipated fight to take place between December and February. The poll also featured (in descending order according to the results) Fedor Emelianenko
Fedor Emelianenko
Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko) is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial artist. He has won numerous tournaments and accolades in multiple sports, most notably the Pride 2004 Grand Prix and the World Combat Sambo championship on four occasions, as well as medaling in the Russian national Judo...
vs. Andrei Arlovski
Andrei Arlovski
Andrei Valeryevich Arlovski is a Belarusian kickboxer, mixed martial artist and a former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion.-Biography:...
, Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson
Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson
Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva versus Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is a mixed martial arts trilogy that began in the now-defunct Pride Fighting Championships in Japan...
, and Rich Franklin
Rich Franklin
Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:...
vs. Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson
Daniel Jeffery Henderson, is an American mixed martial artist and former Olympic wrestler, who competes as a middleweight and light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and was the last Welterweight and Middleweight champion...
.
St-Pierre is a fighter with very strong wrestling, and trains with the Canadian Olympic team. His conditioning, strength and athleticism have also been identified as strong attributes. He became the undisputed UFC Welterweight Champion by winning the interim-championship against Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes (fighter)
Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the...
at UFC 79
UFC 79
UFC 79: Nemesis was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , that took place on December 29, 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
, and successfully unifying
Championship unification
Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...
the championship against Welterweight title holder Matt Serra
Matt Serra
Matthew John Serra is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist. He began practicing martial arts at an early age, first studying kung fu...
at UFC 83
UFC 83
UFC 83: Serra vs St-Pierre 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held on April 19, 2008, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. UFC 83 was the UFC's first event in Canada...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, St-Pierre's home province. St-Pierre's fight prior to the UFC 94 event was a successful title defense against Jon Fitch
Jon Fitch
Jonathan Parker Fitch is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently ranked as the No. 2 welterweight in the world by Sherdog, as well as many other publications.-Background:...
at UFC 87
UFC 87
UFC 87: Seek and Destroy was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 9, 2008, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Background:...
via unanimous decision, where he won every round on the judge's scorecards. Penn is a fighter noted for his outstanding jiu-jitsu, as he is the first non-Brazilian to win the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship
World Jiu-Jitsu Championship
The World Jiu-Jitsu Championship is the most prestigious Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament in the world. They are hosted annually by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. The first Mundial tournament to be held outside of Brazil was in 2007 at the California State University in Long...
at the black belt level. His other notable strengths include boxing, and wrestling/takedown defense. Penn captured the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship by defeating Joe Stevenson
Joe Stevenson
Joseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs....
at UFC 80
UFC 80
UFC 80: Rapid Fire was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , that took place on January 19, 2008 at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England.-Background:...
. The belt was vacant as a result of the California State Athletic Commission
California State Athletic Commission
The California State Athletic Commission regulates professional boxing, professional and amateur kickboxing and professional mixed martial arts throughout the State by licensing all participants and supervising the events....
stripping then-champion Sean Sherk
Sean Sherk
Sean Keith Sherk is an American mixed martial arts fighter currently fighting for the UFC. He currently holds a professional mixed martial arts record of thirty-six wins, four losses and one draw. Sherk has fought in both the UFC and Pride FC, and is a former UFC Lightweight Champion...
of the title for testing positive for anabolic steroid Nandrolone, or more commonly known as Decadurabolin, following a title defense. Penn entered the UFC 94 fight following a successful title defense as well, with a 3rd round TKO of former champion Sean Sherk at UFC 84
UFC 84
UFC 84: Ill Will was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 24, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Overview:...
. St-Pierre and Penn had fought once before in a welterweight number one contenders match at UFC 58
UFC 58
UFC 58: USA vs Canada was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 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....
on March 4, 2006, where St-Pierre won in a very evenly matched contest by split decision.
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
, and the two main event fighters embarking on publicity tours in Toronto, Canada and Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. The fighters answered various fan questions, and signed autographs. In an effort to further promote the contest, the UFC introduced UFC Primetime
UFC Primetime
UFC Primetime is a television series currently airing on Spike TV in the United States. The show chronicles the training regimens of two UFC fighters prior to their next upcoming main event bout.-Premise:...
, a three-part series that cost $1.7 million to produce. UFC Primetime
UFC Primetime
UFC Primetime is a television series currently airing on Spike TV in the United States. The show chronicles the training regimens of two UFC fighters prior to their next upcoming main event bout.-Premise:...
detailed the final preparations of St-Pierre and Penn's before their fight. Spike aired the half-hour episodes on the final three Wednesdays leading up to the fight, beginning on January 14, 2009 and concluding on January 28, 2009. Camera crews spent twenty five days with each fighter rather than the three days for a standard UFC Countdown preview show, and episodes aired shortly after they were filmed. The episodes were aired quickly to provide weekly updates on each fighter's current status. After the first episode aired, it was reported by MMAjunkie.com that B.J. Penn was unhappy with his portrayal in the program, and wanted to withdraw from the project. Penn made a subsequent appearance on TapouT
TapouT
Tapout is an American business enterprise specializing in producing clothing and miscellaneous gear targeted at mixed martial arts fans who are generally males age 13–27 as well as a magazine devoted to mixed martial arts fighting .-History:Charles Lewis, Jr...
radio to discuss this report and confirmed that he was has taken issue with his portrayal on the show. He was adamant that he would not continue to allow filming unless his portrayal changed. In the end, UFC Primetime
UFC Primetime
UFC Primetime is a television series currently airing on Spike TV in the United States. The show chronicles the training regimens of two UFC fighters prior to their next upcoming main event bout.-Premise:...
proved to be a ratings success, as it was announced by Spike that the program was the most watched UFC preview show ever, drawing 1.4 million viewers for its first episode (880,000 viewers for first airing and 614,000 viewers for an immediate repeat). The second episode averaged 825,000 viewers, while the third episode drew 662,000 viewers.
The co-main event featured a bout between two top contenders and undefeated light heavyweights, Lyoto Machida
Lyoto Machida
Lyoto Carvalho Machida is a Japanese-Brazilian mixed martial artist from Belém, Brazil who fights as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
and Thiago Silva. The two were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 89
UFC 89
UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 18, 2008 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England. The event was headlined by a middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and Chris Leben...
, but a back injury forced Silva to withdraw from the contest. UFC President Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
indicated in the pre-fight press conference that Machida would receive a title shot with a victory, while Silva would need to defeat Machida and win one more contest before earning the same opportunity. Machida is a fighter who prefers to counter-strike, and combines Shotokan Karate, sumo wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...
to form his own style. Silva is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, but prefers to fight standing. Machida entered the UFC 94 fight following a unanimous decision victory over former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
at UFC 84, where he won every round on the judge's scorecards. Thiago Silva entered the contest with 1st round TKOs over Antonio Mendes
Antonio Mendes
Antonio Mendes is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He competes in the Light Heavyweight division.Mendes was scheduled to participate in the light-heavyweight tournament at KSW XIII, meeting Wojciech Orłowski in the first tournament round...
at UFC 84, and Houston Alexander
Houston Alexander
Houston Alexander is an American professional mixed martial artist, who fights as a light heavyweight and heavyweight. He also works as a DJ in North Omaha, Nebraska...
at UFC 78
UFC 78
UFC 78: Validation was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , that took place on November 17, 2007 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey...
.
The event also featured the return of two more fighters from injury, in Karo Parisyan
Karo Parisyan
Karapet Parisyan is an Armenian-American mixed martial artist. From his days as a UFC mainstay Karo holds notable wins over Ryo Chonan, Shonie Carter, Drew Fickett, Matt Serra, Nick Thompson, Chris Lytle, Nick Diaz and Antonio McKee.- Early life:...
and Stephan Bonnar
Stephan Bonnar
Stephan Patrick Bonnar is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
. Parisyan, a judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
standout, had to withdraw from a scheduled fight against Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Yoshiyuki Yoshida
is a Japanese mixed martial artist competing in the welterweight division. A student of former Shooto competitor Noboru Asahi, he has competed in Shooto, Cage Force, and the UFC...
at UFC 88
UFC 88
UFC 88: Breakthrough was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 6, 2008 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The event was headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans....
with a back injury just one day before the fight. His opponent for UFC 94 was undefeated South Korean welterweight Dong Hyun Kim
Dong Hyun Kim
Kim Dong-hyun , often anglicised to Dong-hyun Kim, is a South Korean mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's welterweight division. He was signed by the UFC after fighting in the Japanese promotion DEEP and in the Korean promotion Spirit MC...
. Bonnar, a light heavyweight, was to take on Matt Hamill
Matt Hamill
Matthew S. Hamill is a retired American wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is a three-time NCAA Division III National Champion in wrestling while attending the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York...
at UFC Fight Night 13
UFC Fight Night 13
UFC Fight Night: Florian vs Lauzon referred to by the media as UFC Fight Night 13 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 2, 2008 at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event was a lead-in to the premiere of The Ultimate Fighter 7 on...
, but a left knee injury during training on forced him out of that bout. His opponent, the 21 year old Jon Jones
Jon Jones (fighter)
Jonathan Dwight Jones is an American mixed martial artist from Endicott, New York. He is the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion....
was a national amateur wrestling champion and coming off a unanimous decision victory over Andre Gusmão
Andre Gusmao
André Machado Gusmão is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is a veteran of the International Fight League where he fought for Renzo Gracie's New York Pitbulls, the IFL's 2007 league champions....
at UFC 87, where he took the fight on three weeks notice. Rounding out the main card was a lightweight contest between the winner of the fifth season
The Ultimate Fighter 5
The Ultimate Fighter 5 was the fifth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter...
of the UFC's reality television series and MMA competition 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...
, Nate Diaz, and contender Clay Guida
Clay Guida
Clayton Charles Guida is an American mixed martial artist and currently fighting in the UFC as a lightweight. Guida was the first Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and held the title until being defeated by Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Revenge...
. The Ultimate Fighter is a single-elimination reality series featuring fledging professional MMA fighters competing for the title of The Ultimate Fighter, and a six-figure, multi-fight contract with the UFC. Diaz is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt under Cesar Gracie
Cesar Gracie
Cesar Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who trains a number of top fighters in Pleasant Hill, California. Gracie is a member of the Gracie family, the son of Sonja Gracie-Gronning and not to be confused with his cousin also named Cesar Gracie who is the son of Reylson Gracie.- Biography...
, and Guida is noted by MMA journalist Sam Caplan as one of the UFC's most highly regarded fighters. The two were expected to fight in December 2008, but the fight failed to materialize due to a foot injury to Guida.
Event
Preliminary card
The event's five preliminary fights all went the full three rounds, ending in decisions. In the first bout of the evening, Dan CramerDan Cramer
Daniel John Cramer is an American mixed martial artist. He was a competitor on SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs Team Forrest. Cramer currently fights for Bellator Fighting Championships in their middleweight division....
became the first fighter to be successful in a professional mixed martial arts debut at a UFC pay-per-view event since Marcio Cruz
Márcio Cruz
Márcio "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....
at UFC 55
UFC 55
UFC 55: Fury was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 7, 2005 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later released on DVD....
. In his fight with Matt Arroyo
Matt Arroyo
Matthew Vincent Arroyo is an American professional mixed martial artist. He was featured on the Ultimate Fighting Championship reality television show The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, fighting on Team Serra. He fights out of Tampa, Florida with Gracie Tampa, under Royce Gracie...
, Cramer executed a takedown and attempted punches on the ground while avoiding the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown-belt's submissions during the first two rounds, while the third and final round saw Arroyo taking Cramer's back on the ground and unsuccessfully going for a rear naked choke
Rear naked choke
The Rear naked choke is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. Depending on the context, the term may refer to one of two variations of the technique, either arm can be used to apply the choke in both cases...
. Two of the three judges scored the bout 29–28 for Cramer while the remaining third judge saw it 28–29 for Arroyo, giving Cramer the split-decision victory.
In the second bout of the event, Jake O'Brien
Jake O'Brien
Jacob Allen O'Brien is an American mixed martial arts fighter from Indianapolis, Indiana. O'Brien attended Franklin Central High School where he wrestled for four years, while earning IHSAA 215 lb. State Champion honors three years in a row from 2000–2003; holding a record of 125-4 over that...
rebounded from two TKO losses in a row with a split-decision win over Christian Wellisch
Christian Wellisch
Christian Wellisch is a Hungarian-American former mixed martial arts fighter. He most recently competed as a light heavyweight in the UFC.-Mixed martial arts career:...
. O'Brien, a former wrestler at Purdue University, was able to take Wellisch down and control his opponent on the ground but was hurt on the feet in the first and second rounds. The judges saw it 29–28, 28–29 and 29–28 in favor of O'Brien. This was both fighters first fight at light heavyweight after dropping down from heavyweight.
In one of the two bouts being awarded "Fight of the Night" bonuses, John Howard
John Howard (fighter)
John J. Howard is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing welterweight division.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:He made his first UFC debut on January 31, 2009 against Chris Wilson at UFC 94 winning by split decision....
defeated Chris Wilson
Chris Wilson (fighter)
Christopher Ross Wilson is an American mixed martial arts fighter. Wilson is a former competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championships. He lost his UFC debut to Jon Fitch at UFC 82...
by split decision in their welterweight contest. Howard was able to take down Wilson in all three rounds where he scored with ground-and-pound and once went for a rear naked choke. Wilson had some success on his feet, but Howard landed the harder strikes. The contest was scored twice 29–28 for Howard and once 28–29 for Wilson.
The only lightweight bout on the preliminary card saw Thiago Tavares
Thiago Tavares
Thiago de Mello Tavares is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He currently fights in the lightweight division in the UFC.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:Thiago Tavares entered the UFC with an undefeated record and was highly regarded...
defeating Manny Gamburyan by unanimous decision. Tavares went for ground-and-pound after takedowns, while the smaller Gamburyan tried to push the pace on the feet but was unable to counter Tavares' more powerful strikes. All three judges scored it 29–28 in favor of Tavares.
In the last fight on the preliminary card, American Kickboxing Academy
American Kickboxing Academy
The American Kickboxing Academy is a martial arts gym located in San Jose, California. It is one of the pioneering schools of mixed martial arts...
's Jon Fitch
Jon Fitch
Jonathan Parker Fitch is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently ranked as the No. 2 welterweight in the world by Sherdog, as well as many other publications.-Background:...
faced Akihiro Gono
Akihiro Gono
is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently fights as a welterweight. He is best known for his clever and deceptive fighting style, and for his flashy ring entrances. His fighting style is characterized by skillfully avoiding strikes, using fast counter punches and generally getting the...
. The bout saw Fitch continually taking down Gono and landing with ground-and-pound punches on the downed opponent. Fitch came close to submitting Gono in the first and second rounds when he went for a rear naked choke and an armbar respectively, but he was unable to finish the Japanese fighter. All three judges scored the bout in favor of Fitch, two scoring it 30–27 with one judge seeing it 30–26 giving Fitch the unanimous decision victory.
Main card
Clay Guida
Clayton Charles Guida is an American mixed martial artist and currently fighting in the UFC as a lightweight. Guida was the first Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and held the title until being defeated by Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Revenge...
in a lightweight contest. Diaz, who had a eight-inch reach advantage on Guida, was able to frustrate him with punches on the feet while Guida has success with leg-kicks followed by a right hand straight. After closing the distance, Guida used his wrestling experience to avoid submissions while controlling and pressuring Diaz both in the clinch and on the ground throughout the fight. Diaz rallied with punches in the final round but was unable to finish off Guida. The judges scored the bout 29–28 twice for Guida and once for Diaz for the split-decision victory. The bout was awarded the event's second "Fight of the Night" honor gaining both fighters a $65,000 bonus.
The second bout saw two judo black belts fighting as Karo Parisyan
Karo Parisyan
Karapet Parisyan is an Armenian-American mixed martial artist. From his days as a UFC mainstay Karo holds notable wins over Ryo Chonan, Shonie Carter, Drew Fickett, Matt Serra, Nick Thompson, Chris Lytle, Nick Diaz and Antonio McKee.- Early life:...
went up against undefeated Dong Hyun Kim
Dong Hyun Kim
Kim Dong-hyun , often anglicised to Dong-hyun Kim, is a South Korean mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's welterweight division. He was signed by the UFC after fighting in the Japanese promotion DEEP and in the Korean promotion Spirit MC...
in a matchup at welterweight. Kim took Parisyan's back in the first round and threatened with submissions as Parisyan attempted to regain position, while the second round saw Parisyian executing a judo-throw and going for a kimura-submission. The final round was mostly spent in the clinch with both fighters getting takedowns. Parisyian was awarded a split-decision victory with the scores 29–28, 28–29 and 29–28. However, the result was later changed to a "no decision" after Parisyian tested positive for three banned painkillers in the post-fight drug test also resulting in a nine months suspension and $32,000 fine.
In only his second fight for the UFC, Jon Jones
Jon Jones (fighter)
Jonathan Dwight Jones is an American mixed martial artist from Endicott, New York. He is the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion....
took on The Ultimate Fighter 1
The Ultimate Fighter 1
The debut season of The Ultimate Fighter premiered on January 17, 2005. Sixteen mixed martial arts fighters were invited to participate in the show where they would reside together and train in two separate teams...
runner-up Stephan Bonnar
Stephan Bonnar
Stephan Patrick Bonnar is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
at light heavyweight in the third fight on the main card. Jones was able to execute multiple throws and takedowns during the first two rounds, at one point suplexing Bonnar. Jones also had the most success striking and was able to knock down his opponent with a spinning elbow-strike. Bonnar rallied with strikes against the tiring Jones in the third round, but the bout went the distance with the judges scoring it 29–28 twice and once 30–27 all in favor of Jones giving him the unanimous decision.
The fourth fight featured two undefeated Brazilians meeting at light heavyweight in Lyoto Machida
Lyoto Machida
Lyoto Carvalho Machida is a Japanese-Brazilian mixed martial artist from Belém, Brazil who fights as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
and Thiago Silva. Machida was able to knock down Silva twice during the first round before ultimately knocking him out after tripping him and jumping in landing the knockout punch at 4:59 of the first round. The finish marked the first win for Machida by knockout, and netted him a $65,000 bonus as it was awarded "Knockout of the Night".
The fifth and final bout of the main card was the UFC Welterweight Championship match between Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn regulated by referee Herb Dean
Herb Dean
Herb Dean is an American mixed martial arts fighter and referee. Dean is one of the most seen and well respected referees in mixed martial arts with well over 3,500 professional matches worldwide...
. The bout started out with the two fighters clinching and throwing knees. St-Pierre dropped down for a single-leg takedown but Penn defended while standing on one leg with his back to the cage. Unable to get the takedown, St-Pierre let go and connected with a right hand punch. They meet up and clinched in the middle of the cage with St-Pierre pushing Penn towards the fence. There, St-Pierre attempted a takedown but went back the clinch when he was unable to finish it. The two fighters continued trading punches to end the first round.
Round two started with two fighters throwing strikes with St-Pierre landing a punch drawing blood from Penn's nose. St-Pierre then clinched up and tripped Penn to the ground. There Penn attempted to defend using the rubber guard, but St-Pierre passed to half-guard and eventually side-control while landing punches. The two continued grappling
Grappling
Grappling refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent in order to gain a physical advantage, such as improving relative position, escaping, submitting, or injury to the opponent. Grappling is a general term that covers techniques used in many disciplines, styles and martial...
with Penn taking several ground-and-pound punches from St-Pierre until the round ended.
The third and fourth round saw St-Pierre continue his ground-and-pound on a visibly discouraged Penn, and at the end of the fourth Penn's corner motioned for the cage-side doctor to stop the fight. The referee waived off the contest, officially declaring St-Pierre the winner, retaining his UFC Welterweight Championship, by TKO due to "referee stoppage on doctor's advice".
St-Pierre "greasing" controversy
Phil Nurse
Phil Nurse , often referred to as Kru Phil Nurse, is a British former Muay Thai kickboxer and an undefeated European Light Welterweight Champion, Double British Champion, and British All Styles Super Light Welterweight Champion...
, was seen applying petroleum jelly
Petroleum jelly
Petroleum jelly, petrolatum, white petrolatum or soft paraffin, CAS number 8009-03-8, is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons , originally promoted as a topical ointment for its healing properties...
(brand name Vaseline) on the shoulder and the back of St-Pierre by members of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Vaseline is used to aid cuts in boxing as well as MMA, but applying it to parts of the body other than the face is illegal because of the element of grappling in the sport. A fighter that is "slippery" as a result of the vaseline will have an added advantage, because friction and grip are compromised. UFC President Dana White addressed the issue during a radio appearance in Boston, Massachusetts. He indicated that he did not believe the vaseline influenced the outcome of the fight, but still expected Nurse to be punished.
Penn's brother revealed two days after the bout that the Penn camp would be making a formal complaint to the NSAC. In addition, Penn's head coach, Rudy Valentino alleged that St-Pierre also had an illegal substance on his body during his April 2008 rematch with Matt Serra. NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer confirmed that improprieties had occurred in St-Pierre's corner. He witnessed St-Pierre's cornerman Phil Nurse
Phil Nurse
Phil Nurse , often referred to as Kru Phil Nurse, is a British former Muay Thai kickboxer and an undefeated European Light Welterweight Champion, Double British Champion, and British All Styles Super Light Welterweight Champion...
apply Vaseline to St-Pierre's face and then immediately rub St-Pierre's shoulders and back before Nurse wiped his hands. Kizer had St-Pierre's back wiped down after the second round, and confirmed after the third round that no Vaseline was being applied. Kizer was critical of the cornerman's action, but expressed doubts that the controversy would overturn St-Pierre's victory.
On March 12, 2009, B.J. Penn filed a formal request for investigation to the NSAC stating that St-Pierre used an illegal "greasing" agent on his body during the fight. The formal, written complaint consisted of twenty pages. It began by stating that "other renowned fighters" have also had similar experiences with St-Pierre, that his body was "unnaturally slippery." It continued by accounting an apparent "pre-bout warning" made by Penn's camp to the NSAC that St-Pierre will engage in the illegal application of vaseline. Next, a request to monitor St-Pierre and members of the team to prevent future misconduct was made, namely a monitored shower of St-Pierre and/or hygiene cleansing. The written statement concluded with Penn seeking fines against trainer Greg Jackson
Jackson's Submission Fighting
Greg Jackson is a mixed martial arts trainer, who operates the Jackson's Submission Fighting and MMA training camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jackson has trained many successful fighters, including current UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones.In...
, Nurse, and "other unnamed individuals" of $250,000 each. In addition, that St-Pierre's license be suspended or revoked, and that the result of the bout be changed to a no-contest.
St-Pierre's trainer Greg Jackson denied any wrongdoing, stating that Nurse was rubbing and tapping on St-Pierre's body as part of a drill to aid in his breathing techniques. Jackson said that any Vaseline transferred from residue on Nurse's fingers was accidental and wiped off when pointed out. Georges St-Pierre spoke to Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
with regard to the controversy stating, "I haven't seen the fight yet, but I remember at some point something happened and the athletic commission was complaining. They used a towel to wet my back and wipe it off. I don't mind. I didn't put Vaseline on myself and I'm not a cheater." However, St-Pierre offered Penn a rematch in the summer that Penn verbally accepted but is unlikely to happen due to the fact they have both since been scheduled for title defenses.
On March 17, 2009, the NSAC held a formal hearing about the matter. Penn, his mother Lorraine Shin, and his attorney were present to make statements. Greg Jackson, Phil Nurse, and St-Pierre's attorney participated in the hearing as the opposing side. St-Pierre himself was not present. Shin read from a written statement, urging the NSAC to "do the right thing", and punish St-Pierre to the "fullest extent of authority." Jackson and Nurse apologized for the incident, but maintained that they did not knowingly cheat. At the hearing's conclusion, the NSAC Executive Director stated that St-Pierre's victory would not be changed to a no contest, nor would other sanctions, such as the loss of licenses be taken, unless a member of the NSAC files a disciplinary complaint against any of the accused. However, the committee left it ambiguous whether the matter was conclusively closed. Representatives from the Penn camp indicated that they were "unsure" of their next move.
Subsequent events
Thiago Alves
Thiago Alves d'Araujo is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He started training in Muay Thai when he was 15 and mixed martial arts at 17. He is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has been described as a "Muay Thai wrecking machine". As of July 2011, He is currently ranked the #10 welterweight...
made his way into the cage to congratulate St-Pierre on the victory. After interviews with both fighters, it was announced that Alves would be next to challenge for St-Pierre's championship. This fight has since taken place and was the co-main event of the UFC 100
UFC 100
UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
card. St-Pierre's dominant victory also opened up discussion for a possible "superfight" with UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva
Anderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...
in 2010. Dana White stated that this bout was a possibility, and he would like to see it. St-Pierre has also expressed interest in the fight.
After Penn's loss to St-Pierre, reports surfaced that the UFC Lightweight Champion was contemplating retirement. However, during his first public appearance since the loss in Honolulu, Hawaii, he announced that he would continue to fight. He admitted that he was affected by the loss, and that "a lot of things were going through his head." In regards to his next bout, Penn stated that he was in negotiation to fight top contender Kenny Florian
Kenny Florian
Kenneth Alan Florian is a Peruvian-American mixed martial artist who competes as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, and is known for his cerebral approach to the sport based on his meticulous game plans and...
in the summer of 2009. Penn would go on and defeat Florian at UFC 101
UFC 101
UFC 101: Declaration was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 8, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, winning in the fourth round by rear naked choke.
In the wake of the Vaseline controversy, the UFC responded by implementing immediate rule changes on February 7, 2009. These changes were discussed by long time cutman
Cutman
A cutman is a person responsible for preventing and treating physical damage to a fighter during the breaks between rounds of a full contact match such as a boxing, kickboxing or a mixed martial arts bout. Cutmen typically handle swelling, nosebleeds and lacerations...
Jacob "Stitch" Duran. According to Duran, under the new rules, only cutmen who are independent of both corners will be allowed to apply Vaseline to the fighter's faces. However, Duran was not able to confirm whether the rules will apply at all UFC events or just the events that take place in Nevada.
Despite Lyoto Machida's knockout of Thiago Silva, Dana White indicated that he was not the number one contender for a title shot. Instead, a scheduled fight between former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson
Quinton Jackson
Quinton Ramone Jackson ;, also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted for his powerful body slams including a knockout victory over...
and Keith Jardine
Keith Jardine
Keith 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...
would determine Machida's title fate. A victory for Jackson would earn him a fight with champion Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...
, but a win for Jardine would mean Machida will be awarded with a title shot. Jackson won the fight via unanimous decision, but torn ligaments in his jaw forced the former champion out of the bout. Instead, Machida will challenge Evans for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 98
UFC 98
UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 23, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
. Jackson will retain his title shot against the winner of that match upon returning from injury. Following the loss to Machida, Thiago Silva was scheduled to return to action against former champion Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion....
at UFC 101
UFC 101
UFC 101: Declaration was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 8, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, but his opponent was later changed to Keith Jardine
Keith Jardine
Keith 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...
.
Karo Parisyan's next fight was to be against American Kickboxing Academy's Josh Koscheck
Josh Koscheck
Josh D. Koscheck is an American mixed martial artist from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, a former collegiate wrestling champion and is currently fighting at welterweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his debut with the organization on the first season of the reality television show,...
at UFC 98. However, due to Parisyan's nine-month suspension from the NSAC for a failed drug test due to painkillers, the future of this fight is uncertain.
Preliminary card
- Welterweight bout:
Matt ArroyoMatt ArroyoMatthew Vincent Arroyo is an American professional mixed martial artist. He was featured on the Ultimate Fighting Championship reality television show The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, fighting on Team Serra. He fights out of Tampa, Florida with Gracie Tampa, under Royce Gracie...
vs. Dan CramerDan CramerDaniel John Cramer is an American mixed martial artist. He was a competitor on SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs Team Forrest. Cramer currently fights for Bellator Fighting Championships in their middleweight division....
- Cramer defeated Arroyo via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28).
- Light Heavyweight bout: Jake O'BrienJake O'BrienJacob Allen O'Brien is an American mixed martial arts fighter from Indianapolis, Indiana. O'Brien attended Franklin Central High School where he wrestled for four years, while earning IHSAA 215 lb. State Champion honors three years in a row from 2000–2003; holding a record of 125-4 over that...
vs.
Christian WellischChristian WellischChristian Wellisch is a Hungarian-American former mixed martial arts fighter. He most recently competed as a light heavyweight in the UFC.-Mixed martial arts career:...
- Light Heavyweight bout:
- O'Brien defeated Wellisch via split decision (28–29, 29–28, 29–28).
- Welterweight bout: John HowardJohn Howard (fighter)John J. Howard is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing welterweight division.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:He made his first UFC debut on January 31, 2009 against Chris Wilson at UFC 94 winning by split decision....
vs. Chris WilsonChris Wilson (fighter)Christopher Ross Wilson is an American mixed martial arts fighter. Wilson is a former competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championships. He lost his UFC debut to Jon Fitch at UFC 82...
- Welterweight bout:
- Howard defeated Wilson via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28).
- Lightweight bout:
Thiago TavaresThiago TavaresThiago de Mello Tavares is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He currently fights in the lightweight division in the UFC.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:Thiago Tavares entered the UFC with an undefeated record and was highly regarded...
vs.
Manvel GamburyanManvel GamburyanManvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...
- Lightweight bout:
- Tavares defeated Gamburyan via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).
- Welterweight bout: Jon FitchJon FitchJonathan Parker Fitch is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently ranked as the No. 2 welterweight in the world by Sherdog, as well as many other publications.-Background:...
vs.
Akihiro GonoAkihiro Gonois a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently fights as a welterweight. He is best known for his clever and deceptive fighting style, and for his flashy ring entrances. His fighting style is characterized by skillfully avoiding strikes, using fast counter punches and generally getting the...
- Welterweight bout:
- Fitch defeated Gono via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–26).
Main card
- Lightweight bout: Nate Diaz vs. Clay GuidaClay GuidaClayton Charles Guida is an American mixed martial artist and currently fighting in the UFC as a lightweight. Guida was the first Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and held the title until being defeated by Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Revenge...
- Guida defeated Diaz via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28).
- Welterweight bout: Karo ParisyanKaro ParisyanKarapet Parisyan is an Armenian-American mixed martial artist. From his days as a UFC mainstay Karo holds notable wins over Ryo Chonan, Shonie Carter, Drew Fickett, Matt Serra, Nick Thompson, Chris Lytle, Nick Diaz and Antonio McKee.- Early life:...
vs.
Kim Dong-hyunKim Dong-HyunKim Dong-Hyun is a former Korean football player who was expelled from K-League after being implicated in the match-fixing scandal.-Oita:...
- Welterweight bout:
- Parisyan tested positive for banned painkillers after the fight and the NSACNevada Athletic CommissionThe Nevada Athletic Commission regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, mixed martial arts fighters, seconds, ring officials, managers, and matchmakers...
ruled the bout a no decision. Parisyan originally defeated Kim via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28).- Light Heavyweight bout: Stephan BonnarStephan BonnarStephan Patrick Bonnar is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
vs. Jon JonesJon Jones (fighter)Jonathan Dwight Jones is an American mixed martial artist from Endicott, New York. He is the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion....
- Light Heavyweight bout:
- Jones defeated Bonnar via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28).
- Light Heavyweight bout: Lyoto MachidaLyoto MachidaLyoto Carvalho Machida is a Japanese-Brazilian mixed martial artist from Belém, Brazil who fights as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
vs. Thiago Silva
- Light Heavyweight bout:
- Machida defeated Silva via KO (punch) at 4:59 of round 1.
- Welterweight Championship bout:
Georges St-Pierre (c) vs. B.J. Penn
- Welterweight Championship bout:
- Georges St-Pierre defeated Penn by TKO (corner stoppage) after the end of round 4 to retain the UFC Welterweight championship.
Bonus awards
The UFC awarded some fighters $65,000 bonuses for their performance.- Fights of the Night: Clay Guida vs. Nate Diaz and John Howard vs. Chris Wilson
- Knockout of the Night: Lyoto Machida
- Submission of the Night: Not awarded as no matches ended by submission
Reported payout
The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It does not include sponsor money or "locker room" bonuses often given by the UFC.- George St-Pierre ($400,000 – includes $200,000 win bonus) def. B.J. Penn ($125,000)
- Lyoto Machida ($120,000 – includes $60,000 win bonus) def. Thiago Silva ($29,000)
- Jon Jones ($14,000 – includes $7,000 win bonus) def. Stephan Bonnar ($22,000)
- Karo Parisyan ($80,000 – includes $40,000 win bonus) def. Dong Hyun Kim ($26,000)
- Clay Guida ($40,000 – includes $20,000 win bonus) def. Nate Diaz ($20,000)
- Jon Fitch ($68,000 – includes $34,000 win bonus) def. Akihiro Gono ($28,000)
- Thiago Tavares ($26,000 – includes $13,000 win bonus) def. Manny Gamburyan ($14,000)
- John Howard ($6,000 – includes $3,000 win bonus) def. Chris Wilson ($15,000)
- Dan Cramer ($16,000 – includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Matt Arroyo ($8,000)
- Jake O'Brien ($22,000 – includes $11,000 win bonus) def. Christian Wellisch ($12,000)
External links
- UFC 94 PPV Page at UFC.com