Issue 162
December 2017
UFC 67: All or Nothing, February 3rd, 2007, MMA icons grace the Octagon for the first time.
The UFC was really breaking through to a new platform of popularity 13 years ago. MMA was bursting into the mainstream and starting to attract hundreds of thousands of pay-per-view buys, adding millions of dollars to the Zuffa coffers and the ability to attract more of the world's best fighters to battle under the same roof. A lot of top new talent that would be around for years to come was emerging, too, and many of these major new faces emerged on this night in Las Vegas…
MAN OF MYSTERY
Previously known simply as ‘Ryoto’, Lyoto Machida was one MMA’s biggest obscurities. He had wins over UFC luminaries B.J. Penn, Rich Franklin and Stephan Bonnar, but few people had ever seen him fight.
Though he was lacking the finishing skills to dispatch TUF 1’s Sam Hoger, he gave a taste of his ‘where-did-that-knee-come-from?’ countering as he dominated all three rounds.
STAR SIGNING
As the last person to beat Chuck Liddell before the start of his 205lb reign of terror, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson was a huge acquisition for the UFC. He booked his title shot against ‘The Iceman’ despite admitting he’d never been so nervous before this fight with Marvin Eastman.
Following one of the most intense staredowns you’re ever likely to see, the Memphis native stretched ‘The Beastman’ with a vicious KO in round two, then had the first of many classic Octagon interviews by expressing his mixed feelings on causing a “black-on-black crime”.
FINISH FIRST
The most impressive maiden performance was arguably heavy-hitting Terry Martin. He may not have had an amazing career like these other men, but he did wax Jorge Rivera in just 14 seconds.
EARLY ANSWER
Frankie Edgar set the bar high, but he’s somehow managed to live up to the standards set here in his 10 years as a UFC athlete. ‘The Answer’ survived a knockdown and a kneebar so tight half the audience was tapping out, to box, scramble and wrestle his way to a frenetic Fight of the Night victory to upset Tyson Griffin.
MOST WANTED
If people were looking forward to seeing Rampage in the UFC, they were practically wetting themselves with excitement for the debut of Mirko Cro Cop. That includes Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta, who paid the former Pride star $350,000 – 10 times Anderson Silva’s show money – for his promotional debut.
The Croatian heavyweight was brought in to knock people out and although he didn’t manage it in vintage style, he got his stoppage. Poor Eddie Sanchez looked terrified as he circled away with his right arm glued to his head to block the famous left high kick, but he still couldn’t survive the first round.
FAMILIAR FACES AT UFC 67...
- Travis Lutter missed weight, so Anderson Silva didn’t defend his title in the main event, but he did win by submission.
- At the fifth time of asking, TUF 4 runner-up Patrick Côté finally earned his first UFC win by taking a decision from Scott Smith.
- Promoted to the main card for his second UFC appearance, rising star Roger Huerta finished John Halverson in 19 seconds.
