issue 220

August 2025

September 22, 2007

Honda Center, Anaheim, California

UFC 76: Knockout

By Brad Wharton

UFC 76 tempted fate. Taking place at the peak of where UFC PPVs came with punchy subtitles like ‘Bedlam’ or ‘Uprising’, UFC 76 was dubbed ‘Knockout.’ The event concluded without a single knockout. An insane feat considering the main event pitted the notoriously weak-chinned Keith Jardine against one of the sport’s most vicious knockout artists, Chuck Liddell. Despite the irony, it wasn’t the worst way fate was tempted at UFC 76. The event would host the debut of the hottest free agent in the sport. A man considered the future of light-heavyweight. He was matched against a reality TV star in what people considered one of the biggest layups in the sport. But what should have been a showcase ended up as a 205lb spanner in the works. 

THE NEW KING OF 205

The 00s were a golden decade for light heavyweight. It featured an incredible cast of elite athletes, iconic personalities and dynamite fights. From the murderous Wanderlei Silva to the ice-cold Chuck Liddell, the legendary Tito Ortiz to the ageless Randy Couture, with a supporting line-up for the ages. It was MMA’s premier division with good cause. PRIDE Fighting Championship’s 2005 Grand Prix was one of the sport’s most stacked tournaments, which had laid the foundations for a changing of the guard. PRIDE’s long-time middleweight (205lbs) champion and 2003 Grand Prix winner Wanderlei Silva took a shock exit at the hands of Ricardo Arnona in the semis. Later that night, his Chute Boxe teammate and heir apparent, ‘Shogun’ Rua, avenged the loss and knocked out Arona to claim the GP crown. There was one complication. Silva still held the 205lb title, and while the teammates had agreed to fight had they met in the tournament finals, there was no way they were agreeing to a bout after the fact. This led to some odd matchmaking choices where Arona, who Shogun had just knocked out, immediately rematched Silva for the title while ‘Shogun” was given ‘keep busy’ fights against Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, and Cyrille Diabate. 

Aside from a fluke accident resulting in a broken arm against Coleman, ‘Shogun’ marched through his final opponents in PRIDE without ever getting the chance to compete for the organisation’s world title before it was bought out and shut down by the UFC in 2007. But with a UFC contract in his hand and a new title to aim for, the man considered the best 205lbs fighter in the world looked set to take the US organisation by storm. All he needed was an opponent. 

THE KING OF SPIKE TV

With the benefit of hindsight, few would argue against the impact of Forrest Griffin in the history of the UFC’s light heavyweight division. His iconic Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale bout against Stephan Bonnar might just be the single most important fight in the promotion’s history, regarded as a significant turning point in the UFC’s fortunes. Among hardcore fans, though, Griffin carried a stigma. Fighters on the early seasons of the show were primarily selected for their personalities and TV appeal, not their in-cage ability. Griffin was tough, scrappy, and nobody could question his heart. But he was the ‘reality TV guy’ more than he was a championship-calibre fighter. After a couple of flat post-TUF performances and losses to Tito Ortiz and Keith Jardine, it looked like Griffin had found his level. When he was tabbed to fight Shogun on the Brazilian’s Octagon debut, the phrase ‘sacrificial lamb’ was thrown around liberally. Griffin was being tossed to the wolves. A warm body to introduce the PRIDE superstar to the UFC fans. Griffin didn’t get the script.

ROUND ONE

It didn’t take long for the pair to get down to it, with Griffin chipping away with a signature leg kick and ‘Shogun’ bombing over the top with a right hand. What was unexpected, though, was the Brazilian immediately following up with a takedown attempt and a throw from the clinch. Griffin reversed and ended up in top position on the ground, to many a raised eyebrow. A brief return to the feet saw both men get their licks in before Shogun executed another takedown. The American played an active guard, controlling Shogun’s wrists and preventing any serious ground strikes from getting through. Griffing used the underhook to scoot up, landing a huge uppercut along the way. Shogun measured him with two big hooks, but couldn’t find a sweet shot in the scrappy exchanges before being taken down himself. Letting his man up, Griffin landed with a thudding left. A scrappy takedown from Shogun followed, but the American would end the round doing damage on top. 

ROUND TWO

With the second round underway, Rua was looking laboured, eating jabs and a body shot for his troubles. He managed another sloppy takedown, but Griffin’s ability to avoid punishment on the ground was clearly frustrating and fatiguing. Still, the Brazilian was finally able to do some damage, opening up his opponent with an elbow before returning to the feet. 

Forrest seemed spurred on by the cut, dragging the fight back to the mat and plugging away with ground strikes as Rua covered up. The Brazilian was running on empty, sucking in big breaths as he got back to his feet, hands dropping to his waist, and virtually zero pop in his shots. 

Shogun was still throwing, but Griffin was the better man in the exchanges, defending messy takedowns and making him pay for every exhausted mistake. With the seemingly helpless Brazilian eating punch after punch, it seemed like he might not make it out of the round, but somehow, he persevered.

ROUND THREE

A big haymaker from Shogun opened the third, but the shattered striker immediately found himself forced to shoot for a takedown, defending a triangle before settling into guard. With three minutes on the clock, Griffin hooked a tight Omoplata, using it to sweep his man and plug away with more punishment. Punches, knees to the body, elbows. The TUF winner was unloading with everything he had, and for Rua, it was a matter of survival. Riding the back as the clock ticked down, Griffin put his foot to the floor, flattening Rua out and forcing him to submit to a rear-naked choke with just fifteen seconds left in the bout. And just like that, aghast hardcores and new fans from the TUF era alike were reminded of the true beauty of MMA, a sport where, when the stars align, a mere reality TV star can beat the best in the world. 

Watch it here.