Eddie Mercado & Victor M. Rodriguez are here to recap the UFC 49: ‘Unfinished Business’ PPV event from August 21, 2004, featuring Vitor Belfort vs. Randy Couture for the Light Heavyweight Championship, as well as bouts featuring Chuck Liddell, Chris Lytle and Nick Diaz.
Welcome to the 6th Round Retro Post-Fight Show, featuring a look back at UFC 49: Unfinished Business, (last week we covered UFC 84: Ill Will ‘Penn vs. Sherk’). This is the show that digs into the archives and gives you a comprehensive review of classic MMA events, that span as far back as UFC 1. Join Eddie Mercado & Victor Rodriguez of Bloody Elbow as they relive this UFC PPV (Pay-per-view) event this week, complete with results, analysis, and of course a few laughs.
On August 21st, 2004, UFC 49: Unfinished Business ‘Vitor Belfort vs. Randy Couture III’, a small eight-fight PPV card, chock full of seven finishes & only one decision – which was split, which continued the UFC’s upward PPV trend with 80,000 Buys that weekend, meaning a live gate of $1,293,035 with 12,100 fans in attendance, went down from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
So, the main event that night showcased a Light Heavyweight Championship Fight. Vitor ‘The Phenom’ Belfort, was defending the title he had achieved by winning their last bout somewhat inconclusively due to an early strike opening a wicked cut on Couture’s eyelid at UFC 46: Supernatural, at just 0:49 in Round 1, which was just a few months back in January of that year. The rematch was one fo the most anticipated of the year. The Natural was entering the octagon with an 11-3 professional record against the man from Brazil, Couture was out to dethrone him in this trilogy bout making it 2-1 in his favor, having initially defeated Beltor at UFC 15: Collision Course in October, 1997. But on this night — “After a bloodbath of ground and pound the Doctor finally intervened. The photos snapped of Couture bathed in Belfort’s blood have become the signature images of “The Natural’ inside the cage.”
On the main card we also had a performance from Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell, who had recently stomped Mr. Tito Ortiz via Punches in just 0:32 of R2 at UFC 47: It’s On! back in November, 2003. This should really should have been the co-main event. Liddell was coming in on a solid 13-3 record, and simply destroyed his opponent, Vernon ‘Tiger’ White via a Punch at 4:05 of Round 1. Also that night, on the prelims card we got to watch Chris Lytle climb to a 17-10 record when he subbed his opponent, Ronald ‘Machine Gun’ Jhun with a sweet guillotine choke at 1:17 of Round 2. We also had up-and-comer, Stockton bad boy, Nick Diaz, catching a loss due to a split decision against Karo ‘The Heat’ Parisyan early on in the night.
Let’s take a look at the card, complete with fight results:
Main Card:
- MAIN EVENT TITLE FIGHT: Randy Couture DEF. Vitor Belfort via KO/TKO-Doctor Stoppage at 5:00 of Rd 3 of 5, Total 15:00 – 205 lbs
- Co-Main: Joe Riggs DEF. Joe Doerksen via SUB-Elbows at 2:39 of Rd 2 – 185 lbs
- Chuck Liddell DEF. Vernon White via KO/TKO-Punch at 4:05 of Rd 1 – 205 lbs
- David Terrell DEF. Matt Lindland via KO/TKO-Punches at 0:24 of Rd 1 – 185 lbs
- Justin Eilers DEF. Mike Kyle via KO/TKO-Punch at 1:14 of Rd 1 – 285 lbs
Prelims:
- Chris Lytle DEF. Ronald Jhun via SUB-Guillotine Choke at 1:17 of Rd 2 – 170 lbs
- Karo Parisyan DEF. Nick Diaz via DEC-SPLIT, Total 15:00 – 170 lbs
- Yves Edwards DEF. Josh Thomson via KO/TKO-Flying Head Kick & Punches at 4:32 of Rd 1 – 155 lbs
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