1997 in UFC
Mixed martial arts events
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The year 1997 was the fifth year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. In 1997, the UFC held five events beginning with UFC 12: Judgement Day.
First dateFebruary 7, 1997
Last dateDecember 21, 1997
Total events5
UFC4
| 1997 in UFC | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Information | ||||
| First date | February 7, 1997 | |||
| Last date | December 21, 1997 | |||
| Events | ||||
| Total events | 5 | |||
| UFC | 4 | |||
| Fights | ||||
| Total fights | 41 | |||
| Title fights | 5 | |||
| Chronology | ||||
| ||||
Title fights
| Title fights in 1997 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Event | Notes | |||
| Heavyweight | Mark Coleman | def. | Dan Severn | Submission (neck crank) | 2:57 | UFC 12: Judgement Day | [a] | |
| Heavyweight | Maurice Smith | def. | Mark Coleman (c) | Decision (unanimous) | 21:00 | UFC 14: Showdown | [b] | |
| Heavyweight | Maurice Smith (c) | def. | Tank Abbott | Submission (exhaustion) | 8:08 | UFC 15: Collision Course | [c] | |
| Light Heavyweight | Frank Shamrock | def. | Kevin Jackson | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 0:16 | UFC Ultimate Japan | [d] |
| Heavyweight | Randy Couture | def. | Maurice Smith (c) | Decision (majority) | 1 | 21:00 | UFC Ultimate Japan | [e] |
- Coleman defeated Severn to become the inaugural UFC Heavyweight Champion.
- Smith defeated Coleman to become the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.
- Smith defeated Abbott to remain the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
- Shamrock defeated Jackson to become the inaugural the Light Heavyweight Champion.
- Couture defeated Smith to become the new UFC Heavyweight Champion. However, he was stripped of the title in October 1998 due to a contract dispute.
Debut UFC fighters
The following fighters fought their first UFC fight in 1997:
| ISO | Fighter | Division |
|---|---|---|
 | Alex Hunter | Heavyweight |
| Brad Kohler | Heavyweight |
 | Carlos Barreto | Heavyweight |
| Dan Bobish | Heavyweight |
 | Dmitri Stepanov | Heavyweight |
| Donnie Chappell | Heavyweight |
| Dwayne Cason | Heavyweight |
| Enson Inoue | Heavyweight |
| Eric Martin | Heavyweight |
| Frank Shamrock | Light Heavyweight |
| Greg Stott | Heavyweight |
| Harry Moskowitz | Heavyweight |
| Houston Dorr | Heavyweight |
| ISO | Fighter | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Jackie Lee | Heavyweight |
| Jim Mullen | Heavyweight |
| Justin Martin | Lightweight |
 | Yoshiki Takahashi | Heavyweight |
| Kazushi Sakuraba | Heavyweight |
| Kevin Jackson | Light Heavyweight |
| Marcus Silveira | Heavyweight |
| Mark Kerr | Heavyweight |
| Maurice Smith | Heavyweight |
| Nick Sanzo | Lightweight |
| Rainy Martinez | Lightweight |
| Randy Couture | Heavyweight |
| ISO | Fighter | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Royce Alger | Middleweight |
| Saeed Hosseini | Lightweight |
| Steven Graham | Heavyweight |
| Tito Ortiz | Light Heavyweight |
| Tony Fryklund | Middleweight |
 | Tony Halme | Heavyweight |
| Tra Telligman | Heavyweight |
| Vitor Belfort | Heavyweight |
| Wallid Ismail | Middleweight |
| Wes Albritton | Heavyweight |
| Yoji Anjo | Heavyweight |
| Yuri Vaulin | Heavyweight |
Events list
| # | Event | Date | Venue | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | UFC 12: Judgement Day | Feb 7, 1997 | Dothan Civic Center | Dothan, Alabama, U.S. | 3,100[1] |
| 15 | UFC 13: The Ultimate Force | May 30, 1997 | Augusta Civic Center | Augusta, Georgia, U.S. | 5,100[2] |
| 16 | UFC 14: Showdown | Jul 27, 1997 | Boutwell Auditorium | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | 5,000[3] |
| 17 | UFC 15: Collision Course | Oct 17, 1997 | Casino Magic Bay St. Louis | Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, U.S. | N/a |
| 18 | UFC Japan: Ultimate Japan | Dec 21, 1997 | Yokohama Arena | Yokohama, Japan | 5,000[4] |