2003 in UFC
Mixed martial arts events
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The year 2003 was the 11th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. In 2003, the UFC held five events beginning with UFC 41: Onslaught.
First dateFeb 28, 2003
Last dateNov 21, 2003
Total events5
UFC5
| 2003 in UFC | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Information | ||||
| First date | Feb 28, 2003 | |||
| Last date | Nov 21, 2003 | |||
| Events | ||||
| Total events | 5 | |||
| UFC | 5 | |||
| Fights | ||||
| Total fights | 41 | |||
| Title fights | 6 | |||
| Chronology | ||||
| ||||
Title fights
| Title fights in 2003 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Event | Notes | |||
| Welterweight | Matt Hughes (c) | def. | Frank Trigg | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 3:54 | UFC 45: Revolution | [a] |
| Heavyweight | Tim Sylvia (c) | def. | Gan McGee | KO (punches) | 1 | 1:54 | UFC 44: Undisputed | [b] |
| Light Heavyweight | Randy Couture (ic) | def. | Tito Ortiz (c) | Decision (unanimous) | 5 | 5:00 | UFC 44: Undisputed | [c] |
| Light Heavyweight | Randy Couture | def. | Chuck Liddell | TKO (punches) | 3 | 2:39 | UFC 43: Meltdown | [d] |
| Welterweight | Matt Hughes (c) | def. | Sean Sherk | Decision (unanimous) | 5 | 5:00 | UFC 42: Sudden Impact | [e] |
| Lightweight | B.J. Penn | vs. | Caol Uno | Draw | 5 | 5:00 | UFC 41: Onslaught | [f] |
| Heavyweight | Tim Sylvia | def. | Ricco Rodriguez (c) | TKO (punches) | 1 | 3:09 | UFC 41: Onslaught | [g] |
- For the UFC Welterweight Championship.
- For the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
- For the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
- For the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Couture won via TKO (punches) at 2:39 of Round 3. Couture becomes the Interim Light Heavyweight Champion, and the first person to win a title in two different weight divisions (Couture was a two-time Heavyweight Champion).
- For the UFC Welterweight Championship.
- For the UFC Lightweight Championship. Penn and Uno fought to a split draw after five rounds. Judges scored the bout 48–47 Uno, 48–46 Penn, and 48–48. This match was the final match of a 4-man tournament that took place over several cards to crown a new lightweight champion, the first round occurred on UFC 39. Without a definite outcome, the title remained vacant and eventually put the Lightweight division on hiatus. The Lightweight championship would be contested once again at UFC 64 and since then has become a permanent fixture in the UFC.
- For the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Debut UFC fighters
The following fighters fought their first UFC fight in 2003:
| ISO | Fighter | Division |
|---|---|---|
 | Chris Liguori | Lightweight |
| Dave Strasser | Welterweight |
 | David Loiseau | Middleweight |
| Duane Ludwig | Welterweight |
| Eddie Ruiz | Lightweight |
| Edwin Dewees | Middleweight |
| Falaniko Vitale | Middleweight |
| Frank Trigg | Welterweight |
| ISO | Fighter | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Gerald Strebendt | Lightweight |
 | Hermes Franca | Lightweight |
| Jeremy Jackson | Welterweight |
| Jorge Rivera | Middleweight |
| Josh Thomson | Welterweight |
 | Karo Parisyan | Welterweight |
| Marvin Eastman | Light Heavyweight |
| Nick Agallar | Lightweight |
| ISO | Fighter | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Diaz | Welterweight |
| Rich Clementi | Lightweight |
| Rich Crunkilton | Lightweight |
| Rich Franklin | Middleweight |
| Romie Aram | Middleweight |
| Sean Alvarez | Heavyweight |
| Vernon White | Light Heavyweight |
| Wes Sims | Heavyweight |
Events list
| # | Event | Date | Venue | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 050 | UFC 45: Revolution | Nov 21, 2003 | Mohegan Sun Arena | Uncasville, Connecticut, U.S. | 9,200[1] |
| 049 | UFC 44: Undisputed | Sep 26, 2003 | Mandalay Bay Events Center | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 10,400[2] |
| 048 | UFC 43: Meltdown | Jun 6, 2003 | Thomas & Mack Center | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 9,800[3] |
| 047 | UFC 42: Sudden Impact | Apr 25, 2003 | AmericanAirlines Arena | Miami, Florida, U.S. | 7,500[4] |
| 046 | UFC 41: Onslaught | Feb 28, 2003 | Boardwalk Hall | Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | 11,707[5] |