UFC 75
{{short description|UFC mixed martial arts event in 2007}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox MMA event
|name=UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion
|image=UFC 75.jpg
|promotion=Ultimate Fighting Championship
|date=September 8, 2007
|venue=The O2 Arena
|city=London, United Kingdom
|attendance= 16,235{{cite web
|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-bispinghamill090907
|title=Questionable verdict
|last=Iole
|first=Kevin
|work=Yahoo! Sports
|date=September 9, 2007
|access-date=2007-09-11
}}
|buyrate=
|previousevent=UFC 74: Respect
|followingevent=UFC Fight Night: Thomas vs. Florian
}}
UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held September 8, 2007, at The O2 in London, United Kingdom.{{cite web
|url=https://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/NYM11516072007-1.htm|title=UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion on Spike TV!|author=CNN Money|work=CNN|date=July 17, 2007|access-date=2007-08-05|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070809111333/http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/NYM11516072007-1.htm |archive-date = 2007-08-09}}
Background
The event was the fourth event held by the UFC in United Kingdom, following UFC 38 in London, UFC 70 in Manchester, and UFC 72 in Belfast.
The event aired on Setanta Sports 1 in the United Kingdom, TV4 Sport in Sweden,{{cite web|url=http://www.tv4.se/571370.html|title=Ultimate fighting är större än boxning|last=Johansson|first=Mikael|work=TV4|date=September 3, 2007
|access-date=2007-09-03|language=sv|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070905092718/http://www.tv4.se/571370.html |archive-date = 2007-09-05}} PPV1 in Ireland, and presented via tape delay on Spike TV for North American audiences.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.chron.com/fighting/2007/07/spike_tv_to_broadcast_ufc_75_l.html
|title=Spike TV to broadcast UFC 75 for free|last=Sievert|first=Steve|work=Houston Chronicle|date=July 16, 2007|access-date=2007-08-05}}
The main event was a title unification match between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson and PRIDE Fighting Championships' 83 kg and 93 kg champion, Dan Henderson. There were some discussion on whether the title fight would be for both the UFC and PRIDE titles or just the UFC title. UFC president Dana White had remarked on July 2, 2007,
"No. What we’re doing with that thing is we’re respecting both (the UFC and PRIDE) titles. The UFC title is the UFC champion and we’re respecting Dan as the PRIDE champion. Quinton will walk out with his belt if Dan wins and vice versa."{{cite web|url=http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sports/mixedmartialarts/article_1751066.php|title=UFC president Dana White: Meet the Press|last=Arias|first=Carlos|work=Orange County Register|date=July 2, 2007|access-date=2007-07-02}}
He had since changed that stance, and on July 10, 2007, stated:
"It will absolutely be a unification bout. We have to respect Henderson's titles. He knocked out Wanderlei Silva and had the 185-pound championship. When he fights "Rampage", they both have belts. Why should Dan Henderson get the UFC title if "Rampage" can't get the PRIDE titles? It makes one of them the undisputed guy."{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/extra/mma/news/story?id=2928261|title=White not worried about the competition|last=Hockensmith|first=Ryan|work=ESPN|date=July 10, 2007|access-date=2007-07-10}}
By October 2007, Pride Worldwide LLC, sister company to UFC promoters Zuffa, would abandon plans to continue PRIDE as an active promotion.
British Light Heavyweight Michael Bisping, who won The Ultimate Fighter 3 contest in 2006, fought Team Punishment's Matt Hamill, who rivaled Bisping during the taping of The Ultimate Fighter 3. Also featured was a heavyweight bout between PRIDE and K-1 veteran Mirko Cro Cop and French Muay Thai kickboxer Cheick Kongo.
Anthony Johnson was scheduled to face Jess Liaudin, but was forced to pull out due to a shoulder injury.{{cite news|url=https://www.mmamania.com/2007/08/03/ufc-75-jess-liaudin-vs-anthony-torres-not-anthony-johnson|title=UFC 75: Jess Liaudin vs. Anthony Torres (not Anthony Johnson)|publisher=MMAmania.com|author=Staff|date=August 3, 2007|access-date=2018-08-28}}
At the time, UFC 75 had achieved the highest recorded ratings for any mixed martial arts broadcast in North America, drawing a total of 4.7 million viewers (5.93 million at its peak) and beating out the previous record held by the UFC's Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter.{{cite web|url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6477676.html|title=Spike, UFC Set MMA Ratings Record|last=Umstead|first=R. Thomas|work=Variety
|date=September 11, 2007|access-date=2007-09-11}} The mark would later be beaten by CBS's EliteXC: Primetime.
Results
{{MMAevent}}
{{MMAevent card|Main card (Spike TV)}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Light Heavyweight
|Quinton Jackson (c)
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (48–47, 49–46, 49–46)
|5
|5:00
|Unification bout. Jackson was the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and Henderson was the Pride Middleweight Champion.
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Light Heavyweight
|def.
|Decision (split) (29–28, 27–30, 29–28)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Heavyweight
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Welterweight
|def.
|Submission (armbar)
|1
|4:14
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Light Heavyweight
|def.
|TKO (knee and punches)
|1
|1:01
|
}}
{{MMAevent card|Preliminary card|header=no}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Lightweight
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Light Heavyweight
|def.
|TKO (punches)
|2
|4:23
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Lightweight
|def.
|KO (punch)
|2
|2:04
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Welterweight
|def.
|Anthony Torres
|TKO (punches)
|1
|4:10
|This bout aired on the broadcast after the Kongo-Cro Cop fight.
}}
{{MMAevent end|notes=yes}}
Bonus awards
- Fight of the Night: Marcus Davis vs. Paul Taylor
- Knockout of the Night: Houston Alexander
- Submission of the Night: Marcus Davis
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080917183120/http://75.ufc.com/ UFC 75 Event Site]
{{UFC Events}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ufc 075}}
Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship flagship events
Category:2007 in mixed martial arts
Category:Mixed martial arts in the United Kingdom