The main event was the UFC heavyweight title match between Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia. Arlovski had won the title by winning in the first round against Tim Sylvia more than two years earlier. This time though, the roles would be reversed. After dropping Sylvia to the mat with a hard right hand, Arlovski allowed Sylvia to get back up. Arlovski attacked hard again, but neglected his defense. Sylvia was able to dish out a right hand of his own which dropped Arlovski to the ground. Sylvia would not let Arlovski get a chance to regain his composure. Sylvia immediately attacked, and the match was stopped at 2:43 in the first round. A rematch is sure to follow, and fans are certainly looking forward to it.
Tito Ortiz was back in the octagon, this time against rising star Forrest Griffin. Ortiz came on strong in the first round, and punished Griffin with his famous ground and pound skills. Griffin was tough, and fought on despite taking much damage to his face, including a nasty cut over his left eye. In the second round, Griffin seemed to have regained some composure, and was much more effective at avoiding being taken to the ground, but was unable to really inflict any damage on Tito Ortiz. In the third round, Griffin started to be even more effective, and managed to escape after being taken down by Ortiz again. In the last seconds of the fight, Forrest Griffin gave it his all and started landing some great punches against Ortiz. It wasn't enough though, as Griffin lost the fight in a split decision. Griffin once again impressed many with his toughness and skill. He is a fighter that everyone will be watching in the future. Unlike the other fighters that have come out of The Ultimate Fighter reality show, Griffin has proven that he is the real deal, and is one of the top light heavyweights in the game. After the fight, Tito Ortiz explained that he had earlier injured his ACL, but fought anyway so as not to disappoint his many hometown fans. Unfortunately, it looks as if Tito Ortiz will be out of commission for a while to rest and heal, but will be back in action soon.
Full Event Results
- Sean Sherk defeats Nick Diaz by unanimous decision.
- Jeff Monson defeats Marcio Cruz by split decision
- David Terrell defeats Scott Smith via rear naked choke in the first round.
- Karo Parisyan defeats Nick Thompson by submission in the first round.
- Jason Lambert defeats Terry Martin via referee stoppage in the first round.
- Thiago Alves defeats Derrick Noble via referee stoppage in the first round.
- Evan Tanner defeats Justin Levens via triangle choke in the first round.