| UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
The poster for UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira
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| Information | ||||
| Promotion | Ultimate Fighting Championship | |||
| Date | August 29, 2009 | |||
| Venue | Rose Garden | |||
| City | Portland, Oregon | |||
| Attendance | 16,088[1] | |||
| Total gate | $1,920,000[1] | |||
| Buyrate | 435,000[2] | |||
| Event chronology | ||||
| ||||
UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on August 29, 2009 at the Rose GardeninPortland, Oregon.[3] It featured former five-time UFC champion and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, facing off against former PRIDE FC Heavyweight Champion and former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Randy Couture was originally offered a title defense against Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 81, however turned the fight down after his resignation from the UFC in October 2007.[4] While Couture and the UFC sorted out their legal issues,[5] Nogueira defeated Tim Sylvia for the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship becoming the first fighter to hold both PRIDE and UFC title belts.[6] Nogueira was then set to coach against Frank Mir on the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter with the two facing off for the Interim Championship after the season aired.[7]
Eventually Couture and the UFC reconciled and it was announced that he would return to the Octagon to defend his title against Brock LesnaratUFC 91.[8] Neither Couture or Nogueira were successful in their defense efforts and then faced each other in what amounted to a "losers bracket" of the UFC's mini heavyweight tournament.[9][10][11]
A previously announced bout between Kyle Kingsbury and Razak Al-Hassan was moved to UFC 104inLos Angeles, California on October 24, 2009.[12] Matt Hamill pulled out of a bout with Brandon Vera due to injury. Krzysztof Soszynski took his place.[13]
A knee injury forced James Irvin out of his bout with Wilson Gouveia. He was replaced by Ed Herman.[14] On August 7, 2009 it was reported that Gouveia was also off the card due to a back injury.[15] Marcus Aurélio replaced an injured Matt Veach.[16]
This was the UFC's first event in Oregon.
| Main card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Heavyweight | Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira | def | Randy Couture | Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Thiago Silva | def | Keith Jardine | KO (punches) | 1 | 1:35 | |
| Middleweight | Jake Rosholt | def | Chris Leben | Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) | 3 | 1:30 | |
| Middleweight | Nate Marquardt | def | Demian Maia | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:21 | |
| Light Heavyweight | Brandon Vera | def | Krzysztof Soszynski | Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Preliminary card | |||||||
| Middleweight | Aaron Simpson | def | Ed Herman | TKO (knees) | 2 | 0:17 | |
| Heavyweight | Gabriel Gonzaga | def | Chris Tuchscherer | TKO (punches) | 1 | 2:27 | |
| Heavyweight | Mike Russow | def | Justin McCully | Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 30–26, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Heavyweight | Todd Duffee | def | Tim Hague | KO (punches) | 1 | 0:07 | |
| Middleweight | Mark Muñoz | def | Nick Catone | Decision (split) (28–29, 30–27, 29–28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Evan Dunham | def | Marcus Aurelio | Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 30–27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
Fighters were awarded $60,000 bonuses.[18]
The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the Oregon State Athletic Commission. It does not include sponsor money or "locker room" bonuses often given by the UFC.[19]
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