By the time 2024 involves an in depth, there could have been 716 occasions within the 31 years that the Ultimate Fighting Championship has existed. But just one combat card — except UFC Fight Night in Tampa, Florida, this Saturday pulls off a miracle — could have the excellence of being “good.”
On Nov. 8, 2014, Luke Rockhold slammed a left-footed kick into the aspect of Michael Bisping‘s head, chased “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner to the canvas and compelled him to faucet out with a mounted guillotine choke in entrance of 9,904 followers on the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia. It accomplished a flawless day of fights, the one time in UFC historical past that the judges might have referred to as in for work. Eleven fights, 11 finishes.
The notion of perfection right here is subjective, but followers are inclined to bemoan a combat heading to a judges’ scorecard. A combat ending by way of choice might imply that it is inconclusive who truly received. Or, extra importantly, there wasn’t sufficient motion packed right into a 15- or 25-minute combating affair.
A combat ending in a submission or knockout? Action-packed readability for all events concerned.
There have been 4 submissions and 7 knockouts throughout this Fight Night card 10 years in the past. Five fights ended within the first spherical, 5 have been completed within the second and just one combat got here wherever near going the gap, ending 18 seconds into the third spherical. With a complete combat time of 1 hour, 1 minute and 1 second — with a mean combat size of 5:48 — it stays the shortest UFC card with a minimal of 11 fights.
The combat card, which kicked off at 11 a.m. native time, was headlined by a vitriolic first assembly between Rockhold and Bisping and likewise featured a future 185-pound champion in Robert Whittaker, who’s the one fighter from that card nonetheless on the UFC roster, making his middleweight debut in opposition to Clint Hester.
Interestingly sufficient, the commentary workforce of John Gooden and Dan Hardy by no means talked about the ending fee in the course of the broadcast. Perhaps neither wished to jinx it. If the MMA gods wished to ship an ideal night time, they would not should be urged on by a play-by-play commentator in his first yr with the UFC and a former title challenger who had simply transitioned to a colour commentator gig after a uncommon coronary heart situation put his combating profession in jeopardy.
“That occasion in Sydney was as uncommon as hen’s tooth,” Gooden mentioned. “No one needs to place it out to the universe that we might get an evening filled with finishes and be ‘that man’ that cursed it.”
“It was simply a type of days the place you experience the power,” Hardy, now a Bellator commentator and PFL Europe’s head of fighter operations, mentioned. “And then, whenever you get to the top of it, you look again and go, ‘Man, we received a one hundred pc end fee.’ That was loopy, and we have been very, very lucky to be on the decision that day.”
One one that took discover of the ending fee early on was “Smilin” Sam Alvey, who scored a first-round knockout over Dylan Andrews within the fifth combat of the day. Alvey had fallen brief in his UFC debut lower than two months prior, with a call loss to Tom Watson, and wished to show to the promotion that it did not make a mistake signing him. With each combat earlier than his ending inside the gap, Alvey wished to make a press release when it was his flip to compete.
“I received so pumped watching individuals I do know or simply met backstage,” Alvey informed ESPN. “I used to be glued to the display screen whereas warming up.”
Seeing the excessive end fee in actual time additionally incentivized Alvey to pursue a end of his personal. Not only for his ego, however for his pockets.
“You know there are 4 $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses on the road and also you simply noticed 4 fights earlier than you finish with a stupendous TKO or submission,” mentioned Alvey. “It actually jazzes you up that mine has to do higher.”
While Alvey did not get a Performance of the Night bonus (Rockhold, Whittaker, Hester and Louis Smolka would take these house), the Team Quest fighter remembers it being one of many extra distinctive knockouts of his 15-year MMA profession.
“I knocked him out with my ass,” Alvey remembers.
During an Andrews takedown try, Alvey fell on high of his opponent’s head. The relaxation was elementary. “As quickly as we hit the bottom, I knew he was out. I felt him launch his grip and I gave him floor and pound as quick as I might till the referee seen he was out.”
Hardy remembers the preliminary card concluding with Jake Matthews‘ second-round submission of Vagner Rocha and the manufacturing truck reminding him and Gooden that each combat to that time had not gone to the gap. That’s when the truth set in that it was doable to see every combat on the whole card finish in a knockout or a submission. Still, even with two heavyweights kicking off the principle card with their mixed 28 MMA wins all coming by knockout or submission, Hardy was cautious to not point out that the cardboard had been good as much as that time.
“One factor I’ve realized from doing commentary is that if there is a heavyweight combat on the cardboard and also you anticipate a knockout, you by no means talked about it,” Hardy mentioned. “I’ve carried out it earlier than, jinxed it earlier than they usually go the gap.”
Fortunately, after a sluggish first spherical raised issues, Soa Palelei would end Walt Harris within the second spherical and hold the proper night time intact. Whittaker adopted by blasting Hester with a knee to safe a second-round stoppage, and Al Iaquinta clobbered Ross Pearson with a proper hand to complete the co-main occasion.
All that was left was Rockhold and Bisping to cement perfection.
Heading into the combat, Rockhold promised to complete Bisping in a single spherical. Rockhold, often known as a prolific finisher, was an enormous betting favourite heading into the combat. Still, there have been issues that issues would not play out as anticipated.
“There was numerous pleasure for what the principle occasion was going to convey,” mentioned Hardy. “But we tempered our expectations as a result of Rockhold stored promising a first-round end and Bisping was identified to be sturdy. But he received the job carried out.”
Rockhold would not have the ability to hold his promise of a first-round end, however he was in a position to submit Bisping with a guillotine in Round 2 to safe the win.
“It’s prior to now,” Rockhold mentioned, when requested in regards to the pre-fight banter. “I’ve numerous respect for Michael, he is a warrior and he gave it every little thing he is received.”
It’s been a decade because the historic occasion, and the feat has but to be replicated. UFC 224 in 2018 noticed 11 of the 13 fights finish by knockout or submission, and UFC 281 in 2022 had 11 finishes in 14 fights. But each had the thrill of an ideal night time spoiled early with choices on the early prelims.
So, why hasn’t an ideal night time occurred once more?
“The expertise definitely is rising throughout the board in combined martial arts and there are much more aggressive fights,” mentioned Hardy. “I feel that we at the moment are seeing much less playing cards the place you are feeling like you possibly can predict the winners of the fights.”
But as we enter 2025, would possibly we see one other good card?
“With the well-considered matchmaking and with a lot on the road for every athlete,” Gooden mentioned, “we merely do not see occasions on the highest degree flip a 100% end fee.”
UFC occasions now have extra fights, with a mean card having 12 to 14, which lowers the potential of having all finishes. However, with the promotion persevering with so as to add extra fighters with evolving talent units, Hardy believes one other good night time is inevitable.
“I feel we’ll have one other card or two within the subsequent 10 years that may have a one hundred pc end fee,” Hardy mentioned. “I’m basing that purely on the extent of amateurs and early prospects which can be coming by. The degree of talent, velocity and athleticism that we’ll see within the subsequent 10 years of the game goes to be past something that we’re seeing proper now.
“With combined martial arts, there are such a lot of methods to lose, and I feel there are going to be much more fighters with ending functionality within the subsequent 10 years, versus those we have got now.”
