Ben Duffy/Sherdog illustration
It is stunning as a modern MMA fan to review UFC 20 and see just how alien the event looks. A few of the familiar elements of today’s sport are present, including incredibly young-looking versions of play-by-play announcer Mike Goldberg, referee “Big” John McCarthy and in-cage announcer Bruce Buffer. However, on May 7, 1999—just five years before the finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 ushered in the so-called modern era—half of the competitors at UFC 20 wore shoes in the Octagon. There were three weight classes: lightweight (155 pounds), middleweight (200 pounds) and heavyweight. Even small production touches like the round clocks counting up from 0:00 remind viewers that they are watching the product of a much different era.
On that night in Birmingham, Alabama, Bas Rutten defeated Kevin Randleman by split decision to win the UFC heavyweight title vacated by Randy Couture the year before. The fight was close and the result somewhat controversial at the time, but in hindsight, the bout feels less like a robbery and more like a historical milestone, as perhaps the first high-level fight in which the judges’ decision served as a referendum on how much weight should be accorded to which types of offense: Rutten’s sharper striking, Randleman’s power shots and takedowns or the ground exchanges in which Rutten’s active guard forced the wrestler to react and defend, even as he remained on his back for long stretches.
In other action, a 22-year-old Wanderlei Silva made his stateside UFC debut, destroying Tony Petarra with first-round knees. It was an eloquent demonstration of the consequences of engaging “The Axe Murderer” without being well-versed in the muay Thai clinch, as well as a solid preview of the next decade of Silva’s career. That fight also marked the first pay-per-view sighting of referee Mario Yamasaki, who stopped the fight at the perfect time to protect the losing fighter while leaving no doubt as to the outcome.