UFC 51: Super Saturday—If at First You Don’t Succeed …
Introduction
Feb 2, 2005
Strange as it sounds, the headliner bouts on the UFC 51 card all
could have taken place more than a year ago. In fact two of them
could’ve happened nearly three years ago. This will be the third
time the Vitor Belfort and
Tito Ortiz have tried to
settle their differences, dating back to the UFC 33, Zuffa’s first
PPV show.
No one has held a UFC middleweight title since Murilo Bustamante defended it in May of 2002. As for the Tim Sylvia- Andrei Arlovski fight, this is their second attempt at throwing down … and this time it isn’t for a “real” title.
Other heavyweights come out to play on Super Saturday as well. The James Irvin- Mike Kyle and Paul Buentello- Justin Eilers fights should produce a contender for the title later this year. And it should be a striker’s feast with the Phil Baroni- Pete Sell and David Loiseau- Gideon Ray fights likely to finish on the feet.
The entire card breaks down as follows:
Karo Parisyan of the Hayastan Wrestling Dojo takes on Chris Lytle of Integrated Fighting; Team Cesar Gracie fighter Nick Diaz confronts Arizona Combat Team fighter Drew Fickett; James Irvin from No Limits Underground faces Mike Kyle from American Kickboxing Academy; American Kickboxing Academy’s Paul Buentello meets Justin Eilers of Miletich Martial Arts; David Loiseau faces last-minute replacement Gideon Ray; in a battle of New Yorkers, Serra-Longo Competition Team member Pete Sell and freelance fighter Phil Baroni take to the cage; David Terrell from Cesar Gracie’s camp and freelance fighter Evan Tanner square off for the long-vacant UFC middleweight championship title; Tim Sylvia of Miletich Martial Arts challenges Belarusian grappler Andrei Arlovski for the interim UFC heavyweight championship; and in the main event, Team Punishment fighter Tito Ortiz battles Vitor Belfort of the Brazilian Top Team.
No one has held a UFC middleweight title since Murilo Bustamante defended it in May of 2002. As for the Tim Sylvia- Andrei Arlovski fight, this is their second attempt at throwing down … and this time it isn’t for a “real” title.
Other heavyweights come out to play on Super Saturday as well. The James Irvin- Mike Kyle and Paul Buentello- Justin Eilers fights should produce a contender for the title later this year. And it should be a striker’s feast with the Phil Baroni- Pete Sell and David Loiseau- Gideon Ray fights likely to finish on the feet.
The entire card breaks down as follows:
Karo Parisyan of the Hayastan Wrestling Dojo takes on Chris Lytle of Integrated Fighting; Team Cesar Gracie fighter Nick Diaz confronts Arizona Combat Team fighter Drew Fickett; James Irvin from No Limits Underground faces Mike Kyle from American Kickboxing Academy; American Kickboxing Academy’s Paul Buentello meets Justin Eilers of Miletich Martial Arts; David Loiseau faces last-minute replacement Gideon Ray; in a battle of New Yorkers, Serra-Longo Competition Team member Pete Sell and freelance fighter Phil Baroni take to the cage; David Terrell from Cesar Gracie’s camp and freelance fighter Evan Tanner square off for the long-vacant UFC middleweight championship title; Tim Sylvia of Miletich Martial Arts challenges Belarusian grappler Andrei Arlovski for the interim UFC heavyweight championship; and in the main event, Team Punishment fighter Tito Ortiz battles Vitor Belfort of the Brazilian Top Team.
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