This Day in MMA History: April 25

As he headed into UFC 42 on April 25, 2003, Matt Hughes could already make a good case as the best pound-for-pound fighter on Earth. Boasting a 33-3 record—he had lost only to vale tudo and early no-holds-barred great Jose Landi-Jons and twice to a fighter in Dennis Hallman who simply seemed to have his number—he was on an 11-fight winning streak that had seen him capture the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title and defend it three times, one short of the record set by his mentor, Pat Miletich.

Standing in his way that night in Miami was Sean Sherk, who had racked up a 19-0-1 record—3-0 in the UFC—and was widely regarded as the most deserving challenger available, for whatever that was worth. The stocky, chiseled 5-foot-6 Sherk seemed to offer nothing but lesser versions of Hughes’ strong suits, and it played out very much that way, as Hughes outwrestled and controlled “The Muscle Shark” for long stretches on the way to a lopsided decision that included one 49-45 scorecard.

From there, Hughes defended his title once more before losing it to B.J. Penn in a shocking upset at UFC 46. He would win it back and defend it twice more, cementing his place as the greatest welterweight ever until Georges St. Pierre eclipsed his résumé years later. Sherk hit the road, racking up a dozen straight wins all over the world before returning to the UFC, where he soon dropped to lightweight and won the long-vacant belt by beating Kenny Florian at UFC 64. He then defended it against Hermes Franca. Afterward, both men tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, an embarrassing occurrence that led to the belt being promptly vacated again.

While it was a good night for Miletich Fighting Systems’ leading light, UFC 42 was a low point for the promotion. Its inaugural voyage to Florida netted 6,700 spectators, less than one-third of the capacity of an empty-looking American Airlines Arena and fewer than it was used to getting in places like the Mandalay Bay Events Center in its backyard of Las Vegas. The reported 35,000 pay-per-view buys were the lowest of the Zuffa era and looked especially dismal since Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock had changed expectations by breaking the 100,000-buy mark just months earlier.

Despite the dull main event and miserable commercial performance, however, UFC 42 was not devoid of interest or historical importance. Ironically for a card that carried the handle “Sudden Impact,” some of the most notable occurrences that night would not be known as such until later. UFC 42 featured the UFC debut of highly touted, undefeated light heavyweight prospect Rich Franklin, who blasted Top 10 contender Evan Tanner in less than a round. However, neither man’s legacy would truly be built at 205 pounds; when they met again two years later, it was at middleweight, with Tanner’s belt on the line.

Finally, the main card opener featured an officiating gaffe that was egregious and fight-altering enough that it would lead to a change in the rules. Referee “Big” John McCarthy, overseeing the lightweight scrap between Duane Ludwig and Genki Sudo, stopped the fight while Sudo was striking Ludwig from full guard in order to check on a cut near Ludwig’s eye. When he restarted the fight, he had both men stand, which beyond merely costing Sudo an advantageous position and momentum was a benefit to former muay Thai champion Ludwig and detriment to the grappling specialist. It likely cost Sudo the round—and the fight—and led to the current referee guidelines, which state that in the absence of a foul, a fight should be restarted after a referee timeout in the same position in which it was halted.

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Related Coverage »

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• The MMA Hall of F@#$%&G Awesome: Evan Tanner
• The MMA Hall of F@#$%&G Awesome: Genki Sudo
• By The Numbers: Rich Franklin
• 5 Things You Might Not Know About Matt Hughes