UFC 53
Encyclopedia
UFC 53: Heavy Hitters was a mixed martial arts
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
on June 4, 2005, at the Boardwalk Hall
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view
in the United States
, and later released on DVD
.
in Japan with an Interim Heavyweight championship bout between Andrei Arlovski
and Mirko Filipović
serving as the main event. However the lack of sponsorship for the event forced the event to be moved to Atlantic City.
Initially, former champion Ricco Rodriguez
was slated to contend for the heavyweight championship, but withdrew from the bout, citing complications with his training camp. Headlining the card opposite of interim heavyweight champion Arlovski, instead, was Miletich
protégé Justin Eilers
. Although there was some criticism directed at the UFC for giving Eilers a title shot after coming off a knockout loss to Paul Buentello
at UFC 51
, the UFC explained that Buentello was not medically cleared to fight when the main event was originally scheduled.
This was Forrest Griffin
's first fight after winning The Ultimate Fighter
show.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
on June 4, 2005, at the Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and later released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
History
This event was originally scheduled to take place at the Yokohama ArenaYokohama Arena
is an indoor sporting arena located in Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station on the JR/Yokohama...
in Japan with an Interim Heavyweight championship bout between Andrei Arlovski
Andrei Arlovski
Andrei Valeryevich Arlovski is a Belarusian kickboxer, mixed martial artist and a former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion.-Biography:...
and Mirko Filipović
Mirko Filipovic
Mirko Filipović is a former Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, mixed martial artist, politician, and law enforcement officer. Filipović was a member of the Croatian Parliament from 2003 through 2007...
serving as the main event. However the lack of sponsorship for the event forced the event to be moved to Atlantic City.
Initially, former champion Ricco Rodriguez
Ricco Rodriguez
Ricco Rodriguez is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion. He has also competed in Pride Fighting Championship, EliteXC, International Fight League, BAMMA, World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage.-Early life:Rodriguez grew up in the...
was slated to contend for the heavyweight championship, but withdrew from the bout, citing complications with his training camp. Headlining the card opposite of interim heavyweight champion Arlovski, instead, was Miletich
Miletich Fighting Systems
Miletich Fighting Systems is a mixed martial arts training organization. It is recognized as an excellent training camp. It has been the training camp for fighters such as Matt Hughes, Tim Sylvia, Jens Pulver, Robbie Lawler, and Jeremy Horn...
protégé Justin Eilers
Justin Eilers
Justin Mark Eilers was an American professional mixed martial artist, formerly with the UFC and WEC. Eilers trained with Miletich Fighting Systems in Bettendorf, Iowa.-Biography:...
. Although there was some criticism directed at the UFC for giving Eilers a title shot after coming off a knockout loss to Paul Buentello
Paul Buentello
|-| Loss|align=center| 29–14| Cole Konrad| Decision | Bellator 48| |align=center| 3|align=center| 5:00|Uncasville, Connecticut, United States| Non-title bout.|-| Win|align=center| 29–13| Kerry Schall| Decision...
at UFC 51
UFC 51
UFC 51: Super Saturday was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2005 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada...
, the UFC explained that Buentello was not medically cleared to fight when the main event was originally scheduled.
This was Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion....
's first fight after winning The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...
show.
Preliminary card
- Welterweight bout:
Nick DiazNick DíazNicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
vs.
Koji OishiKoji OishiKoji Oishi is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competes in the Welterweight division. His won his fight at Pancrase - Passion Tour 3 against Isao Kobayashi on April 4, 2010...
- Diaz wins by technical knockout (punches) at 1:24 of round one. The bout, although preliminary, was aired on the broadcast.
- Middleweight bout:
David LoiseauDavid LoiseauDavid Loiseau is a Canadian mixed martial artist from Montreal, Quebec. He has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, EliteXC, and TKO Major League MMA and is the former TKO Middleweight Champion. He was the first French Canadian to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
vs. Charles McCarthy
- Loiseau wins by technical knockout (spinning back kick) at 2:04 of round two. The bout, although preliminary, was aired on the broadcast.
- Middleweight bout: Nathan Quarry vs. Shonie CarterShonie CarterMearion Shonie Bickhem III , better known as Shonie Carter, is an American mixed martial artist. He is a former World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion, an Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran, and a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 4 reality show...
- Quarry wins by technical knockout (strikes) at 2:37 of round one. The bout, although preliminary, was aired on the broadcast.
Main card
- Heavyweight bout: Paul BuentelloPaul Buentello|-| Loss|align=center| 29–14| Cole Konrad| Decision | Bellator 48| |align=center| 3|align=center| 5:00|Uncasville, Connecticut, United States| Non-title bout.|-| Win|align=center| 29–13| Kerry Schall| Decision...
vs. Kevin JordanKevin Jordan (MMA fighter)Kevin Jordan is an American mixed martial artist. He is a two-time UFC veteran. Jordan competes in the Heavyweight division...
- Buentello wins by submission (neck crank) at 4:10 of round one.
- Light Heavyweight bout: Forrest GriffinForrest GriffinForrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion....
vs. Bill Mahood
- Griffin wins by submission (rear naked chokeRear naked chokeThe Rear naked choke is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. Depending on the context, the term may refer to one of two variations of the technique, either arm can be used to apply the choke in both cases...
) at 2:18 of round one.
- Middleweight Championship bout: Evan TannerEvan TannerEvan Loyd Tanner was an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. He was a former UFC Middleweight and USWF Heavyweight champion with a professional record of 32 wins and 8 losses...
(c) vs. Rich FranklinRich FranklinRich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:...
- Franklin wins by technical knockout (doctor stoppage) at 3:25 of round four. Halfway through the fourth round, the referee stopped the action to check the cuts on Tanner's face; at this point, the ringside doctors were called in and ended to the bout. Franklin became the UFC middleweight champion. It was announced during the bout that the winner would become a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 2The Ultimate Fighter 2The Ultimate Fighter 2 was the second season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. The season featured a heavyweight and a welterweight division, with 9 fighters initially in each division. The UFC coaches for this season were welterweight and middleweight...
and would face the other coach on the show Matt Hughes as a Middleweight at the end of the season.
- Welterweight bout:
Karo ParisyanKaro ParisyanKarapet Parisyan is an Armenian-American mixed martial artist. From his days as a UFC mainstay Karo holds notable wins over Ryo Chonan, Shonie Carter, Drew Fickett, Matt Serra, Nick Thompson, Chris Lytle, Nick Diaz and Antonio McKee.- Early life:...
vs. Matt SerraMatt SerraMatthew John Serra is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist. He began practicing martial arts at an early age, first studying kung fu...
- Parisyan wins by unanimous decision.
- Interim Heavyweight Championship bout:
Andrei ArlovskiAndrei ArlovskiAndrei Valeryevich Arlovski is a Belarusian kickboxer, mixed martial artist and a former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion.-Biography:...
(ic) vs. Justin EilersJustin EilersJustin Mark Eilers was an American professional mixed martial artist, formerly with the UFC and WEC. Eilers trained with Miletich Fighting Systems in Bettendorf, Iowa.-Biography:...
- Arlovski wins by technical knockout (strikes) at 4:10 of round one. It was realized that Eilers had injured his knee in the bout, prompting the referee to stop the fight as Eilers could not defend himself.
Sources
- UFC 53: Heavy Hitters Results on Sherdog.com
- "Ultimate Fighting Championship Cards" on Wrestling Information Archives