UFC 74: Respect was a mixed martial arts

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...

 (MMA) 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...

 (UFC). The event took place on August 25, 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center

Mandalay Bay Events Center

Mandalay Bay Events Center is a 12,000 seat indoor arena, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, on the Las Vegas Strip, in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by MGM Resorts International.It has hosted many music, boxing and mixed martial arts events....

 in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...

, Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

.

Background

The main event was a UFC heavyweight

Heavyweight (MMA)

The heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally groups fighters between .Although many ambiguities exist within the lower weight classes regarding division naming and weight limits, the Heavyweight division is, for the most part, uniform...

 championship bout which featured UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture

Randy Couture

Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

 defending his title against Gabriel Gonzaga

Gabriel Gonzaga

Gabriel Gonzaga , is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is a former member of Chute Boxe Academy and now fights out of Ludlow, Massachusetts as a part of Team Link...

, who knocked out Mirko "Cro Cop" 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...

 at UFC 70

UFC 70

UFC 70: Nations Collide was the second UFC event held in the United Kingdom, and the first in Manchester on Saturday, April 21, 2007. The first UFC event in the UK was UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall on July 13, 2002. UFC 70 was also only the seventh UFC event held outside the United States, and the...

to become the number one contender.

Former UFC and TKO

TKO Major League MMA

TKO Major League MMA is a defunct Canadian mixed martial arts organization, formerly the biggest MMA promotion in Canada. Despite its name, it was considered a minor circuit, overshadowed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, with which it had a close working relationship...

 welterweight

Welterweight (MMA)

The welterweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The UFC's & Strikeforce's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 lb...

 champion Georges St-Pierre

Georges St. Pierre

Georges St-Pierre , often referred to as GSP, is a Canadian mixed martial artist and the current Welterweight Champion of the UFC. St-Pierre is ranked as the No. 1 Welterweight in the world according to Sherdog, MMAWeekly and numerous other publications. St-Pierre is ranked the No. 2 pound for...

, in his first fight since losing his title to Matt Serra

Matt Serra

Matthew 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...

 at UFC 69

UFC 69

UFC 69: Shootout was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, April 7, 2007 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas...

, was matched up against The Ultimate Fighter's

The Ultimate Fighter 1

The debut season of The Ultimate Fighter premiered on January 17, 2005. Sixteen mixed martial arts fighters were invited to participate in the show where they would reside together and train in two separate teams...

Josh Koscheck

Josh Koscheck

Josh D. Koscheck is an American mixed martial artist from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, a former collegiate wrestling champion and is currently fighting at welterweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his debut with the organization on the first season of the reality television show,...

.

The card also featured former heavyweight champion Frank Mir

Frank Mir

Francisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...

 against K-1

K-1

K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...

 veteran Antoni Hardonk

Antoni Hardonk

Antoni Barend Hardonk is a Dutch retired mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competed in K-1 and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Kickboxing career:...

; The Ultimate Fighter 3's

The Ultimate Fighter 3

The Ultimate Fighter 3 was the third season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It premiered on April 6, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of Ultimate Fight Night 4. The season featured sixteen fighters with still-feuding former champion Tito Ortiz and...

winner Kendall Grove

Kendall Grove

Kendall Kekoa Grove is an American mixed martial artist. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3 on Spike TV.- Early life :...

; the UFC debut of PRIDE veteran Marcus Aurelio

Marcus Aurelio

Marcus Aurélio Martins is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He formerly fought for the PRIDE Fighting Championship and for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

; The Ultimate Fighter 2

The Ultimate Fighter 2

The 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...

welterweight winner Joe Stevenson

Joe Stevenson

Joseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs....

; and former light heavyweight

Light Heavyweight (MMA)

The light heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally refers to competitors weighing between 186 and 205 lb . It sits between the lighter middleweight division, and the heavyweight division....

 challenger Renato Sobral

Renato Sobral

Renato da Cunha Sobral , also known as "Babalu", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, and former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. He is regarded as one of the best light heavyweights of the night, and noted for his aggressive style, grappling prowess, and high-caliber submissions. Sobral...

.

Preliminary card

• Lightweight bout:   Marcus Aurelio
  Marcus Aurelio
  Marcus Aurélio Martins is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He formerly fought for the PRIDE Fighting Championship and for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
  
   vs.   Clay Guida
  Clay Guida
  Clayton Charles Guida is an American mixed martial artist and currently fighting in the UFC as a lightweight. Guida was the first Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and held the title until being defeated by Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Revenge...
  
  

Guida defeated Aurelio via split decision (30–27, 28–29, 30–27).

• Middleweight bout:   Thales Leites
  Thales Leites
  Thales Leites Lourenço is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current Superior Challenge middleweight champion.-Mixed martial arts:A relative newcomer to the sport, Leites made his mixed martial arts debut at Shooto Brazil in 2003, defeating Felipe Arinelli by arm-triangle choke submission...
  
   vs.   Ryan Jensen
  Ryan Jensen (fighter)
  Ryan James Jensen is an American mixed martial artist.-Background:Jensen began training at the age of 15. Following his first fight against Travis Fulton in February 1997, he did not compete again until June 2002...
  
  

Leites defeated Jensen via submission (armbar) at 3:47 of round 1. This bout aired last on the PPV broadcast following the Couture vs. Gonzaga fight.

• Heavyweight bout:   Frank Mir
  Frank Mir
  Francisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
  
   vs.   Antoni Hardonk
  Antoni Hardonk
  Antoni Barend Hardonk is a Dutch retired mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competed in K-1 and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Kickboxing career:...
  
  

Mir defeated Hardonk via submission (kimura) at 1:17 of round 1.

• Light heavyweight bout:   Renato Sobral
  Renato Sobral
  Renato da Cunha Sobral , also known as "Babalu", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, and former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. He is regarded as one of the best light heavyweights of the night, and noted for his aggressive style, grappling prowess, and high-caliber submissions. Sobral...
  
   vs.   David Heath
  David Heath (fighter)
  David Alan Heath is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he made his debut at UFC 62, defeating Cory Walmsley by first-round submission...
  
  

Sobral defeated Heath via submission (anaconda choke) at 3:30 of round 2. Sobral was fined $25,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission because he did not immediately follow referee's directions for releasing his chokehold after Heath tapped. Due to the controversial manner in which the bout was stopped, Sobral was subsequently released from his UFC contract.

Main card

• Middleweight bout:   Kendall Grove
  Kendall Grove
  Kendall Kekoa Grove is an American mixed martial artist. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3 on Spike TV.- Early life :...
  
   vs.   Patrick Côté
  Patrick Côté (fighter)
  Patrick Côté is a French-Canadian mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a middleweight, most recently in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and was the TKO Major League MMA middleweight champion...
  
  

Côté defeated Grove via KO (punches) at 4:45 of round 1.

• Lightweight bout:   Joe Stevenson
  Joe Stevenson
  Joseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs....
  
   vs.   Kurt Pellegrino
  Kurt Pellegrino
  Kurt Joseph Pellegrino is a retired American mixed martial artist. He is best known for competing in the lightweight division of the UFC. Pellegrino's first fight in the UFC came in 2006...
  
  

Stevenson defeated Pellegrino via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 29–28).

• Lightweight bout:   Roger Huerta
  Roger Huerta
  Roger Huerta , is an American mixed martial artist. He initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and later Bellator Fighting Championships.-Early life:...
  
   vs.   Alberto Crane
  Alberto Crane
  Alberto Lewis Crane is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a lightweight. He has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is a former King of the Cage and Ring Of Fire lightweight champion.-Biography:...
  
  

Huerta defeated Crane via TKO (punches) at 1:50 of round 3.

• Welterweight bout:   Georges St-Pierre
  Georges St. Pierre
  Georges St-Pierre , often referred to as GSP, is a Canadian mixed martial artist and the current Welterweight Champion of the UFC. St-Pierre is ranked as the No. 1 Welterweight in the world according to Sherdog, MMAWeekly and numerous other publications. St-Pierre is ranked the No. 2 pound for...
  
   vs.   Josh Koscheck
  Josh Koscheck
  Josh D. Koscheck is an American mixed martial artist from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, a former collegiate wrestling champion and is currently fighting at welterweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his debut with the organization on the first season of the reality television show,...
  
  

St-Pierre defeated Koscheck via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27).

• Heavyweight Championship bout:   Randy Couture
  Randy Couture
  Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
  
   (c) vs.   Gabriel Gonzaga
  Gabriel Gonzaga
  Gabriel Gonzaga , is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is a former member of Chute Boxe Academy and now fights out of Ludlow, Massachusetts as a part of Team Link...
  
  

Couture defeated Gonzaga via TKO (punches) at 1:37 of round 3 to retain the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Bonus awards

Fighters were awarded $40,000 bonuses.

• Fight of the Night:   Randy Couture
  Randy Couture
  Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
  
   vs.   Gabriel Gonzaga
  Gabriel Gonzaga
  Gabriel Gonzaga , is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is a former member of Chute Boxe Academy and now fights out of Ludlow, Massachusetts as a part of Team Link...
  
  
• Submission of the Night:   Thales Leites
  Thales Leites
  Thales Leites Lourenço is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current Superior Challenge middleweight champion.-Mixed martial arts:A relative newcomer to the sport, Leites made his mixed martial arts debut at Shooto Brazil in 2003, defeating Felipe Arinelli by arm-triangle choke submission...
  
  
• Knockout of the Night:   Patrick Côté
  Patrick Côté (fighter)
  Patrick Côté is a French-Canadian mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a middleweight, most recently in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and was the TKO Major League MMA middleweight champion...
  
  

Purses

• Randy Couture: $250,000
• Gabriel Gonzaga: $45,000
• Georges St-Pierre: $140,000 (includes $70,000 win bonus)
• Josh Koscheck: $10,000
• Roger Huerta: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
• Alberto Crane: $4,000
• Joe Stevenson: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
• Kurt Pellegrino: $8,000
• Patrick Coté: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
• Kendall Grove: $12,000
• Renato Sobral: $25,000 ($25,000 win bonus withheld by NSAC
  Nevada Athletic Commission
  The Nevada Athletic Commission regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, mixed martial arts fighters, seconds, ring officials, managers, and matchmakers...
  
  )
• David Heath: $6,000
• Frank Mir: $66,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
• Antoni Hardonk: $8,000
• Thales Leites: $18,000 (includes $9,000 win bonus)
• Ryan Jensen: $4,000
• Clay Guida: $14,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus)
• Marcus Aurelio: $30,000