UFC 78
Encyclopedia
UFC 78: Validation was a mixed martial arts
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC), that took place on November 17, 2007 at the Prudential Center in Newark
, New Jersey
. Validation was the first UFC event held in New Jersey since June 4, 2005's UFC 53: Heavy Hitters
in Atlantic City
.
heavyweight
winner Rashad Evans
against The Ultimate Fighter 3
light heavyweight
winner Michael Bisping
in a light heavyweight contest. This was Bisping's last fight before dropping to Middleweight.
Additionally, PRIDE veterans Ryo Chonan
and Akihiro Gono
both made their UFC debuts. Both fighters fought at 183 pounds in Japan
, but with the UFC's inclusion of the 170 pound division each fighter moved down to fight at welterweight
. Cuban judoka Hector Lombard
was also scheduled to debut on the event but did not participate due to visa
issues. Karo Parisyan instead faced Ryo Chonan, and Thiago Alves fought Chris Lytle.
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...
(UFC), that took place on November 17, 2007 at the Prudential Center in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Validation was the first UFC event held in New Jersey since June 4, 2005's UFC 53: Heavy Hitters
UFC 53
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...
in Atlantic City
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...
.
Background
The main event featured The Ultimate Fighter 2The 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...
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...
winner Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...
against The Ultimate Fighter 3
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...
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....
winner Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping
Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light...
in a light heavyweight contest. This was Bisping's last fight before dropping to Middleweight.
Additionally, PRIDE veterans Ryo Chonan
Ryo Chonan
is a Japanese mixed martial artist, currently fighting in DEEP where he was the 3rd DEEP middleweight champion. He has previously competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is noted for being one of two fighters to finish Anderson Silva in an MMA fight at...
and Akihiro Gono
Akihiro Gono
is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently fights as a welterweight. He is best known for his clever and deceptive fighting style, and for his flashy ring entrances. His fighting style is characterized by skillfully avoiding strikes, using fast counter punches and generally getting the...
both made their UFC debuts. Both fighters fought at 183 pounds in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, but with the UFC's inclusion of the 170 pound division each fighter moved down to fight at 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...
. Cuban judoka Hector Lombard
Hector Lombard
Hector Lombard is a Cuban-Australian mixed martial artist. Lombard was a Judo Olympian competing at the Sydney 2000 Olympic games, and is a multiple time national champion and world finalist. After 2000, Lombard began pursuing a career in mixed martial arts...
was also scheduled to debut on the event but did not participate due to visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
issues. Karo Parisyan instead faced Ryo Chonan, and Thiago Alves fought Chris Lytle.
Preliminary card
- Welterweight bout:
Akihiro GonoAkihiro Gonois a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently fights as a welterweight. He is best known for his clever and deceptive fighting style, and for his flashy ring entrances. His fighting style is characterized by skillfully avoiding strikes, using fast counter punches and generally getting the...
vs.
Tamdan McCroryTamdan McCroryTamdan Wade McCrory is an American mixed martial artist who has fought as a welterweight and has recently moved up to the middleweight division...
- Gono defeated McCrory via submission (armbar) at 3:19 of round 2.
- Lightweight bout:
Marcus AurelioMarcus AurelioMarcus Aurélio Martins is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He formerly fought for the PRIDE Fighting Championship and for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
vs. Luke Caudillo
- Aurelio defeated Caudillo via TKO (strikes) at 4:29 of round 1.
- Lightweight bout: Joe LauzonJoe LauzonJoseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...
vs. Jason ReinhardtJason ReinhardtJason Reinhardt is an American mixed martial artist. A professional MMA competitor since 2000, Reinhardt fought in regional promotions before signing with Zuffa in 2007...
- Lauzon defeated Reinhardt via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:14 of round 1. This preliminary bout was aired on the broadcast.
- Welterweight bout: Thiago AlvesThiago AlvesThiago Alves d'Araujo is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He started training in Muay Thai when he was 15 and mixed martial arts at 17. He is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has been described as a "Muay Thai wrecking machine". As of July 2011, He is currently ranked the #10 welterweight...
vs. Chris LytleChris LytleChris Scott Lytle is a retired American mixed martial artist, boxer and a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Lytle was prominently featured as a welterweight on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback. In Chris's MMA and boxing career he was never knocked out or submitted, though he did...
- Alves defeated Lytle via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round 2.
Main card
- Lightweight bout: Spencer FisherSpencer FisherSpencer William Fisher is an American mixed martial artist from Brevard, North Carolina. He currently fights in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion. He holds notable victories over Thiago Alves, Matt Wiman, Sam Stout, Jeremy Stephens, and Caol Uno...
vs. Frankie Edgar
- Edgar defeated Fisher via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–26).
- Middleweight bout: Ed HermanEd Herman (fighter)Edward Benson Herman is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their middleweight division and holds notable wins over Kyle Noke, Brian Ebersole, David Loiseau, Dave Menne, Scott Smith, Nick Thompson and Joe Doerksen...
vs.
Joe DoerksenJoe DoerksenJoseph Daniel Doerksen is a Canadian mixed martial artist from New Bothwell, Manitoba. He is a former middleweight contender of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and a veteran of the International Fight League...
- Herman defeated Doerksen via KO (punch) at 0:39 of round 3.
- 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. Ryo ChonanRyo Chonanis a Japanese mixed martial artist, currently fighting in DEEP where he was the 3rd DEEP middleweight champion. He has previously competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is noted for being one of two fighters to finish Anderson Silva in an MMA fight at...
- Parisyan defeated Chonan via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).
- Light heavyweight bout: Houston AlexanderHouston AlexanderHouston Alexander is an American professional mixed martial artist, who fights as a light heavyweight and heavyweight. He also works as a DJ in North Omaha, Nebraska...
vs. Thiago Silva
- Silva defeated Alexander via KO (Punches) at 3:25 of round 1.
- Light heavyweight bout:
Michael BispingMichael BispingMichael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light...
vs. Rashad EvansRashad EvansRashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...
- Evans defeated Bisping via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28).
Bonus awards
At the end of this event, $55,000 was awarded to each of the fighters who received one of these three awards.- Fight of the Night: Thiago AlvesThiago AlvesThiago Alves d'Araujo is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He started training in Muay Thai when he was 15 and mixed martial arts at 17. He is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has been described as a "Muay Thai wrecking machine". As of July 2011, He is currently ranked the #10 welterweight...
vs Chris LytleChris LytleChris Scott Lytle is a retired American mixed martial artist, boxer and a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Lytle was prominently featured as a welterweight on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback. In Chris's MMA and boxing career he was never knocked out or submitted, though he did... - Submission of the Night: Akihiro GonoAkihiro Gonois a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently fights as a welterweight. He is best known for his clever and deceptive fighting style, and for his flashy ring entrances. His fighting style is characterized by skillfully avoiding strikes, using fast counter punches and generally getting the...
- Knockout of the Night: Ed HermanEd Herman (fighter)Edward Benson Herman is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their middleweight division and holds notable wins over Kyle Noke, Brian Ebersole, David Loiseau, Dave Menne, Scott Smith, Nick Thompson and Joe Doerksen...