UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens, also referred to as UFC Fight Night 17 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...

 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) on February 7 2009. Originally named UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Franca, Jeremy Stephens

Jeremy Stephens

Jeremy Dean Stephens is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter from Des Moines, Iowa. Stephens is currently signed under the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion, fighting in their lightweight division....

 stepped up to take on Joe Lauzon

Joe Lauzon

Joseph 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:...

 after Hermes Franca

Hermes Franca

Hermes França Barros is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes as a lightweight.-Early career:França made his professional MMA debut in November 2001. He quickly earned an undefeated streak of 6-0, drawing the attention of the UFC.-First UFC run:...

 suffered a torn ACL during training and could no longer participate in this event.

Derek Downey replaced Amir Sadollah

Amir Sadollah

Amir Sadollah is an American professional mixed martial artist of Iranian and Irish descent. He was the winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 7....

 after he was sidelined with a broken clavicle.
Dan Miller

Dan Miller (fighter)

Daniel James Miller is an American Middleweight mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the older brother of fellow MMA fighter Jim Miller.-Martial arts background:...

 replaced Alessio Sakara

Alessio Sakara

Alessio Sakara is an Italian mixed martial artist and boxer, who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's Middleweight Division. Sakara is also a Former World Junior Boxing Contender. He holds notable wins over Elvis Sinosic, Thales Leites, James Irvin.-Background:Sakara was born...

 who pulled out of the bout with a shoulder injury.
Matt Veach

Matt Veach

Matt Alan Veach is an American mixed martial arts fighter. He is known for his 3 fight stint in the UFC, including his "Fight of the Night" performance against UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar.-Mixed Martial Arts:...

 replaced George Sotiropoulos

George Sotiropoulos

George Sotiropoulos is an Australian mixed martial artist who is currently fighting in the UFC in the lightweight division. He is well known for appearing as a fighter on the TV show The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, fighting on Team Serra...

 who suffered a rib injury.

Preliminary card

• Welterweight bout:   Steve Bruno
  Steve Bruno
  Steve Bruno an American mixed martial artist. He competes in the Welterweight division. Born in Brooklyn, New York. He currently resides in Pompano Beach, Florida. Before starting his fighting career Steve was a Naval Air Crewman and Rescue Swimmer in the United States Navy...
  
   vs.   Matthew Riddle
  Matthew Riddle
  Matthew Frederick Riddle is an American professional mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter 7...
  
  

Riddle defeated Bruno via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).

• Middleweight bout:   Nick Catone
  Nick Catone
  Nicholas Catone is an American mixed martial artist. Catone currently fights for Ultimate Fighting Championship in their middleweight division.-Mixed martial arts:...
  
   vs.   Derek Downey

Catone defeated Downey via submission (keylock) at 1:15 of round 2.

• Lightweight bout:   Rich Clementi
  Rich Clementi
  Richard Thomas Clementi is a journeyman American mixed martial artist. He holds notable wins over Terry Etim, Sam Stout, Fabio Holanda, Melvin Guillard and Anthony Johnson.-Mixed martial arts career:...
  
   vs.   Gleison Tibau
  Gleison Tibau
  Janigleison Herculano Alves, better known as Gleison Tibau is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is one of the largest lightweights in MMA, weighing up to 183 pounds by the time he enters the cage.-Mixed martial arts:He was brought up...
  
  

Tibau defeated Clementi via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:35 of round 1.

• Lightweight bout:   Matt Grice
  Matt Grice
  Donald Matthew Grice is an American mixed martial artist who has fought for X-1, Freestyle Cage Fighting, Ultimate Texas Showdown and the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
  
   vs.   Matt Veach
  Matt Veach
  Matt Alan Veach is an American mixed martial arts fighter. He is known for his 3 fight stint in the UFC, including his "Fight of the Night" performance against UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar.-Mixed Martial Arts:...
  
  

Veach defeated Grice via TKO (punches) at 4:34 of round 1. This bout was aired on the live broadcast.

• Middleweight bout:   Jake Rosholt
  Jake Rosholt
  Jake Rosholt is an American mixed martial artist and former collegiate amateur wrestler. Rosholt formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship .-Early life:...
  
   vs.   Dan Miller
  Dan Miller (fighter)
  Daniel James Miller is an American Middleweight mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the older brother of fellow MMA fighter Jim Miller.-Martial arts background:...
  
  

Miller defeated Rosholt via submission (modified guillotine choke) at 1:03 of round 1. This bout was aired on the live broadcast.

• Lightweight bout:   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...
  
   vs.   Rob Emerson
  Rob Emerson
  Robert Michael Emerson is an American mixed martial artist. Emerson is a former Pancrase and King of the Cage fighter. He was a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter 5.-The Ultimate Fighter:...
  
  

Pellegrino defeated Emerson via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:14 of round 2.

Main card

• Welterweight bout:   Luigi Fioravanti
  Luigi Fioravanti
  Luigi Fioravanti is an American mixed martial artist who fights out of Orlando, Florida with American Top Team. He was released by the UFC shortly after his first round TKO defeat to Anthony Johnson at UFC Fight Night 17...
  
   vs.   Anthony Johnson
  Anthony Johnson (fighter)
  Anthony Kewoa Johnson is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Amateur wrestling:...
  
  

Johnson defeated Fioravanti via TKO (strikes) at 4:39 of round 1.

• Lightweight bout:   Mac Danzig
  Mac Danzig
  Mac Danzig is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Background:...
  
   vs.   Josh Neer
  Josh Neer
  Joshua Martin Neer is an American mixed martial artist from Des Moines, Iowa who is currently under contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championships. He trains at The LifeLine Youth Foundation and The Des Moines Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Des Moines, Iowa. Neer is formerly an MFS Elite fighter...
  
  

Neer defeated Danzig via submission (triangle choke) at 3:36 of round 2.

• Heavyweight bout:   Cain Velasquez
  Cain Velasquez
  Cain Ramirez Velasquez is an American mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is a two-time All-American collegiate wrestler from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and a Junior College National Champ at Iowa...
  
   vs. Denis Stojnić
  Denis Stojnic
  |-| Win|align=center| 9–3| Mladen Kujundžić| Submission | Ultimate Glory 14| |align=center| 1|align=center| 4:59|Moscow, Russia||-| Win|align=center| 8–3| Stefan Traunmüller| Submission | Night Of Champions 3|...
  
  

Velasquez defeated Stojnić via TKO (strikes) at 2:34 of round 2.

• Lightweight bout:   Joe Lauzon
  Joe Lauzon
  Joseph 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.   Jeremy Stephens
  Jeremy Stephens
  Jeremy Dean Stephens is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter from Des Moines, Iowa. Stephens is currently signed under the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion, fighting in their lightweight division....
  
  

Lauzon defeated Stephens via submission (armbar) at 4:42 of round 2.

Bonus awards

Fighters were awarded $30,000 bonuses.

• Fights of the Night:   Mac Danzig vs.   Josh Neer
• Knockout of the Night:   Cain Velasquez
• Submission of the Night:   Joe Lauzon

Purses

• Joe Lauzon $20,000 (includes win bonus of $10,000) def. Jeremy Stephens $10,000
• Cain Velasquez $30,000 (includes win bonus of $15,000) def. Denis Stojnic $5,000
• Josh Neer $18,000 (includes win bonus of $9,000) def. Mac Danzig $15,000
• Anthony Johnson $26,000 (includes win bonus of $13,000) def. Luigi Fioravanti $13,000
• Kurt Pellegrino $32,000 (includes win bonus of $16,000) def. Rob Emerson $10,000
• Dan Miller $18,000 (includes win bonus of $9,000) def. Jake Rosholt $13,000
• Gleison Tibau $26,000 (includes win bonus of $13,000) def. Rich Clementi $23,000
• Matt Veach $6,000 (includes win bonus of $3,000) def. Matt Grice $7,000
• Nick Catone $6,000 (includes win bonus of $3,000) def. Derek Downey $3,000
• Matt Riddle $16,000 (includes win bonus of $8,000) def. Steve Bruno $7,000