UFC 47 Lineup Finalized
Feb 23, 2004
- Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell
- Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski
- Wesley Correira vs. Mike Kyle
- Jonathan Wiezorek vs. Wade Shipp
- Robbie Lawler vs. Nick Diaz
- Chris Lytle vs. Tiki Ghosn
- Yves Edwards vs. Hermes Franca
- Mike Brown vs. Genki Sudo
Tim Sylvia Returns To Meet Andrei Arlovski For
Heavyweight Crown In Co-Main Event of 8-Fight, All-Star Card
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Live event tickets, $350, $250, $150, $75 and $35, are now on sale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office in Las Vegas, at all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com and www.mandalaybay.com. Tickets also may be ordered by telephone at 1-877-632-7400 or 1-702-474-4000. Ticket purchases are limited to eight per transaction and are subject to transaction fees. UFC„µ 47: It¡¦s On! will be available on pay-per-view on iNDemand, DirecTV, Dish Network, TVN, Echostar, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada. The suggested retail price is $29.95.
In the co-main event, former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia
(18-0-0) from Davenport, Iowa, will return to the Octagon to meet
top contender Andrei Arlovski
(7-3-0) from Minsk, Belarus, for the heavyweight championship.
Fans, promoters and the media have been anticipating an Ortiz-Liddell fight since June 22, 2002, when Liddell won a unanimous decision over Vitor Belfort in Las Vegas to become the number one light heavyweight contender. Ortiz was then the champion, but due to injuries and a Hollywood movie commitment, never gave Liddell a title shot. UFC promoter, Zuffa, LLC, matched Liddell with former heavyweight champ Randy Couture for the interim belt. Couture moved down a weight division to take the fight.
He shocked the world by defeating Liddell by technical knockout at UFC 43: Meltdown June 6 in Las Vegas, then followed by taking Ortiz¡¦ belt outright at UFC 44: Undisputed on September 26. In a dramatic turn of events, both Ortiz (11-3-0) of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Liddell (12-3-0) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., are on the outside looking in and there is even more at stake. The winner gets back in the title hunt, while the loser goes to the end of the light heavyweight line.
¡§The UFC light heavyweight division is the most exciting in all combat sports, including boxing,¡¨ said UFC president Dana White. ¡§Right now, Vitor Belfort is the top dog. But, the level of competition can¡¦t be matched. A new champion could emerge at every event.¡¨
The Sylvia-Arlovski match up also has an interesting scenario. Both are coming off quick knockouts in their last fights. Arlovski defeated fellow countryman Vladimir Matyushenko with a wicked uppercut at the 2:14 mark of the first round on the under card of UFC 44: Undisputed.
Sylvia KO¡¦d Gan McGee on the same night at 1:54 of the first round to successfully defend his heavyweight title. But Sylvia relinquished his belt on October 15 when the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended his license four months from the date of the fight (Sept. 26) when a post-fight urinalysis indicated he had an anabolic agent in his body when he defeated McGee. Sylvia admitted his mistake before the Commission, has served his suspension and says he is back to reclaim his title.
The all-star, eight-fight card also will feature two additional heavyweight bouts, two welterweight fights and two lightweight matches, and is subject to change.
In heavyweight action, popular Hawaiian ¡§Cabbage¡¨ Correira (20-4-0) from Hilo will take on big Mike Kyle (10-2-0) from San Jose, Calif., and Jonathon Wiezorek
(5-0-0) from Valdosta, Ga., will meet Wade Shipp (6-1-0) from San Diego, Calif. The welterweight card will feature Robbie Lawler, one of the UFC¡¦s rising stars, (8-1-0) from Davenport, Iowa, versus Nick Diaz (8-2-0) from Stockton, Calif., and Chris Lytle (26-10-4) from Indianapolis, Ind., will meet Tiki Ghosn (9-3-0) from Huntington Beach, Calif. In the lightweight bouts, two top contenders, Yves Edwards (22-8-1) from Houston, Tex., and Hermes Franca (8-1-0) from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., will battle while Mike Brown (9-1-0) from Portland, Maine, will fight Japanese sensation Genki Sudo (8-3-1) from Tokyo, Japan.
Judges may need a seismograph for the Correira-Kyle fight. Both are big, strong power punchers who specialize in knockouts. Correira, who trains in Hilo with new Welterweight Champ BJ Penn, has won his last two UFC fights by TKO in typical Cabbage fashion with quick knees and devastating punches. At UFC 42: Sudden Impact last April, highly rated Sean Alvarez lasted until the 1:47 mark of the second round. At UFC 45: Revolution in November, Cabbage met UFC legend, Tank Abbott. It was the same story. Cabbage opened a deep cut on Tank¡¦s head at 2:14 of the first round and the fight was over. Kyle, who will be making his UFC debut, is from the same school. But, in addition to his punching power, he says his jiu jitsu skills are improving. ¡§My jiu jitsu has really gone up. I¡¦ve been working with Tim Lajcik, especially in getting up from underneath. It¡¦s one aspect of my repertoire that could be a surprise,¡¨ Kyle says.
In the other heavyweight fight, both Wiezorek and Shipp will be making their UFC debuts and both are submission/ground and pound fighters who like to end matches quickly. ¡§Chokes are my favorite technique,¡¨ says Wiezorek, whose undefeated record makes a statement. When he is not fighting or training, Wiezorek spends his time earning a masters degree in sports medicine and athletic training at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
¡§School comes first, but this fight is the opportunity of a lifetime,¡¨ he says. Shipp, who earned bachelors degrees in both biology and physical education at Norwich University in Vermont, has won six fights, three by TKO and three by submission, all in the first round. ¡§We are both fighting to earn a spot in the UFC heavyweight ranks. It should be a war,¡¨ Shipp adds.
Lawler, who now has his sights on Penn¡¦s welterweight title, is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Lytle at UFC 45: Revolution at The Mohegan Sun after a seven-month layoff due to a hip flexor injury. He is a powerful, explosive striker with a strong takedown defense who became an instant star with decisive victories over highly regarded welterweights Aaron Riley and Steve Berger, the latter by knockout before cameras for Fox Sports Net¡¦s Best Damned Sports Show Period! But, he will have his hands full with Diaz. A jiu jitsu fighter managed by Cesar Gracie, Diaz¡¦ biggest weapon is his endurance and his favorite technique is the triangle choke. In his last UFC fight at 44: Undisputed, he defeated long-time antagonist Jeremy Jackson with an arm bar tap out at 2:04 of the second round.
The Lytle-Ghosn fight will be a battle of veteran welterweights. But, Lawler is the common denominator. Lytle¡¦s battle with Lawler at 45 was much closer than the decision. Lytle hung tough with Lawler for all three rounds until he was knocked down at the midway point of the third. Lytle is a well-rounded fighter who combines boxing, jiu jitsu and wrestling to submit opponents. ¡§I strike well but submissions are my strength. Most of my victories have been by submission, which seems to be happening less in mixed martial arts,¡¨ he said. Ghosn is a submission and kickboxing specialist who is an excellent stand-up fighter. He took on Lawler at UFC 40: Vendetta and after landing three pinpoint kicks early in the fight, got a little too close to Lawler¡¦s powerful right hand at the 1:29 mark of the first round. Both fighters will be looking for redemption in this fight.
The Edwards-Franca bout will pit two of the UFC¡¦s top lightweights. In his last UFC fight, Edwards defeated Nick Agallar by TKO in the second round at UFC 45: Revolution. He is a Thugjitsu fighter who is an excellent striker, dangerous in the clinch and well versed on the ground. He continues to improve his boxing skills by training with Kenny Weldon, who helped build heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield¡¦s career. Franca, who trains with the American Top Team in Ft. Lauderdale, is a native of Forteleza, Brazil, with impeccable jiu jitsu credentials. He can dominate a fight on the ground with his submission skills or standing up with his punching power.
Brown will make his UFC debut against Sudo, who is one of the world¡¦s most capable and popular MMA lightweight fighters. The colorful Japanese veteran always keeps opponents off-stride with his ¡§Bushido¡¨ (the Samurai way) fighting style. ¡§But, I am not just about fighting technique. My whole philosophy is based on how I live as a warrior. The image I project is that I am liquid, not solid. Being like water means that I can take many shapes and forms, adapting myself to win any fight,¡¨ he says. But his unorthodox style is a complete package of solid strikes with excellent grappling and submission technique.
Brown is impressed that he is matched with Sudo, but is not overwhelmed. A strong wrestler and boxer, Brown admits that he is ¡§a big fan of Genki. He is one of the most entertaining fighters in the world with great wrestling, submission and striking skills.¡¨ But Brown also says that his biggest strength in a fight is his heart and the desire to win. ¡§The UFC is the pinnacle of our sport. I¡¦ll be ready.¡¨
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