UFC 66
Encyclopedia
UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz was a mixed martial arts
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
on December 30, 2006 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas
, Nevada
http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=eventdetail.fightCard&eid=326.
defending his title against former champion Tito Ortiz
. This fight was first announced by Ortiz at the UFC 63
weigh-ins on September 22, 2006.
The co-main event saw Forrest Griffin
take on "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine
. The card and also saw the return of Andrei Arlovski
and The Ultimate Fighter 3
winner Michael Bisping
's first bout in the UFC since winning that season. During the event, it was made official that Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
had signed a contract with the UFC, and would make his debut with the organization at UFC 67
.
The event was the UFC's first show at MGM Grand Arena
since UFC 56
, and was nearly sold-out, producing the highest live gate revenue in North American mixed martial arts history, extending the previous record at UFC 57
by over $2,000,000 (USD). At the time, it was estimated to be the UFC's biggest pay-per-view success with just over 1 million buys.
The disclosed fighter payroll for the event was $767,000.
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 December 30, 2006 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena 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...
http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=eventdetail.fightCard&eid=326.
Background
UFC 66s main event was a championship fight with two of the UFC's biggest light heavyweight stars, Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck LiddellChuck Liddell
Charles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
defending his title against former champion Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
. This fight was first announced by Ortiz at the UFC 63
UFC 63
UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 23, 2006. The event took place at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada....
weigh-ins on September 22, 2006.
The co-main event saw 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....
take on "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine
Keith Jardine
Keith Hector Jardine is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division and is best known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
. The card and also saw the return of Andrei Arlovski
Andrei Arlovski
Andrei Valeryevich Arlovski is a Belarusian kickboxer, mixed martial artist and a former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion.-Biography:...
and 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...
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...
's first bout in the UFC since winning that season. During the event, it was made official that Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
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...
had signed a contract with the UFC, and would make his debut with the organization at UFC 67
UFC 67
UFC 67: All or Nothing was a mixed martial arts event held by Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held Saturday, February 3, 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada...
.
The event was the UFC's first show at MGM Grand Arena
MGM Grand Arena
MGM Grand Garden Arena is located in the MGM Grand in Paradise, Nevada, USA, and is patterned after New York's Madison Square Garden. The arena has a seating capacity of 16,800 people and is located at 3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South.-Notable events hosted:...
since UFC 56
UFC 56
UFC 56: Full Force was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 19, 2005. It was held at the MGM Grand Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and released on DVD.-History:Headlining the card were the...
, and was nearly sold-out, producing the highest live gate revenue in North American mixed martial arts history, extending the previous record at UFC 57
UFC 57
UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 4, 2006. It was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, and broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States.Headlining the card was an anticipated...
by over $2,000,000 (USD). At the time, it was estimated to be the UFC's biggest pay-per-view success with just over 1 million buys.
The disclosed fighter payroll for the event was $767,000.
Preliminary card
- Heavyweight bout:
Christian WellischChristian WellischChristian Wellisch is a Hungarian-American former mixed martial arts fighter. He most recently competed as a light heavyweight in the UFC.-Mixed martial arts career:...
vs.
Anthony PeroshAnthony PeroshAnthony Perosh is an Australian mixed martial artist competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He competes in the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions...
- Wellisch defeated Perosh via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–27).
- Middleweight bout:
Yushin OkamiYushin Okamiis a Japanese mixed martial artist. He currently fights at middleweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship . Okami is currently ranked the #3 best middleweight in the world by Sherdog and the #2 best middleweight by MMAWeekly....
vs.
Rory SingerRory SingerRory Michael Singer is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a middleweight.Although Rory had begun making a name for himself as a 185 pound prospect; his big break came after meeting the producers of TUF. They were filming Forrest Griffin at The HardCore Gym for his fight...
- Middleweight bout:
- Okami defeated Singer via submission (punches) at 4:03 of round 3. Singer was a late replacement for David TerrellDavid Terrell (fighter)David Michael Terrell is a retired American mixed martial artist from Santa Rosa, California. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie, no one has scored a point against Terrell in a grappling match...
, who withdrew due to an elbow injury.- Heavyweight bout:
Gabriel GonzagaGabriel GonzagaGabriel 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...
vs. Carmelo MarreroCarmelo MarreroCarmelo Marrero is an American mixed martial artist with a record of 14 wins and 5 losses. He is best known for handing UFC heavyweight Cheick Kongo his first loss inside the octagon....
- Heavyweight bout:
- Gonzaga defeated Marrero via submission (armbar) at 3:22 of round one. This bout aired last on the PPV broadcast following the Liddell vs. Ortiz fight.
- 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.
Tony DeSouza
- Welterweight bout:
- Alves defeated DeSouza via KO (knee) at 1:10 of round 2. This bout aired on the PPV broadcast following the Griffin vs. Jardine fight.
- After the fight Alves tested positive for spironolactoneSpironolactoneSpironolactone , commonly referred to as simply spiro, is a diuretic and is used as an antiandrogen.It is a synthetic 17-lactone drug that is a renal competitive aldosterone antagonist in a class of pharmaceuticals called...
. He was fined $5,500 by the NSAC and suspended for eight months. http://mmajunkie.com/news/1949/thiago-alves-suspended-eight-months-fined-5500-by-nsac.mma Alves is the first fighter in Nevada to ever test positive for a diureticDiureticA diuretic provides a means of forced diuresis which elevates the rate of urination. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.- Medical uses :...
.
Main card
- 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. Eric SchaferEric SchaferEric John Schafer is an American mixed martial artist who competes a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Background and early career:Schafer attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh....
- Bisping defeated Schafer via TKO (punches) at 4:24 of round 1.
- Heavyweight bout:
Andrei ArlovskiAndrei ArlovskiAndrei Valeryevich Arlovski is a Belarusian kickboxer, mixed martial artist and a former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion.-Biography:...
vs. Márcio CruzMárcio CruzMárcio "Pé de Pano" Cruz is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist. In BJJ, he is a third degree black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr....
- Arlovski defeated Cruz via KO (punches) at 3:15 of round 1.
- Middleweight bout: Chris LebenChris LebenChristian Cyrus Leben is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights as a middleweight....
vs.
Jason MacDonaldJason MacDonaldJason Anthony MacDonald is a Canadian mixed martial artist who is currently fighting with the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a middleweight. He is also a veteran of the Maximum Fighting Championship and TKO Major League MMA in his native country of Canada...
- MacDonald defeated Leben via technical submission (guillotine choke) at 4:01 of round 2.
- 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. Keith JardineKeith JardineKeith Hector Jardine is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division and is best known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
- Jardine defeated Griffin via TKO (punches) at 4:41 of round 1.
- Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Chuck LiddellChuck LiddellCharles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
(c) vs. Tito OrtizTito OrtizJacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
- Liddell defeated Ortiz via TKO (punches) at 3:57 of round 3 to retain the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Purses
UFC 66 Fighters' Salaries- Chuck Liddell: $250,000 ($250,000 to fight; no win bonus)
- Tito Ortiz: $210,000 ($210,000 to fight; no win bonus)
- Keith Jardine: $14,000 ($7,000 to fight; $7,000 win bonus)
- Forrest Griffin: $16,000 ($16,000 to fight; no win bonus)
- Jason MacDonald: $10,000 ($5,000 to fight; $5,000 win bonus)
- Chris Leben: $7,000 ($7,000 to fight; no win bonus)
- Andrei Arlovski: $145,000 ($90,000 to fight; $55,000 win bonus)
- Marcio Cruz: $5,000 ($5,000 to fight; no win bonus)
- Michael Bisping: $24,000 ($12,000 to fight; $12,000 win bonus)
- Eric Schafer: $4,000 ($4,000 to fight; no win bonus)
- Thiago Alves: $22,000 ($11,000 to fight; $11,000 win bonus)
- Tony DeSouza: $7,000 ($7,000 to fight; no win bonus)
- Gabriel Gonzaga: $18,000 ($9,000 to fight; $9,000 win bonus)
- Carmelo Marrero: $5,000 ($5,000 to fight; no win bonus)
- Yushin Okami: $16,000 ($8,000 to fight; $8,000 win bonus)
- Rory Singer: $5,000 ($5,000 to fight; no win bonus)
- Christian Wellisch: $6,000 ($3,000 to fight; $3,000 win bonus)
- Anthony Perosh: $3,000 ($3,000 to fight; no win bonus)