UFC 19: Ortiz Gets Revenge as Randleman Arrives
Tito Ortiz defeated Guy Mezger in their rematch at UFC 19: Ultimate Young Guns on March 5, 1999. The event at Casino Magic in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, also featured Kevin Randleman’s first UFC appearance and a significant early defeat for Chuck Liddell.
Ortiz reverses the first meeting
Mezger had submitted Ortiz at UFC 13. In the return meeting, Ortiz used wrestling and strikes on the ground to reverse the result, winning by TKO at 9:56. The victory added another heated chapter to a rivalry that had already helped establish Ortiz’s place in the promotion.
Randleman faced former heavyweight champion Maurice Smith in his debut and won a unanimous decision. That result immediately put the newcomer alongside established heavyweight opposition, giving the card another important career milestone beyond its main event.
Horn catches Liddell
Jeremy Horn defeated Liddell by technical submission with an arm-triangle choke. Their contest reached the twelve-minute mark before the finish, providing a different kind of conclusion from the card’s striking stoppages. Pete Williams also won by submission, catching Jason Godsey with a kneebar.
Elsewhere, Evan Tanner stopped Valeri Ignatov with elbows, Gary Goodridge finished Andre Roberts with punches and Sione Latu defeated Joey Roberts by a cut stoppage. The seven-bout card produced a combination of quick finishes and extended contests. Ortiz’s revenge, Randleman’s arrival and Horn’s submission victory gave UFC 19 lasting connections to several of the organization’s best-known early careers.
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UFC 19, UFC history, MMA
