UFC 24: Randleman Injury Cancels Rizzo Fight
UFC 24: First Defense was held on March 10, 2000, at the Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The event’s name refers to heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman’s scheduled first title defense against Pedro Rizzo. That fight did not take place: Randleman suffered a concussion after a backstage fall, and the bout was rescheduled for UFC 26.
Seven completed bouts
Without the title fight, seven bouts made up the card. Lance Gibson stopped Jermaine Andre, Jens Pulver scored a TKO over David Velasquez, and Scott Adams submitted Ian Freeman. Dave Menne beat Fabiano Iha by unanimous decision, Shonie Carter beat Brad Gumm by unanimous decision, and Bob Cook submitted Tiki Ghosn.
Official results
- Tedd Williams def. Steve Judson by KO/TKO, round 1, 3:23.
- Lance Gibson def. Jermaine Andre by KO/TKO, round 3, 3:35.
- Dave Menne def. Fabiano Iha by unanimous decision after three rounds.
- Bob Cook def. Tiki Ghosn by submission, round 2, 1:29.
- Jens Pulver def. David Velasquez by KO/TKO, round 2, 2:41.
- Scott Adams def. Ian Freeman by submission, round 1, 3:09.
- Shonie Carter def. Brad Gumm by unanimous decision after two rounds.
The title fight’s cancellation changed the meaning of UFC 24’s name: Randleman did not make the advertised first defense against Rizzo at this event. The UFC’s account says a backstage fall caused the concussion, and the matchup was moved to UFC 26. The bouts that did take place included tournament-era competitors and veterans, but none replaced the scheduled heavyweight championship contest. Keeping that cancellation in the event summary prevents readers from assuming the title was defended on March 10. UFC account of the event.
The matchup was later held at UFC 26, where Randleman and Rizzo finally contested the heavyweight title. As a result, UFC 24’s original billing does not match the completed card: the audience saw seven fights, but not the advertised championship defense. The UFC’s retrospective notes the backstage fall that caused the change, and its event archive records the bouts that actually took place. This distinction matters when using the event name to identify the historical results. UFC event history.
Sources
Article Tags
UFC 24, Kevin Randleman, Pedro Rizzo, Jens Pulver, UFC History
