UFC 33’s Championship Marathon: Ortiz and Pulver Retain
UFC 33: Victory in Vegas took place on September 28, 2001, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The card featured three championship fights: Tito Ortiz defended the light heavyweight title against Vladimir Matyushenko, Jens Pulver put the lightweight belt on the line against Dennis Hallman, and Dave Menne and Gil Castillo competed for the inaugural UFC middleweight championship. All three title bouts went to the judges.
Three title fights, three decisions
Ortiz and Matyushenko went the full five rounds in the main event. The judges awarded Ortiz a unanimous decision, preserving his place as light heavyweight champion. Matyushenko pushed the champion through the distance, but did not take the belt.
Pulver also retained his championship by unanimous decision, defeating Hallman over five rounds. The third title bout established a new champion: Menne beat Castillo by unanimous decision to become the UFC’s first middleweight champion. Rather than a night of sudden title changes or knockout finishes, UFC 33 was defined by long title contests decided on the scorecards.
The rest of the card
Chuck Liddell earned a unanimous decision over Murilo Bustamante, while Matt Serra took a majority decision against Yves Edwards. On the preliminary card, Ricardo Almeida submitted Eugene Jackson with a triangle choke, Jutaro Nakao knocked out Tony DeSouza with a punch, and Din Thomas won a unanimous decision over Fabiano Iha.
Official results
- Tito Ortiz def. Vladimir Matyushenko — light heavyweight title, unanimous decision.
- Jens Pulver def. Dennis Hallman — lightweight title, unanimous decision.
- Dave Menne def. Gil Castillo — middleweight title, unanimous decision.
- Chuck Liddell def. Murilo Bustamante — unanimous decision.
- Matt Serra def. Yves Edwards — majority decision.
- Ricardo Almeida def. Eugene Jackson — submission (triangle choke), round 1, 4:06.
- Jutaro Nakao def. Tony DeSouza — KO (punch), round 2, 0:15.
- Din Thomas def. Fabiano Iha — unanimous decision.
UFC 33 placed three championship bouts on one card, each lasting the full scheduled distance. Ortiz retained at light heavyweight, Pulver kept the lightweight title, and Menne became the inaugural middleweight champion. The all-decision outcome made this an unusual event for a promotion better known at the time for tournament finishes and stoppages. It also established the middleweight championship through a bout rather than a tournament. official UFC 33 event record.
Sources
Article Tags
Tito Ortiz, Jens Pulver, Dave Menne, Gil Castillo, UFC 33, MMA History, Fight Results
