UFC 38’s London Breakthrough: Hughes Stops Carlos Newton
UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall took place on July 13, 2002, at Royal Albert Hall in London, England. It was the UFC’s first event in the United Kingdom. The main event brought welterweight champion Matt Hughes together with former champion Carlos Newton for their long-awaited rematch.
Hughes and Newton meet again
Hughes and Newton had first fought for the welterweight title at UFC 34, where Hughes won after a slam knocked Newton unconscious. In London, Newton challenged for the belt again. The rematch reached the fourth round, when Hughes finished with punches at 3:37 to retain the championship. The result settled the rivalry in Hughes’ favor and kept him at the top of the division.
The heavyweight co-main event delivered another finish: Ian Freeman stopped Frank Mir with punches at 4:35 of the first round. Mark Weir needed only ten seconds to knock out Eugene Jackson. Genki Sudo submitted Leigh Remedios with a rear-naked choke, and Phillip Miller defeated James Zikic by unanimous decision. The preliminary bouts saw Renato Sobral and Evan Tanner each earn unanimous decisions.
Freeman gives London a home victory
Freeman’s win was more than another heavyweight stoppage. Mir arrived unbeaten and posed a serious submission threat, but Freeman survived his attacks and answered with sustained strikes. A pause to replace Mir’s mouthpiece exposed how badly he had been hurt: he struggled to stand, and the referee ended the contest. Alongside Weir’s ten-second knockout, the upset gave the British crowd two emphatic victories to celebrate on the UFC’s first visit.
The venue added to the occasion. Royal Albert Hall brought the Octagon into one of London’s best-known performance spaces, while the card offered a compact introduction to the sport’s range: championship wrestling and ground strikes, explosive knockouts, submission grappling and three bouts decided over the full distance. Hughes left with his belt, but the local fighters helped make the night memorable for the audience.
UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall results
- Welterweight title: Matt Hughes def. Carlos Newton by TKO (punches), Round 4, 3:37 — Hughes retained the title.
- Ian Freeman def. Frank Mir by TKO (punches), Round 1, 4:35.
- Mark Weir def. Eugene Jackson by KO (punch), Round 1, 0:10.
- Genki Sudo def. Leigh Remedios by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 1:38.
- Phillip Miller def. James Zikic by unanimous decision.
- Renato Sobral def. Elvis Sinosic by unanimous decision.
- Evan Tanner def. Chris Haseman by unanimous decision.
Sources
Article Tags
Matt Hughes, Carlos Newton, Ian Freeman, Frank Mir, UFC 38, MMA History, Fight Results
