UFC 45: Hughes Chokes Out Trigg as the UFC Marks Ten Years

Matt Hughes retained the UFC welterweight championship by submitting Frank Trigg at UFC 45 on November 21, 2003. The anniversary event took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, bringing a championship finish to a night celebrating the promotion’s first decade.

Hughes ends the championship contest

Hughes ended the main event with a rear-naked choke at 3:54 of the opening round. Trigg’s first UFC appearance therefore became another successful defense for the established champion, whose wrestling and submission threat continued to define the welterweight title picture.

The card also connected familiar names from different stages of the organization’s history. Wesley ‘Cabbage’ Correira defeated Tank Abbott by first-round doctor stoppage, while Evan Tanner stopped Phil Baroni with strikes in the first round. Both contests ended before the opening five minutes had elapsed.

Veterans and contenders share the stage

Robbie Lawler defeated Chris Lytle by unanimous decision after three rounds. Pedro Rizzo also went the distance, earning a unanimous decision over former heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez. Those longer contests provided a different rhythm from the evening’s rapid finishes.

Elsewhere, Matt Lindland stopped Falaniko Vitale in the third round. Keith Rockel submitted Chris Liguori with a first-round guillotine, and Yves Edwards finished Nick Agallar in the second. Hughes supplied the championship headline, but the supporting results gave the anniversary show substance across several weight classes. A submission in the main event closed a card that mixed established veterans with fighters still building their UFC careers.

Sources

• UFC 45: Revolution event archive
• ufc.com: on this day ufc 45 revolution
• sherdog.com: UFC 45 Revolution 1863

Article Tags

UFC 45, UFC history, MMA