UFC 73: Silva Stops Marquardt, Sherk Retains Against Franca
UFC 73: Stacked brought two championship fights and several established names to the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California, on July 7, 2007. Anderson Silva defended the middleweight belt against Nate Marquardt, while Sean Sherk faced Hermes Franca for the lightweight championship. The two champions left with their belts, but their victories unfolded at very different speeds.
Silva finishes Marquardt in the opening round
Marquardt offered a credible test for Silva: an experienced contender with a strong grappling background rather than a challenger expected simply to trade strikes. He took the champion down during the first round, giving the fight an early tactical dimension. Silva remained dangerous after the action returned to the feet.
A straight left helped turn the contest in Silva’s favor. The champion then established a position above Marquardt and delivered the punches that brought referee John McCarthy in to stop the fight at 4:50 of round one. It was a successful middleweight title defense, accomplished before the first break. Silva’s earlier win over Travis Lutter at UFC 67 had been a non-title bout after Lutter missed weight.
Sherk’s wrestling carries him through five rounds
The lightweight championship required much more work. Franca threatened Sherk with an early guillotine and landed hard knees as the champion entered for takedowns. Those moments made the challenger a threat even when Sherk controlled much of the positional battle.
Sherk repeatedly survived the danger, returned to his wrestling, and worked from top position. Franca remained difficult to finish, so the defense became a sustained test of control and endurance. After 25 minutes, the judges awarded Sherk a unanimous decision, with scores of 50–45, 50–45, and 49–46. The result on the night kept the lightweight belt with its holder.
Ortiz and Evans finish level
Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans fought to a unanimous draw, with all three judges scoring the bout 28–28. Ortiz had success early, but a second-round fence grab cost him a point. Evans survived a late guillotine threat in that round and finished stronger in the third, including a takedown near the final horn.
The deduction was central to the result. It left neither light heavyweight with a victory, even though each had periods of effective offense. The draw also preserved Evans’s unbeaten professional record while leaving the rivalry without a clear winner.
Nogueira survives a scare in his UFC debut
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s arrival supplied another major attraction. Facing Heath Herring again after their PRIDE meetings, the former PRIDE heavyweight champion was badly hurt by a head kick late in round one. Herring could not finish him, and Nogueira recovered sufficiently to regain his rhythm.
Nogueira used his boxing and grappling across the remaining rounds to earn a unanimous decision, 29–28 on every card. His debut combined the danger of a sudden reversal with the persistence that had already defined much of his career.
The remaining results
Kenny Florian stopped Alvin Robinson with punches at 4:30 of round one; Robinson submitted to the strikes. Stephan Bonnar submitted Mike Nickels with a rear-naked choke at 2:14 of the first round. Jorge Gurgel defeated Diego Saraiva by unanimous decision.
Chris Lytle submitted Jason Gilliam at 2:15 of round one with an arm lock while controlling him in an inverted triangle. Frankie Edgar stopped Mark Bocek with punches at 4:55 of the opening round. Those bouts completed a nine-fight card whose championship defenses, heavyweight debut, and unresolved light heavyweight rivalry justified its “Stacked” billing.
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UFC 73, Anderson Silva, Nate Marquardt, Sean Sherk, Hermes Franca, UFC Results
