UFC 83: St-Pierre Regains Welterweight Title
UFC 83: Serra vs. St-Pierre 2 took place on April 19, 2008, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. It was the UFC’s first event in Canada and featured Georges St-Pierre challenging Matt Serra for the undisputed welterweight championship in front of a heavily pro-St-Pierre crowd.
St-Pierre avenges the Serra upset
Serra had stunned St-Pierre at UFC 69 to take the welterweight championship. By UFC 83, St-Pierre had rebuilt his position with wins over Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes, the latter giving him the interim title.
The rematch looked very different. St-Pierre repeatedly used takedowns, top control and ground offense to keep Serra from establishing his striking. Late in the second round, he trapped Serra against the fence and attacked the body with knees until referee Yves Lavigne stopped the fight at 4:45. St-Pierre became the undisputed welterweight champion.
Franklin stops Lutter
Former middleweight champion Rich Franklin survived Travis Lutter’s early grappling attacks, forced the fight back into striking range and took over as Lutter faded. Franklin finished with punches at 3:01 of round two.
Quarry-Starnes becomes a strange footnote
Nate Quarry defeated Kalib Starnes by unanimous decision in a fight remembered for Starnes repeatedly retreating around the cage. Quarry attempted to engage throughout and won all three rounds.
Bisping, Danzig and Maia earn finishes
Michael Bisping defeated Charles McCarthy by TKO after McCarthy could not continue following the first round because of an arm injury. Mac Danzig submitted Mark Bocek with a rear-naked choke at 3:48 of round three. Demian Maia put Ed Herman unconscious with a triangle choke at 2:27 of round two.
Jason MacDonald stopped Joe Doerksen with elbows, Jason Day upset Alan Belcher by first-round TKO, Rich Clementi edged Sam Stout by split decision, and Jonathan Goulet stopped Kuniyoshi Hironaka with punches in round two.
Velasquez makes his UFC debut
Cain Velasquez entered the UFC with a first-round stoppage of Brad Morris, winning by TKO at 2:10. The performance offered an early look at the pace and pressure that would eventually carry Velasquez to the heavyweight championship.
Why UFC 83 mattered
UFC 83 was a milestone for both St-Pierre and the promotion. St-Pierre regained the undisputed title in his home province and began the championship run that defined the prime of his career. The event also demonstrated the UFC’s growing reach by staging its first event in Canada before a packed Montreal crowd.
The card also featured early UFC appearances from future heavyweight champion Velasquez and long-term contender Maia, giving the event importance beyond the championship rematch.
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Article Tags
UFC 83, Georges St-Pierre, Matt Serra, Welterweight Championship, UFC Results
