UFC 92: Rashad Evans and Frank Mir Claim Titles
UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 closed the year with two championship changes and a decisive chapter in a long-running rivalry. Held on December 27, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the event saw Rashad Evans take Forrest Griffin’s light heavyweight title, Frank Mir claim the interim heavyweight belt from Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson knock out Wanderlei Silva.
Video: Frank Mir discusses his matchup with Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira before UFC 92.
Evans finds the opening against Griffin
The main event matched two winners of The Ultimate Fighter who had progressed from the reality show to championship competition. Griffin entered as champion after beating Jackson, while Evans had earned his opportunity following a spectacular knockout of Chuck Liddell. Their meeting gave the series a particularly visible place in the UFC’s title picture.
Griffin’s height, reach and kicking offense made the first two rounds difficult for the challenger. Evans had moments of success, but closing the distance carried a cost. The fight changed in Round 3 when Evans caught a kick and brought Griffin down, creating the ground exchanges that decided the championship.
Evans remained on top and applied damaging strikes. A sustained barrage forced referee Steve Mazzagatti to intervene at 2:46 of the third round. The result was a TKO from punches, with Evans leaving as the new light heavyweight champion after having to solve a difficult matchup rather than simply finding an early finish.
Mir wins the interim heavyweight championship
Frank Mir’s contest with Nogueira carried both championship stakes and the familiarity of two coaches from The Ultimate Fighter’s eighth season. Nogueira’s reputation for resilience made him a demanding opponent, but Mir’s boxing gave the bout its direction from the opening round.
Mir scored knockdowns and kept the action centered on striking instead of following the Brazilian into extended submission exchanges. In the second round, another attack sent Nogueira down, and Mir followed with punches. Herb Dean halted the fight at 1:54, giving Mir the interim heavyweight title and a route toward a unification bout with Brock Lesnar.
For Mir, the result also marked a major stage in his comeback from the motorcycle accident that had interrupted his earlier championship reign. It restored a championship belt to his career while producing an unusual sight: Nogueira being stopped inside the distance.
Jackson gets revenge in the rivalry with Silva
Jackson and Silva had already met twice in PRIDE, with Silva winning both encounters. At UFC 92, the third meeting ended in the opposite direction. Jackson landed a counter left hook that dropped his rival, and the fight was over at 3:21 of the first round.
The knockout gave Jackson a forceful finish to a year that had included losing his title to Griffin. Elsewhere on the main card, C.B. Dollaway stopped Mike Massenzio at 3:01 of Round 1, while Cheick Kongo defeated Mostapha Al-Turk at 4:37 of the first. Every main-card bout ended by knockout or technical knockout.
Heavyweight newcomers and established contenders on the preliminaries
Yushin Okami beat Dean Lister by unanimous decision, adding a three-round middleweight victory to the card. Brad Blackburn also went the distance, defeating Ryo Chonan at welterweight. Those two decisions provided a different rhythm from the string of stoppages around them.
Antoni Hardonk stopped late replacement Mike Wessel in the second round, and Matt Hamill finished Reese Andy in that same round. Pat Barry made a successful UFC debut by stopping Dan Evensen with leg kicks. His finish offered an immediate introduction to the striking ability he brought from kickboxing into MMA.
Complete UFC 92 results
Main card
- Rashad Evans def. Forrest Griffin — TKO, Round 3, 2:46; won the light heavyweight title.
- Frank Mir def. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira — TKO, Round 2, 1:54; won the interim heavyweight title.
- C.B. Dollaway def. Mike Massenzio — TKO, Round 1, 3:01.
- Quinton Jackson def. Wanderlei Silva — KO, Round 1, 3:21.
- Cheick Kongo def. Mostapha Al-Turk — TKO, Round 1, 4:37.
Preliminary card
- Yushin Okami def. Dean Lister — unanimous decision, Round 3, 5:00.
- Antoni Hardonk def. Mike Wessel — TKO, Round 2, 2:09.
- Matt Hamill def. Reese Andy — TKO, Round 2, 2:19.
- Brad Blackburn def. Ryo Chonan — unanimous decision, Round 3, 5:00.
- Pat Barry def. Dan Evensen — TKO (leg kicks), Round 1, 2:36.
An emphatic end to 2008
The event’s lasting importance lies in how much it changed in one evening. Evans and Mir emerged with championship belts, Jackson gained a long-awaited victory over Silva, and the supporting card added heavyweight finishes and decision wins. UFC 92 delivered a year-end spectacle whose central stories all had clear competitive consequences.
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UFC 92, Rashad Evans, Frank Mir, Forrest Griffin, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, UFC Results
