UFC 94: St-Pierre Stops Penn
UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2 took place on January 31, 2009, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The welterweight title rematch brought reigning champion Georges St-Pierre together with lightweight champion B.J. Penn, who moved up in weight to pursue a second belt. St-Pierre retained his championship after four rounds, while Lyoto Machida delivered a first-round knockout in the co-main event.
Video: UFC’s later Hall of Fame retrospective on Georges St-Pierre’s career. It provides career context rather than a replay of the UFC 94 main event.
A rematch between two reigning champions
St-Pierre and Penn had first fought in 2006, when the Canadian won a split decision. Their second meeting carried different stakes: St-Pierre was defending the welterweight championship, and Penn arrived holding the lightweight title. The prospect of one fighter simultaneously owning both belts gave the rematch an appeal beyond a single division.
The opening round featured clinch work and attempts to establish control, but the contest became increasingly one-sided as St-Pierre’s takedowns and top pressure took effect. Penn had fewer opportunities to create offense, while the champion continued to build his advantage through positional control and strikes.
By the end of the fourth round, Penn’s corner had seen enough. He did not return for the fifth, making the official result a TKO at 5:00 of Round 4. St-Pierre’s second victory over Penn was much clearer than their first and reinforced his position at the top of the welterweight division.
Machida removes doubt with a last-second knockout
The co-main event matched two unbeaten Brazilian light heavyweights. Thiago Silva entered with a reputation for aggressive finishing, while Machida’s unusual movement and counterstriking had made him a difficult opponent to solve. A victory would strengthen either man’s championship case.
Machida produced the decisive answer. He punished Silva’s attempts to close distance and finished him with punches at 4:59 of the first round, just before the horn. The result kept Machida unbeaten and helped earn him a title fight with Rashad Evans later that year.
The performance also gave Machida a forceful response to doubts about his ability to finish at UFC level. His approach remained centered on timing and accuracy, but the outcome left little ambiguity: the co-main event had ended with a knockout rather than another judges’ decision.
Jones and Guida win, while another result later changes
Jon Jones defeated Stephan Bonnar by unanimous decision in a three-round light heavyweight bout. Still early in his UFC career, Jones added a recognizable name to his record on one of the promotion’s most prominent cards. Clay Guida also earned a win, taking a split decision over Nate Diaz at lightweight.
Karo Parisyan initially received a split-decision victory over Dong Hyun Kim. That result did not stand. In March 2009, the Nevada State Athletic Commission overturned it after Parisyan’s positive test for banned painkillers. The bout is therefore listed below as a no contest, preserving the later official outcome rather than the announcement made on fight night.
Every preliminary bout reaches the scorecards
Jon Fitch defeated Akihiro Gono by unanimous decision, returning to the win column after his title challenge against St-Pierre. Thiago Tavares also won unanimously, beating Manny Gamburyan in a lightweight contest. Both results came after the full three rounds.
The remaining preliminary fights all ended in split decisions. John Howard defeated Chris Wilson in his UFC debut, Jake O’Brien beat Christian Wellisch, and Dan Cramer defeated Matt Arroyo. Those close outcomes meant the opening half of the event unfolded at a very different pace from Machida’s sudden co-main finish.
Complete UFC 94 results
Main card
- Georges St-Pierre def. B.J. Penn — TKO (corner stoppage), Round 4, 5:00; retained the welterweight title.
- Lyoto Machida def. Thiago Silva — KO, Round 1, 4:59.
- Jon Jones def. Stephan Bonnar — unanimous decision, Round 3, 5:00.
- Karo Parisyan vs. Dong Hyun Kim — no contest (original Parisyan split-decision win overturned), Round 3, 5:00.
- Clay Guida def. Nate Diaz — split decision, Round 3, 5:00.
Preliminary card
- Jon Fitch def. Akihiro Gono — unanimous decision, Round 3, 5:00.
- Thiago Tavares def. Manny Gamburyan — unanimous decision, Round 3, 5:00.
- John Howard def. Chris Wilson — split decision, Round 3, 5:00.
- Jake O’Brien def. Christian Wellisch — split decision, Round 3, 5:00.
- Dan Cramer def. Matt Arroyo — split decision, Round 3, 5:00.
Two decisive performances anchor the event
St-Pierre’s sustained control and Machida’s precise finish gave UFC 94 its principal images. The supporting bouts added emerging talent and closely scored contests, while the later Parisyan ruling became part of the event’s permanent record. A full account of the night includes all of those stories alongside the championship rematch.
Sources
Article Tags
UFC 94, Georges St-Pierre, B.J. Penn, Lyoto Machida, Thiago Silva, UFC Results
