UFC 47: Liddell Stops Ortiz as Nick Diaz Stuns Robbie Lawler

UFC 47: It’s On! took place on April 2, 2004, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz finally met in a light heavyweight main event, with Liddell ending the contest early in round two. Nick Diaz supplied another memorable knockout against Robbie Lawler on an eight-fight card that featured seven finishes.

Liddell and Ortiz finally meet

The headline matchup brought together two fighters whose rivalry had become a major UFC attraction. Both had lost to Randy Couture in 2003, and neither was defending a championship at UFC 47. Their meeting carried personal and divisional importance, but it was a non-title fight.

Liddell stopped Ortiz with punches 38 seconds into the second round. The result gave their first competitive meeting a clear conclusion and provided the event’s defining moment. For Liddell, beating Ortiz was a significant victory on his route through the light heavyweight division; for Ortiz, it was another setback after losing his belt to Couture.

The distinction between a headline rivalry and a championship contest matters here. Liddell did not win the title that night, and Couture was not his opponent. UFC 47 is remembered because the long-awaited Liddell–Ortiz fight finally happened and ended decisively, setting a foundation for their later meetings.

Diaz knocks out Lawler

Diaz and Lawler entered as young welterweights, with the matchup placing their striking and toughness in direct competition. Diaz finished Lawler with a punch at 1:31 of round two. For a fighter strongly associated with grappling, winning this way made the performance particularly memorable.

The bout supplied the card with a second lasting rivalry moment. It also illustrates why an event’s historical significance can extend beyond its main event: the same evening contained an anticipated light heavyweight clash and a welterweight knockout involving two names that would remain prominent in the sport.

Arlovski, Lytle and the supporting card

Andrei Arlovski stopped Wesley Correira with punches in the second round. Chris Lytle submitted Tiki Ghosn with a bulldog choke, also in round two. Yves Edwards defeated Hermes Franca by split decision, the only fight on the card to reach the judges.

The remaining bouts reinforced the evening’s emphasis on finishes. Mike Kyle knocked out Wes Sims just before the end of the opening round. Jonathan Wiezorek stopped Wade Shipp, while Genki Sudo submitted Mike Brown with a triangle choke. Together, the results made It’s On! a busy card across heavyweight, light heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight.

UFC 47: It’s On! full results

• Chuck Liddell def. Tito Ortiz by KO (punches), Round 2, 0:38.
• Chris Lytle def. Tiki Ghosn by submission (bulldog choke), Round 2, 1:55.
• Yves Edwards def. Hermes Franca by split decision.
• Andrei Arlovski def. Wesley Correira by TKO (punches), Round 2, 1:15.
• Nick Diaz def. Robbie Lawler by KO (punch), Round 2, 1:31.
• Mike Kyle def. Wes Sims by KO (punch), Round 1, 4:59.
• Jonathan Wiezorek def. Wade Shipp by TKO (punches), Round 1, 4:40.
• Genki Sudo def. Mike Brown by submission (triangle choke), Round 1, 3:31.

Sources

• UFC 47 | IT’S ON | UFC
• UFC 47 – It’s On
• On This Day in UFC History: UFC 47 | UFC

Article Tags

UFC 47, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler, UFC Results, UFC, MMA