UFC 79

Infobox MMA event
name=UFC 79: Nemesis


promotion=Ultimate Fighting Championship
date=December 29, 2007
venue=Mandalay Bay Events Center
city=Las Vegas, Nevada
attendance=11,075
gate=$4,994,000
buyrate= 600,000-675,000
previousevent=
followingevent=

"UFC 79: Nemesis" was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), that took place on December 29, 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.cite web
url=http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=8275
title= UFC 79: Nemesis features Serra vs Hughes on December 29th
last=
first=
publisher=UFC.com
date=October 17, 2007
accessdate=2007-10-17]

Background

The main events featured the long anticipated fight between Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva, cite web
url=http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=8385
title=Finally, Two Legends Meet
last=
first=
publisher=ufc.com
date=October 24, 2007
accessdate=2007-10-24] as well as the highly anticipated rubber match between former UFC Welterweight Champions Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes. cite web
url=http://www.matt-hughes.com/blog/2007/11/24/breaking-news/
title=BREAKING NEWS: Matt Fighting Georges St. Pierre at UFC 79!
last=
first=
publisher=ufc.com
date=November 24, 2007
accessdate=2007-11-24]

Additionally, PRIDE light heavyweight sensation Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou made his UFC debut against undefeated Lyoto Machida. cite web
url=http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=8674
title=UFC Inks Sokoudjou; “The African Assassin” to Debut vs Machida at UFC 79
last=Gerbasi
first=Thomas
publisher=ufc.com
date=November 15, 2007
accessdate=2007-11-15]

The main event was originally to pit ' coaches Matt Serra and Matt Hughes for Serra's UFC welterweight championship, which Serra won at ' on April 7, 2007 in an upset victory over Georges St. Pierre. Serra, however, withdrew from the fight due to a back injury cite web
url=http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=8808
title=Serra Injured, Withdraws From UFC 79 Card
last=
first=
publisher=ufc.com
date=November 22, 2007
accessdate=2007-11-22] and was replaced by St. Pierre.

Results

Preliminary card

*Light Heavyweight bout: flagicon|USA James Irvin vs. flagicon|BRA Luis Cane:Irvin wins via disqualification (illegal knee) at 1:51 of round one. This bout was not aired on the broadcast.

*Welterweight bout: flagicon|BRA Roan Carneiro vs. flagicon|PER Tony DeSouza:Carneiro wins via TKO (strikes) at 3:30 of round two. This bout was not aired on the broadcast.

*"'Middleweight bout: flagicon|USA Dean Lister vs. flagicon|BUL Jordan Radev :Lister wins via unanimous decision. All judges scored the bout 30-27. This bout was not aired on the broadcast.

*Lightweight bout: flagicon|CAN Mark Bocek vs. flagicon|USA Doug Evans:Bocek wins via unanimous decision. All judges scored the bout 29-28. This bout was not aired on the broadcast.

*Lightweight bout:flagicon|Armenia Manvel Gamburyan vs. flagicon|USA Nate Mohr:Gamburyan wins via submission (achillies lock) at 1:31 of round one. This bout was aired at the end of the broadcast.

Main card

*Lightweight bout: flagicon|USA Rich Clementi vs. flagicon|USA Melvin Guillard:Clementi wins via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:40 of round one.

*Light heavyweight bout : flagicon|Brazil Lyoto Machida vs. flagicon|Cameroon Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou:Machida wins via submission (arm triangle) at 4:20 of round two.

*Heavyweight bout: flagicon|USA Eddie Sanchez vs. flagicon|Australia Soa Palelei:Sanchez wins via TKO (strikes) at 3:24 of round three.

*Light heavyweight bout: flagicon|USA Chuck Liddell vs. flagicon|Brazil Wanderlei Silva:Liddell wins via unanimous decision. The judges scored the bout 29-28, 30-27, and 30-27.

*Interim welterweight championship bout: flagicon|Canada Georges St. Pierre vs. flagicon|USA Matt Hughes:St. Pierre wins via submission (armbar) at 4:52 of round two to become the Interim UFC Welterweight Champion.

Fighter payouts

The disclosed fighter payroll for UFC 79 was $1,199,000. The figures do not include sponsor payments, fees, taxes, or special award bonuses [cite news
first=Kris
last=
url=http://www.ufcdaily.com/2008/01/01/official-ufc-79-fighter-salaries/
title=FIGHTER SALARY BREAKDOWN FOR UFC 79
date=2008-01-01
accessdate=2008-01-21]
work=ufcdaily.com]

Georges St. Pierre def. Matt Hughes
*St. Pierre - $160,000
*Hughes - $100,000

Chuck Liddell def. Wanderlei Silva
*Liddell - $500,000
*Silva - $150,000

Eddie Sanchez def. Soa Palelei
*Sanchez - $46,000
*Palelei - $5,000

Lyoto Machida def. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
*Machida - $60,000
*Sokoudjou - $40,000

Rich Clementi def. Melvin Guillard
*Clementi - $28,000
*Guillard - $10,000

James Irvin def. Luis Cane
*Irvin - $16,000
*Cane - $5,000

Manny Gamburyan def. Nate Mohr
*Gamburyan - $20,000
*Mohr - $6,000

Dean Lister def. Jordan Radev
*Lister - $22,000
*Radev - $5,000

Roan Carneiro def. Tony DeSouza
*Carneiro - $10,000
*DeSouza - $7,000

Mark Bocek def. Doug Evans
*Bocek - $6,000
*Evans - $3,000

Bonus awards

At the end of this event, $50,000 was awarded to each of the fighters who received one of these three awards.cite web
url=http://mmajunkie.com/2007/12/30/ufc-issues-200000-in-ufc-79-bonuses/
title=UFC Issues $200,000 in UFC 79 Bonuses
last=Stupp
first=Dan
publisher=mmajunkie.com
date=December 30, 2007
accessdate=2007-12-30]

*Fight of the Night: flagicon|BRA Wanderlei Silva vs flagicon|USA Chuck Liddell

*Submission of the Night: flagicon|CAN Georges St. Pierre

*Knockout of the Night: flagicon|USA Eddie Sanchez

References

External links

* [http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=EventDetail.FightCard&eid=979 UFC 79 fight card]
* [http://79.ufc.com Official UFC 79 website]