UFC 80

Infobox MMA event
name=UFC 80: Rapid Fire


promotion=Ultimate Fighting Championship
date=January 19 2008
venue=Metro Radio Arena
city=Newcastle, England
attendance=8,412
gate=$1,250,000
buyrate= 225,000
previousevent=
followingevent=

"UFC 80: Rapid Fire" was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), that took place on January 19, 2008 at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England.cite web
url=http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=eventDetail.FightCard&eid=1001
title=UFC 80: Rapid Fire
publisher=UFC.com
accessdate=2007-12-20]

Background

The main event was originally scheduled for an interim lightweight championship; however, then-lightweight champion Sean Sherk was stripped of his title after the California State Athletic Commission upheld his suspension for testing positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone. With the lightweight championship vacated, the Penn-Stevenson bout was altered to be for the undisputed championship. [cite news|url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=21531|title=UFC ruling on Sherk|accessdate=2007-12-09|date=2007-12-08|last=Meltzer|first=Dave|publisher=Wrestling Observer]

Results

Preliminary card

*Welterweight bout: flagicon|GBR Paul Taylor vs. flagicon|GBR Paul Kelly:Kelly wins via unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 30-27.

*Heavyweight bout: flagicon|GBR Colin Robinson vs. flagicon|Netherlands Antoni Hardonk:Hardonk wins via TKO (strikes) at 0:17 of round one.

*Light heavyweight bout: flagicon|Italy Alessio Sakara vs. flagicon|USA James Lee:Sakara wins via TKO (strikes) at 1:30 of round one.

*Lightweight bout: flagicon|Sweden Per Eklund vs. flagicon|CAN Sam Stout:Stout wins via unanimous decision. This was the only match not to air on the Pay Per View.

Main card

*Middleweight bout: flagicon|USA Kendall Grove vs. flagicon|USA Jorge Rivera:Rivera wins via TKO (strikes) at 1:20 of round one.

*Light Heavyweight bout: flagicon|USA Jason Lambert vs. flagicon|BRA Wilson Gouveia:Gouveia wins via KO (punch) at 0:37 of round two.

*Welterweight bout: flagicon|USA Marcus Davis vs. flagicon|FRA Jess Liaudin:Davis wins via KO (punch) at 1:04 of round one.

*Heavyweight bout: flagicon|BRA Gabriel Gonzaga vs. flagicon|BRA Fabricio Werdum:Werdum wins via TKO (strikes) at 4:34 of round two.

*Lightweight championship bout: flagicon|USA B.J. Penn vs. flagicon|USA Joe Stevenson:Penn wins via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:02 of round two to become the UFC Lightweight Champion. With this win, Penn becomes only the second person to win championships in two UFC divisions.cite web
url=http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=5497&zoneid=2
title=UFC 80 Review & Exclusive Photo Gallery
last=Wilkins
first=Matt
publisher=MMA Weekly
date=January 19, 2008
accessdate=2008-01-20]

Bonus awards

At the end of this event, $35,000 was awarded to each of the fighters who received one of these three awards.cite web
url=http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=5500&zoneid=13
title= - DANA WHITE CONFIRMS PENN VS. SHERK AND MORE"
last=
first=
publisher=mmaweekly.com
date=January 23, 2008
accessdate=2008-01-23]

*Fight of the Night: flagicon|GBR Paul Taylor vs. flagicon|GBR Paul Kelly

*Submission of the Night: flagicon|USA B.J. Penn

*Knockout of the Night: flagicon|BRA Wilson Gouveia

References

External links

* [http://80.ufc.com UFC 80 Website]
* [http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=EventDetail.FightCard&eid=1001 UFC 80 fight card]