UFC 81

Infobox MMA event
name=UFC 81: Breaking Point


promotion=Ultimate Fighting Championship
date=February 2, 2008
venue= Mandalay Bay Events Center
city= Las Vegas, Nevada
attendance=10,583 (7,167 paid)
gate= $2,437,890
buyrate= 650,000 [http://mmajunkie.com/2008/02/18/report-ufc-81-registers-650000-ppv-buys/]
previousevent=
followingevent=

"UFC 81: Breaking Point" was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The event featured Tim Sylvia and Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira for UFC's Interim World Heavyweight Championship. UFC Heavyweight champion Randy Couture declined a championship fight with Nogueira cite web
url=http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2007/12/04/randy-couture-turns-down-title-defense-against-minotauro-nogueira/
title=Randy Couture Turns Down Title Defense Against Minotauro Nogueira
last=Morgan
first=Adam
publisher=Five Ounces of Pain
date=December 4, 2007
accessdate=2008-02-03] , which set up the current fight.

This event also saw the UFC debut of former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar in a bout against former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. cite web
url=http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=8534
title=Super Bowl Showdown set between Lesnar and Mir
publisher=ufc.com
accessdate=2007-11-06]

Results

Preliminary card

*Lightweight bout: flagicon|USA Rob Emerson vs. flagicon|JPN Keita Nakamura:Emerson wins via split decision. The judges scored the bout 30-27, 28-29, and 30-27.cite web
url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=21986
title=UFC 81 Round by Round Coverage
last=Meltzer
first=Dave
publisher=Wrestling Observer.com
date=February 2, 2008
accessdate=2008-02-03]

*Middleweight bout: flagicon|USA Marvin Eastman vs. flagicon|USA Terry Martin:Eastman wins via unanimous decision. The judges scored the bout 29-28, 30-27, and 30-27.This was the only fight that did not make the Pay-per-view broadcast.

*Light heavyweight bout: flagicon|USA Tim Boetsch vs. flagicon|USA David Heath:Boetsch wins via TKO (strikes) at 4:52 of Round 1.

*Welterweight bout: flagicon|USA Chris Lytle vs. flagicon|USA Kyle Bradley:Lytle wins via TKO (strikes) at 0:33 of Round 1.

Main card

*Lightweight bout: flagicon|USA Tyson Griffin vs. flagicon|BRA Gleison Tibau:Griffin wins via unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 30-27.

*Middleweight bout: flagicon|USA Rob Yundt vs. flagicon|BRA Ricardo Almeida:Almeida wins via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:08 of Round 1. Yundt was a late replacement for Alan Belcher, who had to withdraw from the bout due to a severe case of bronchitis. [cite news
url=http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=11053
work=Sherdog.com
title=Yundt Replaces Sick Belcher
date=2008-01-30
accessdate=2008-02-02]

*Middleweight bout: flagicon|USA Nate Marquardt vs. flagicon|USA Jeremy Horn:Marquardt wins via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:37 of Round 2.

*Heavyweight bout: flagicon|USA Frank Mir vs. flagicon|USA Brock Lesnar:Mir wins via submission (kneebar) at 1:30 of round 1.

*Interim Heavyweight Championship bout: flagicon|USA Tim Sylvia vs. flagicon|Brazil Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira:Nogueira wins via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:28 of Round 3.

Bonus awards

At the end of this event, $60,000 was awarded to each of the fighters who received one of these three awards.cite web
url=http://mmajunkie.com/2008/02/03/nogueira-sylvia-lytle-and-mir-earn-60000-ufc-81-fight-night-bonuses/
title= Nogueira, Sylvia, Lytle and Mir Earn $60,000 UFC 81 “Fight Night” Bonuses
last= Stupp
first= Dan
publisher=mmajunkie.com
date=February 3, 2008
accessdate=2008-02-02]

*Fight of the Night: flagicon|BRA Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. flagicon|USA Tim Sylvia

*Submission of the Night: flagicon|USA Frank Mir

*Knockout of the Night: flagicon|USA Chris Lytle

Purses

The individual payouts are listed below. Purse amounts includes the payment amounts for show and win. but do not include sponsor payments, fees, taxes, or special award bonuses. [cite news
first=Kris
last=
url=http://www.ufcdaily.com/2008/02/05/ufc-81-fighter-salaries/
title=FIGHTER SALARY BREAKDOWN FOR UFC 79
date=2008-02-05
accessdate=2008-02-12]
work=ufcdaily.com]

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira def. Tim Sylvia
*Nogueira — $200,000 ($100,000 to show; $100,000 to win)
*Sylvia — $100,000

Frank Mir def. Brock Lesnar
*Mir — $80,000 ($40,000 to show; $40,000 to win)
*Lesnar — $250,000

Nate Marquardt def. Jeremy Horn
*Marquardt — $52,000 ($26,000 to show; $26,000 to win)
*Horn — $25,000

Ricardo Almeida def. Rob Yundt
*Almeida — $40,000 ($20,000 to show; $20,000 to win)
*Yundt — $5,000

Tyson Griffin def. Gleison Tibau
*Griffin — $36,000 ($18,000 to show; $18,000 to win)
*Tibau — $11,000

Chris Lytle def. Kyle Bradley
*Lytle — $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 to win)
*Bradley — $4,000

Tim Boetsch def. David Heath
*Boetsch — $12,000 ($6,000 to show; $6,000 to win)
*Heath — $6,000

Marvin Eastman def. Terry Martin
*Eastman — $14,000 ($7,000 to show; $7,000 to win)
*Martin — $12,000

Rob Emerson def. Keita Nakamura
*Emerson — $16,000 ($8,000 to show; $8,000 to win)
*Nakamura — $5,000

References

External links

* [http://81.ufc.com UFC 81 Website]
* [http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=eventDetail.FightCard&eid=1023 UFC 81 fight card]