UFC 9: The show goes on
The tournament format was abandoned for UFC 9 in favor of scheduled bouts similar to how boxing cards were scheduled.
Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock are battered but OK after the infamous UFC 9 in Detroit.
(File photo)
The event's existence, though, was questionable until the day of the show as political pressure was beginning to build on the organization. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., had begun to criticize the UFC publicly and Michigan officials nearly forced the card at Detroit's Cobo Arena to be canceled.
The card was held after a court battle and with the UFC agreeing that there would be no closed-fisted strikes. Referee John McCarthy warned the fighters before the card not to punch with closed fists, but the warning was ignored and there were no incidents as a result.
The main event featured rivals Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn in a rematch in what turned out to be an awful fight with little action. Fans pelted the ring with garbage after Severn won a split decision in overtime.
NOTEWORTHY
Mark Schultz, a three-time NCAA wrestling champion and a gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, defeated Gary Goodridge by TKO in the only mixed martial arts fight of his career.
Amaury Bitteti, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter who lost to Don Frye on the card, was announced to the crowd as having a 150-1 BJJ record.
Famed Japanese sumo Koji Kitao outweighed Mark Hall by almost 200 pounds, but didn't last a minute. A Hall right hand broke his nose and Kitao quit just 40 seconds into the bout.
RESULTS
Steve Nelmark def. Tai Bowden, TKO, 7:25
Cal Worsham def. Zane Frazier, TKO, 3:14
Rafael Carino def. Matt Anderson, TKO, 5:32
Mark Schultz def. Gary Goodridge, TKO, 12:00
Mark Hall def. Koji Kitao, TKO, 0:40
Don Frye def. Amaury Bitetti, TKO, 9:22
Superfight championship (30-minute time limit)
Dan Severn def. Ken Shamrock, decision (Severn wins title).