Completed MMA Event
UFC 80: Rapid Fire
- Saturday 01.19.2008
- U.S. Broadcast: Pay Per View
- Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Ownership: Zuffa, LLC
- Venue: Metro Radio Arena
- Location: Newcastle, England, United Kingdom
- Enclosure: Octagon
- TV Announcers: Mike Goldberg, Joe Rogan
- Ring Announcer: Bruce Buffer
- Post-Fight Interviews: Joe Rogan
- Ticket Revenue (live gate): $1,250,000
- Attendance: 8,412
- PPV Buys / Buyrate: 225,000 | TV Ratings:
- MMA Bouts: 9
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Promotion Links:
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Event Links:
Fight Card
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UFC Vacant Lightweight Championship
Submission, Rear Naked Choke
4:02 Round 2 of 5, 9:02 Total9
Main Event
155
5 x 5 | Pro
Honors & Awards
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Submission of the NightBJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson | $35,000 bonus to Penn
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Knockout of the NightJason Lambert vs. Wilson Gouveia | $35,000 bonus to Gouveia
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Fight of the NightPaul Taylor vs. Paul Kelly | $35,000 bonus to each fighter
Referees
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Herb Dean
Penn vs. Stevenson (9), Lambert vs. Gouveia (6), Taylor vs. Kelly (3) -
Dan Miragliotta
Gonzaga vs. Werdum II (8), Grove vs. Rivera (5), Sakara vs. Lee (2) -
Mario Yamasaki
Davis vs. Liaudin (7), Robinson vs. Hardonk (4), Eklund vs. Stout (1)
Wiki
UFC 80 Wiki
Although the lightweight main event between BJ Penn and Joe Stevenson was supposed to be for the Interim Lightweight Championship, Sean Sherk’s positive steroid test forced the UFC to strip him of his title, promoting the main event of UFC 80 from Interim to Undisputed Lightweight Championship.
While the event was a disappointment in terms of Pay Per View buys, drawing just 225,000, Penn reemerged as top dog in the lightweight division by dominating Stevenson en route to a second-round Rear Naked Choke submission in one of the bloodiest fights ever.
