UFC 95
UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on February 21, 2009, at The O2 Arena in London, England.[1] The event featured 10 bouts across lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, and heavyweight divisions, drawing a crowd of 13,268 and generating a live gate of $1,000,000.[1] The main event pitted welterweight contender Diego Sanchez in his lightweight debut against former interim lightweight title challenger Joe Stevenson in a three-round bout. Sanchez dominated with striking and grappling pressure, securing a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) to earn Fight of the Night honors alongside Stevenson.[1] In the co-main event, English welterweight Dan Hardy made a statement with a first-round knockout (punches) over Rory Markham at 1:09, showcasing his striking power.[1] The card included several notable performances and upsets, highlighting emerging talents. Brazilian debutant Paulo Thiago stunned top welterweight Josh Koscheck with a first-round TKO (punches) at 3:29, earning Knockout of the Night and marking a significant UFC debut win.[1] Demian Maia submitted Chael Sonnen via triangle choke in the first round at 2:37, securing Submission of the Night for his grappling prowess.[1] Heavyweight prospect Junior dos Santos impressed with a rapid first-round TKO (punches) over Stefan Struve at 0:54, while Nate Marquardt defeated middleweight Wilson Gouveia via third-round TKO (knee and punches) at 3:10.[1] Other results featured Terry Etim defeating Brian Cobb by second-round KO (head kick and punches) at 0:10, Evan Dunham over Per Eklund by first-round TKO (punches) at 2:13, Mike Ciesnolevicz submitting Neil Grove via heel hook in the first round at 1:03, and Paul Kelly winning a unanimous decision against Troy Mandaloniz.[1] Each bonus recipient received $40,000, underscoring the event's high-action quality.[1]Event Details
Date and Venue
UFC 95 took place on February 21, 2009, at The O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom.[2] The event was the third UFC card hosted at this prominent venue, which had previously staged UFC 80 and UFC 89, underscoring the promotion's growing foothold in the European market.[3] The fight card was presented in a standard mixed martial arts format, featuring a main card and preliminary bouts broadcast internationally. In Europe and Canada, the event aired live via pay-per-view, allowing real-time access for regional audiences. In the United States, it received a tape-delayed broadcast on Spike TV, airing as a free three-hour special that included nine of the ten fights.[4] This scheduling reflected UFC's strategic push into international territories during the late 2000s, with London events like UFC 95 helping to build a dedicated fanbase in the UK and broaden the promotion's global reach beyond North America.[2]Attendance and Financials
UFC 95 drew a crowd of 13,268 spectators to the O2 Arena in London, England, marking a solid turnout for one of the promotion's early international events.[1][5] The event generated approximately $1,000,000 in ticket revenue, reflecting the growing appeal of mixed martial arts in the UK market at the time.[1][6] In the United States, the main card aired on Spike TV via same-day tape delay, averaging 2.4 million viewers and peaking at 3 million during the main event.[7][8] This performance represented a strong audience for the network's UFC programming, particularly among young male demographics, with 634,000 viewers aged 18-34. The event underscored UFC's expanding international footprint, bolstered by robust UK fan engagement that contributed to its commercial viability without relying on U.S. pay-per-view buys.[1]Background
Promotion and Scheduling
UFC 95, officially titled "Sanchez vs. Stevenson," was announced on November 16, 2008, as the promotion's second numbered event of 2009, set for February 21 at The O2 Arena in London, England.[2] The matchup between lightweight contenders Diego Sanchez and Joe Stevenson was positioned as the main event in December 2008 to draw international interest, while the overall card was curated to highlight emerging talents from the promotion's reality series, The Ultimate Fighter, including Sanchez and Stevenson as alumni from seasons 1 and 2, respectively.[9] Marketing efforts emphasized the event's appeal to UK audiences by showcasing homegrown fighters such as welterweight Dan Hardy and lightweight Terry Etim, positioning UFC 95 as a milestone for British MMA representation on the global stage.[10] Promotional materials and previews spotlighted Hardy's co-main event slot against Rory Markham as a key attraction, aiming to build local fervor following the success of UFC 80 in Manchester two years prior. This strategy helped elevate the event's profile in Europe, with Hardy emerging as a focal point for the promotion's push into the British market. The buildup encountered several logistical hurdles, including multiple fight cancellations and replacements due to injuries and medical issues. Heavyweight Justin McCully withdrew from his bout with Neil Grove after sustaining a facial cut in training, prompting Grove to face Mike Ciesnolevicz instead.[11] Similarly, lightweight Justin Buchholz was sidelined by a staph infection in his arm, leading to Brian Cobb stepping in against Terry Etim; French lightweight David Baron also pulled out due to a foot injury, replaced by Evan Dunham opposite Per Eklund.[12] Additionally, Shannon Gugerty's neck injury—a herniated disc—resulted in the outright cancellation of his lightweight matchup with Jeff Lawson, with no replacement found.[13] Broadcast arrangements catered to both global and local viewers, with the main card airing as a pay-per-view event starting at 9 p.m. GMT. Preliminary bouts were televised live on Setanta Sports 1 in the UK beginning at 8 p.m. GMT, providing accessible entry points for European fans before the PPV broadcast.[14]Key Fighters and Storylines
The main event of UFC 95 featured a clash between two Ultimate Fighter winners: Diego Sanchez, the Season 1 middleweight tournament victor with a 5-1 UFC record entering the bout, and Joe Stevenson, the Season 2 lightweight champion who was looking to rebound from recent setbacks including losses to B.J. Penn and Kenny Florian.[15][16] Sanchez, known for his relentless pressure and wrestling base honed during his TUF tenure, was dropping to lightweight for the first time after a period of inactivity due to injuries, aiming to revitalize his career trajectory. Stevenson, a submission specialist with six UFC wins prior to the event, carried the narrative of redemption after a title shot defeat and subsequent defeats, positioning the matchup as a renewal of the early TUF rivalries between seasons. The co-main event highlighted welterweight prospects Dan Hardy, a rising UK talent with a perfect 2-0 UFC record following victories over Amar Suloev and Akihiro Gono, against Rory Markham, an American power puncher boasting a history of knockouts including a highlight-reel head kick finish against Brodie Farber.[17][18] As a London native fighting at the O2 Arena, Hardy embodied the event's international flavor and served as a local hero, drawing significant crowd support and underscoring the UFC's push into the European market with homegrown talent.[19] Markham's explosive striking style, marked by multiple first-round TKOs in regional promotions, added a high-stakes element of unpredictability to the bout, contrasting Hardy's technical striking and grappling.[20] Several notable debuts and returns amplified the card's intrigue, including 20-year-old Dutch heavyweight prospect Stefan Struve making his UFC debut after a 17-2 professional record built on a kickboxing foundation and submission wins in European circuits. Undefeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Demian Maia, riding a perfect 4-0 UFC streak with submission triumphs over Chris Leben and Nate Quarry, represented a grappling threat in the middleweight division.[21] Paulo Thiago, an undefeated 10-0 welterweight from Brazil's Jungle Fight promotion and a member of the elite BOPE police unit, entered on the strength of regional submission victories, facing American Kickboxing Academy's Josh Koscheck in a matchup that highlighted the blend of established UFC veterans and emerging international talents.[22] These elements, combined with the event's London setting, fostered storylines of cross-Atlantic rivalries and the unpredictability introduced by late additions to the card, building substantial pre-fight hype around unproven prospects challenging proven competitors.[23]Fight Card
Main Card
The main card of UFC 95 featured five high-profile bouts broadcast on pay-per-view, showcasing a mix of established contenders, undefeated prospects, and fighters with compelling narratives to draw international audiences at The O2 Arena in London. Headlining the event was a lightweight clash between Diego Sanchez (21-2) and Joe Stevenson (29-8), pitting the durable TUF 1 winner Sanchez—making his debut at 155 pounds after competing primarily at welterweight—against the submission specialist Stevenson, a former UFC lightweight title challenger seeking to rebound from a recent loss. In the co-main event, welterweights Dan Hardy (17-5-1) and Rory Markham (16-4) squared off, featuring the rising British striker Hardy—aiming to build momentum in his home country after a UFC debut win—against the power-punching Markham, known for his knockout power from previous UFC appearances.[17][18] A middleweight bout matched Nate Marquardt (27-8-2) against Wilson Gouveia (12-5), highlighting Marquardt's veteran striking and wrestling pedigree versus Gouveia's aggressive style and recent success in the division after moving down from light heavyweight.[24] Another middleweight matchup saw undefeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Demian Maia (11-0)—fresh off back-to-back UFC submission victories—face Chael Sonnen (22-10-1), a wrestling-based veteran returning to the promotion after time away, testing Maia's ground game against Sonnen's control-oriented approach.[25] Opening the main card at welterweight was Paulo Thiago (10-0) versus Josh Koscheck (12-3), an intriguing striker-versus-wrestler dynamic that paired the unbeaten Brazilian kickboxer Thiago in his UFC debut with the TUF 1 contestant Koscheck, a top contender looking to solidify his ranking.Preliminary Card
The preliminary card for UFC 95 featured five bouts that showcased emerging talent and provided opportunities for debuts and replacements, contributing to the event's developmental focus while highlighting local UK representation at the O2 Arena in London.[1] These undercard fights spanned lightweight, heavyweight, and welterweight divisions, emphasizing prospects and regional appeal to draw in the British audience.[26] The lineup opened with a welterweight matchup between Paul Kelly, a Liverpool-based fighter from the UK, and Troy Mandaloniz.[27] This was followed by a heavyweight clash pitting American Mike Ciesnolevicz against Neil Grove, a UK heavyweight from London known for his Cage Rage experience.[26] In the lightweight division, Evan Dunham faced Per Eklund, marking Dunham's entry into the UFC as an undefeated prospect.[28] Another heavyweight bout featured Brazilian Junior dos Santos against Stefan Struve, the 7-foot Dutch newcomer making his UFC debut after a 5-0 professional record.[29] The card concluded with lightweight action between English fighter Terry Etim and Brian Cobb, who replaced Justin Buchholz on short notice just over a week before the event.| Division | Fighter 1 | vs. | Fighter 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welterweight | Paul Kelly | vs. | Troy Mandaloniz |
| Heavyweight | Mike Ciesnolevicz | vs. | Neil Grove |
| Lightweight | Evan Dunham | vs. | Per Eklund |
| Heavyweight | Junior dos Santos | vs. | Stefan Struve |
| Lightweight | Terry Etim | vs. | Brian Cobb |
Results and Analysis
Main Event Breakdown
The main event of UFC 95 featured a lightweight bout between Diego Sanchez and Joe Stevenson on February 21, 2009, at The O2 Arena in London, England. Sanchez, making his debut at 155 pounds after competing as a welterweight, emerged victorious by unanimous decision after three rounds, with judges' scores of 29-28, 30-27, and 30-27. This win improved Sanchez's record to 20-2, while Stevenson fell to 29-10. The fight showcased Sanchez's aggressive striking and wrestling defense against Stevenson's grappling attempts, resulting in a back-and-forth contest that earned Fight of the Night honors. Tactically, Sanchez neutralized Stevenson's early efforts to take the fight to the ground, stuffing multiple takedown attempts and using his superior cardio to maintain pressure in later rounds. Stevenson, known for his submission skills, managed one guillotine choke but couldn't capitalize, as Sanchez escaped via a slam and transitioned to dominant striking positions. The bout featured intense striking exchanges, with Sanchez landing more volume and power, though both fighters showed resilience without any knockdowns. In the first round, Sanchez controlled the standup with crisp jabs, knees, and uppercuts, rocking Stevenson midway through and denying a late takedown attempt to secure the frame. Stevenson landed some counters but absorbed heavier shots, landing only 11 of 54 significant strikes at 20% efficiency. The second round saw Sanchez open aggressively with a right hand and knee before securing his lone takedown of the night, leading to ground strikes after escaping Stevenson's guillotine. Stevenson reversed briefly but couldn't mount offense, landing just 9 of 37 significant strikes. By the third round, fatigue set in for Sanchez early, allowing Stevenson a stronger start with 21 of 54 significant strikes, but Sanchez rallied late with punches and a head kick, bloodying his opponent's eye and clinching the decision. Key fight statistics highlight Sanchez's edge in striking and control:| Category | Diego Sanchez | Joe Stevenson |
|---|---|---|
| Significant Strikes | 91 of 193 (47%) | 41 of 145 (28%) |
| Takedowns | 1 of 4 (25%) | 0 of 4 (0%) |
| Submission Attempts | 1 | 1 |
| Control Time | 0:46 | 0:24 |