UFC finds home in Vegas

Monday, Feb. 7, 2005 | 8:52 a.m.

Las Vegas solidified its status as a hot spot for mixed martial arts this past weekend, as a sellout crowd of 11,218 watched Tito Ortiz edge Vitor Belfort in the main event of an Ultimate Fighting Championship card at Mandalay Bay.

With ticket prices ranging from $35 to $350, UFC 51 generated the organization's highest live gate to date, UFC president Dana White said.

"We always do well in Las Vegas and I expect that to continue," said White, 35, who has been president of the UFC since 2001. "The momentum of this sport speaks for itself. We have finally arrived. We are so here it's not even funny."

White, a Las Vegas native and Bishop Gorman grad, said his sense is that while interest in mixed martial arts is peaking throughout the nation, it's especially high in the Southwest.

"We have a really strong fan base in Southern Nevada, Arizona and Southern California in particular," White said. "Las Vegas is our home. I love this city more than anything and it has been great to the UFC."

Ortiz, of Huntington Beach, Calif., long one of UFC's signature fighters, won a split decision Saturday night against Belfort, a Brazilian star, when the light heavyweight elimination fight went to the judges' scorecards after its scheduled three rounds.

Ortiz, a minus-140 favorite in the Mandalay Bay sports book, also made note of the hospitality Las Vegas extends to the UFC.

"It feels like this is my home," he said. "Every time we come to Las Vegas, we sell the place out. When the UFC comes into Las Vegas, we're treated like champions, with utter class."

Ortiz sustained a broken nose in the first round on a clean shot by Belfort but hung on to lift his mixed martial arts record to 13-4. Belfort fell to 12-5. Both men were fighting in their final bout under contract with the UFC pending renegotiation.

All three judges -- Nelson Hamilton, Cecil Peoples and Jeff Mullen -- gave Belfort the second round and Ortiz the third. Mullen awarded Belfort the first round, while the other two judges saw it for Ortiz.

A minor melee broke out in the octagon upon the conclusion of the main event. Ortiz and UFC stars Chuck Liddell and Ken Shamrock, who were ringside, grabbed microphones and began calling each other out, a spectacle that was heard throughout the arena and on the pay-per-view broadcast.

Some knowing smiles and rolling eyes could be observed octagonside, even as Metro Police officers filed in to quell the commotion.

"Ken Shamrock asked if I'd fight him," Ortiz said later. "Yeah, I'm willing to give him a beating."

White acknowledged the postfight antics had the tawdry flavor of a pro wrestling stunt.

"I know it looked like the WWE in there tonight, and you know I hate that stuff," White said. "But the animosity is real. What're you going to do?"

In the other featured fights, Andrei Arlovski (8-3) stopped Tim Sylvia (19-2) by leg submission in the first round for the UFC interim heavyweight title; and Evan Tanner (33-4) stopped David Terrell (9-2) for the middleweight championship.

In a middleweight swing bout, Pete Sell (6-0) used a guillotine choke in the fight's final minute to subdue Las Vegas resident Phil Baroni (6-5).

Tickets went on sale Sunday for UFC 52, scheduled for Saturday, April 16, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Light heavyweight champ Randy Couture and Liddell, the No. 1 contender, meet in the main event.