UFC 79

UFC 79: Nemesis was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), that took place on December 29, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[2]

UFC 79: Nemesis
The poster for UFC 79: Nemesis
Promotion	Ultimate Fighting Championship
Date	December 29, 2007
Venue	Mandalay Bay Events Center
City	Las Vegas, Nevada
Attendance	11,075 (10,968 paid)
Total gate	$4,994,000
Buyrate	650,000[1]
Event chronology
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra Finale UFC 79: Nemesis UFC 80: Rapid Fire

Background

The main events featured the fight between Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva,^[3] as well as the rubber match between former UFC Welterweight Champions Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes for the interim Welterweight championship.^[4]

Additionally, Pride Light Heavyweight Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou made his UFC debut against undefeated Lyoto Machida.^[5]

The main event was originally scheduled to have The Ultimate Fighter 6 coaches Matt Serra and Matt Hughes for Serra's UFC Welterweight Championship, which Serra won at UFC 69: Shootout on April 7, 2007, in an upset victory over Georges St-Pierre.^[2] Serra, however, withdrew from the fight due to a back injury,^[6] Serra was replaced by St-Pierre, though the fight would now be contested for the interim Welterweight Championship, with the winner facing Serra afterwards.

Results

Main card
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Welterweight	Georges St-Pierre	def.	Matt Hughes	Submission (armbar)	2	4:54	[a]
Light Heavyweight	Chuck Liddell	def.	Wanderlei Silva	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 30–27, 30–27)	3	5:00
Heavyweight	Eddie Sanchez	def.	Soa Palelei	TKO (punches)	3	3:24
Light Heavyweight	Lyoto Machida	def.	Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou	Submission (arm-triangle choke)	2	4:20
Lightweight	Rich Clementi	def.	Melvin Guillard	Submission (rear-naked choke)	1	4:40
Preliminary card
Light Heavyweight	James Irvin	def.	Luiz Cane	Disqualification (illegal knee)	1	1:51
Lightweight	Manvel Gamburyan	def.	Nate Mohr	Submission (ankle lock)	1	1:31	[b]
Middleweight	Dean Lister	def.	Jordan Radev	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)	3	5:00
Welterweight	Roan Carneiro	def.	Tony DeSouza	TKO (punches)	2	3:33
Lightweight	Mark Bocek	def.	Doug Evans	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00

1. For the interim UFC Welterweight Championship.
2. This bout was aired on the broadcast following the St-Pierre vs Hughes bout.

Bonus awards

The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses.^[7]

• Fight of the Night: Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva
• Knockout of the Night: Eddie Sanchez
• Submission of the Night: Georges St-Pierre

See also

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
• List of UFC champions
• List of UFC events
• 2007 in UFC