UFC 80
UFC 80: Rapid Fire was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), that took place on January 19, 2008 at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England.
Background
The main event was originally scheduled as an interim lightweight championship fight; however, then-lightweight champion Sean Sherk was stripped of his title after the California State Athletic Commission upheld his suspension for testing positive for the anabolic steroid Nandrolone. With the lightweight championship vacated, the Penn-Stevenson bout was altered to be for the undisputed championship.
Results
Preliminary card
* Lightweight bout: Canada Sam Stout vs. Sweden Per Eklund
Stout wins via unanimous decision. Judges score the bout 29-27, 30-27, and 30-27.
* Light Heavyweight bout: Italy Alessio Sakara vs. United States James Lee
Sakara wins via TKO (strikes) at 1:30 of round one. This bout aired last on the PPV broadcast following the Robinson vs. Hardonk fight.
* Welterweight bout: England Paul Taylor vs. England Paul Kelly
Kelly wins via unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 30–27. This bout aired on the PPV broadcast following the Davis vs. Liaudin fight.
* Heavyweight bout: United Kingdom Colin Robinson vs. Netherlands Antoni Hardonk
Hardonk wins via TKO (strikes) at 0:17 of round one. This bout aired on the PPV broadcast following the Penn vs. Stevenson fight.
Main card
* Middleweight bout: United States Kendall Grove vs. United States Jorge Rivera
Rivera wins via TKO (strikes) at 1:20 of round one.
* Light Heavyweight bout: United States Jason Lambert vs. Brazil Wilson Gouveia
Gouveia wins via KO (punch) at 0:37 of round two.
* Welterweight bout: United States Marcus Davis vs. France Jess Liaudin
Davis wins via KO (punch) at 1:04 of round one.
* Heavyweight bout: Brazil Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brazil Fabricio Werdum
Werdum wins via TKO (strikes) at 4:34 of round two.
* Lightweight championship bout: United States B.J. Penn vs. United States Joe Stevenson
Penn wins via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:02 of round two to become the new UFC Lightweight Champion.
- Fight of the Night: England Paul Taylor vs. England Paul Kelly
- Submission of the Night: United States B.J. Penn
- Knockout of the Night: Brazil Wilson Gouveia
