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UFC 47
UFC 47
UFC 47
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UFC 47: It’s On!
The poster for UFC 47: It’s On!
PromotionUltimate Fighting Championship
DateApril 2, 2004
VenueMandalay Bay Events Center
CityParadise, Nevada
Attendance11,437[1]
Total gate$1,444,020[1]
Buyrate105,000[1]
Total purse333,000[2]
Event chronology
UFC 46: Supernatural UFC 47: It’s On! UFC 48: Payback

UFC 47: It’s On! was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 2, 2004, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view, and later released on DVD.

History

[edit]

Headlining the card was the match between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.

The title "It's On!" refers to Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz's long-running negotiations leading up to the fight. Fans had been awaiting the fight for more than a year, and while both fighters had their own stories as to why it took so long, the fight finally took place in 2004. Ortiz claims that as friends and former training partners, he and Liddell had made a pact never to fight. Liddell claims there was no such pact, that he would fight anyone anytime, and accused Ortiz of ducking the fight.

A match-up between Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski for the then-vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship was scheduled for the event, but Sylvia was pulled due to a recurrence of positive drug samples just a day before the event. Arlovski was re-booked on short notice in a non-title fight against Wesley Correira, who was pulled from a scheduled main card fight with Mike Kyle to replace Sylvia. Wes Sims stepped in on a day's notice to face Mike Kyle at this event as well.[3] The Sylvia–Arlovski match-up was finally re-booked for the Interim Heavyweight Championship at UFC 51 in February 2005.

This was the first card to feature "On The Mat" with Marc Laimon, a brief instructional video demonstrating the triangle choke.

Results

[edit]
Main Card
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Light Heavyweight Chuck Liddell def. Tito Ortiz KO (punches) 2 0:38
Welterweight Chris Lytle def. Tiki Ghosn Submission (bulldog choke) 2 1:55
Lightweight Yves Edwards def. Hermes França Decision (split) (29–28, 29–28, 28–29) 3 5:00
Heavyweight Andrei Arlovski def. Wesley Correira TKO (punches) 2 1:15
Welterweight Nick Diaz def. Robbie Lawler KO (punch) 2 1:31
Heavyweight Mike Kyle def. Wes Sims KO (punch) 1 4:59
Preliminary card
Heavyweight Jonathan Wiezorek def. Wade Shipp TKO (punches) 1 4:40
Lightweight Genki Sudo def. Mike Brown Submission (triangle armbar) 1 3:31

Reported payout

[edit]

The total fighter payroll for UFC 47 was $333,000.[2]

  • Tito Ortiz: $125,000
  • Chuck Liddell: $100,000 (including $50,000 win bonus)
  • Andrei Arlovski: $23,000 (including $8,000 win bonus)
  • Genki Sudo: $16,000 (including $8,000 win bonus)
  • Wes "Cabbage" Correira: $12,000
  • Yves Edwards: $12,000 (including $6,000 win bonus)
  • Robbie Lawler: $8,000
  • Hermes Franca: $6,000
  • Nick Diaz: $6,000 (including $3,000 win bonus)
  • Mike Kyle: $6,000 (including $3,000 win bonus)
  • Wes Sims: $5,000
  • Chris Lytle: $4,000 (including $2,000 win bonus)
  • Jonathan Wiezorek: $4,000 (including $2,000 win bonus)
  • Mike Brown: $2,000
  • Tiki Ghosn: $2,000
  • Wade Shipp: $2,000

Encyclopedia awards

[edit]

The following fighters were honored in the October 2011 book titled UFC Encyclopedia.[4]

  • Fight of the Night: Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz
  • Knockout of the Night: Nick Diaz
  • Submission of the Night: Genki Sudo

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

UFC 47

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
UFC 47: It's On! was a event produced by the (UFC) on April 2, 2004, at the Events Center in , . The event was headlined by a highly anticipated grudge match between rivals and , which Liddell won by knockout via punches at 0:38 of the second round, igniting one of the most storied feuds in UFC history. The full card consisted of eight fights across multiple weight classes, with notable results including defeating by TKO in the second round, knocking out in the second round, and submitting Mike Brown with a in the first round. UFC 47 attracted 11,437 spectators, generating a live gate of $1,444,020 and approximately 106,000 pay-per-view buys, reflecting the growing mainstream appeal of MMA during the early . The pay-per-view event underscored the UFC's shift toward sanctioned, high-profile bouts and helped solidify stars like Liddell as key figures in the promotion's expansion.

Background

Event Planning and Promotion

UFC 47 was announced as a major pay-per-view event in early , building directly on the momentum from and positioning itself as a showcase for top rivalries in the promotion. The card was promoted under the theme "It's On!", which captured the explosive anticipation surrounding key matchups, particularly the long-simmering feud between contenders and . This slogan underscored the high-stakes nature of the bouts, emphasizing personal animosities and competitive intensity to draw in fans. The promotional hype revolved heavily around the Liddell-Ortiz clash, their first professional meeting after years as training partners at the same gym, where a falling out led to intense trash-talk and prolonged negotiations that had delayed the bout from potential earlier slots. Media events and press conferences amplified the bad blood, with Ortiz mocking Liddell's stand-up style and Liddell promising a knockout, creating one of the most talked-about rivalries in UFC history at the time. This buildup was designed to elevate the event's profile, with projections for strong pay-per-view buys tied to the star power of the pairing. Originally, the co-main event was set as a heavyweight title bout for the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship between former champion and , announced to headline the undercard alongside the light heavyweight showdown. However, Sylvia was pulled from the fight due to a positive drug test for the after in September 2003, which resulted in a six-month suspension and the vacating of his title in October 2003. Sylvia was still scheduled for the bout but was pulled weeks before the event due to lingering traces of the substance preventing clearance. The replacement matchup pitted against , who stepped up from a preliminary slot against , forcing promoters to pivot marketing efforts away from the championship allure toward the raw power and unpredictability of the revised feature. This late change, occurring just weeks before the event, tested the promotional strategy but maintained focus on the overall theme of unresolved rivalries.

Key Fights and Storylines

The main event of UFC 47 featured a highly anticipated clash between and , whose rivalry had been brewing since 2002 due to personal animosity stemming from their shared training history in the early MMA scene and contrasting fighting styles—Liddell's knockout power against Ortiz's wrestling dominance. , who had lost his title to at in 2003, entered the bout seeking to reestablish himself as the division's top contender and settle the score with Liddell, whom he accused of avoiding a fight while pushing for the matchup publicly. Liddell, on a three-fight win streak in the UFC, viewed the encounter as an opportunity to solidify his status as the promotion's premier striker and capitalize on the bad blood that had escalated through trash-talk and media confrontations. In the co-main event, former champion faced Wesley "Cabbage" Correira after Tim Sylvia's removal from the card due to a positive test, shifting Arlovski's path toward reclaiming title momentum in a non-title bout. Arlovski, who had held the belt until his loss to Sylvia at UFC 41, aimed to build toward a rematch or unification while showcasing his technical striking and grappling against Correira's reputation as a durable brawler known for epic stand-up wars, including his legendary UFC debut against at UFC 39. The matchup highlighted the heavyweight division's volatility, with Arlovski needing a strong performance to reassert his dominance amid the UFC's efforts to stabilize the weight class. The bout between and pitted two aggressive rising stars against each other, contrasting Diaz's elite submission grappling and -based kicks with Lawler's explosive knockout power and wrestling base honed from his youth in and high school wrestling. Both fighters, in their early 20s and on the cusp of breakout runs, brought high-energy styles that promised a chaotic test of durability and finishing ability in a stacked division. Other notable pairings included the lightweight showdown between and , a technical striking affair with implications for title contention as both were established contenders—Edwards with his dynamic kicks and Franca as a future challenger building his resume. On the undercard, faced in a bout expected to deliver excitement through Lytle's veteran clinch work and ground control against Ghosn's potential as an unproven but aggressive prospect. UFC 47's storylines underscored the promotion's 2004 push for mainstream appeal through high-profile rivalries like Liddell-Ortiz, which promotional efforts heavily highlighted to draw casual fans, even as the organization navigated regulatory hurdles such as state-level bans on MMA events outside Nevada.

Event Details

Date, Venue, and Logistics

UFC 47 was held on April 2, 2004, beginning in the evening local time in , . The event took place at the Events Center, located in , an unincorporated community within the Las Vegas metropolitan area. This multi-purpose arena, owned by , has a seating capacity of 12,000 and was configured to host over 11,000 spectators for the card inside the enclosure. The event aired live on pay-per-view through major U.S. cable and satellite providers, with commentary provided by and . Preliminary bouts were not broadcast on television at the time, focusing the PPV on the main card fights. A commercial DVD release followed shortly after, compiling the full event along with highlights and supplemental footage. Logistically, official weigh-ins were conducted on April 1, 2004, at the Events Center, adhering to UFC requirements. All non-title fights proceeded under the standard Unified Rules of , featuring three rounds of five minutes each, judged on a 10-point must system. The production included ring announcements by and post-fight interviews handled by .

Attendance and Financial Performance

UFC 47 drew a paid attendance of 11,437 spectators to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, reflecting steady interest in the promotion's highly anticipated light heavyweight grudge match between rivals Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. This figure marked an increase from the 10,700 attendees at UFC 46: Supernatural two months earlier, though it fell short of setting a new benchmark amid the era's growing but inconsistent live event draw. The event generated $1,444,020 in gate revenue from ticket sales, surpassing UFC 46's $1,377,000 and contributing to Zuffa LLC's efforts to stabilize finances through higher-priced seating and promotional hype around the main event storyline. Pay-per-view buys for UFC 47 reached approximately 105,000 to 106,000, a notable uptick from UFC 46's 80,000 and signaling the Liddell-Ortiz rivalry's appeal in boosting UFC's PPV revenue stream during , a transitional year for the organization post-regulatory challenges. This performance, while solid, did not eclipse the 110,000 buys of UFC 48: Payback later that year, underscoring the event's role in incremental growth rather than explosive dominance. The draw outcome in the main event tempered expectations for a potential record, yet it affirmed the matchup's commercial viability in an industry still recovering from earlier slumps. UFC president later highlighted the 106,000 buys as a key milestone in the promotion's path to broader accessibility. The total disclosed fighter purse for UFC 47 amounted to $333,000, distributed across the 16 combatants on the card, emphasizing the era's modest compensation structure relative to rising event revenues. This aggregate payout aligned with UFC's operational model at the time, where gate and PPV income increasingly supported expansion while fighter earnings remained conservative compared to counterparts. The financial metrics overall positioned UFC 47 as a commercially viable outing that bolstered the promotion's momentum without achieving status.

Fight Results

Main Card

The main card of UFC 47 consisted of five bouts broadcast on from the Events Center in , , showcasing high-profile matchups in the light heavyweight, welterweight, lightweight, and heavyweight divisions. In the main event, defeated via knockout (punches) at 0:38 of the second round; Liddell connected with a left hook to back up Ortiz before unleashing a barrage of ground strikes to secure the victory. The co-main event saw Chris Lytle defeat Tiki Ghosn via submission (bulldog choke) at 1:55 of the second round, as Lytle transitioned to the choke after taking Ghosn down and securing top position. Yves Edwards defeated Hermes Franca via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three five-minute rounds, in a closely contested lightweight bout where Edwards' striking volume narrowly outpointed Franca's grappling attempts. Andrei Arlovski defeated via TKO (punches) at 1:15 of the second round, dropping Correira with strikes before finishing with ground-and-pound from mount in their clash. Opening the main card, defeated via (punch) at 1:31 of the second round, flooring Lawler with a precise right hand to the chin that forced the referee to intervene.

Preliminary Card

The preliminary card for UFC 47 featured three non-televised bouts in the and divisions, providing quick finishes to build momentum toward the main event. In the opening bout, defeated Mike Brown by submission via at 3:31 of Round 1, locking in the hold from the bottom guard after defending an early attempt. The second fight saw Jonathan Wiezorek win by TKO (punches) over Wade Shipp at 4:40 of Round 1, mounting Shipp's back and unleashing unanswered ground strikes to force the stoppage. Closing the undercard, Mike knocked out Wes with a punch to the head at 4:59 of Round 1, landing the decisive strike at distance following a competitive exchange.

Payouts and Awards

Reported Payouts

The reported payouts for UFC 47, as disclosed through state athletic commission records and MMA media reports, totaled $333,000 in base pay and win bonuses across the card. These figures represent the guaranteed earnings reported at the time, though additional incentives such as shares for headliners were not publicly detailed and are not included in the aggregate.
FighterReported PayoutDetails
$125,000No win bonus (loser)
$100,000Includes $50,000 win bonus
$23,000Includes $8,000 win bonus
$16,000Includes $8,000 win bonus
$12,000Flat pay
$12,000Includes $6,000 win bonus
$8,000Flat pay
Hermes Franca$6,000Flat pay
$6,000Includes $3,000 win bonus
$6,000Includes $3,000 win bonus
$5,000Flat pay
$4,000Includes $2,000 win bonus
Jonathan Wiezorek$4,000Includes $2,000 win bonus
Mike Brown$2,000Flat pay
$2,000Flat pay
Wade Shipp$2,000Flat pay
These payouts reflect the event's financial scale in , with top earners like and Liddell commanding significantly higher figures amid the promotion's growing popularity, though the overall purse remained modest compared to modern UFC standards.

Bonus Awards

In the October 2011 UFC , author Thomas Gerbasi compiled unofficial performance-based awards for past events, including UFC 47. The Fight of the Night went to and for their main event, a highly anticipated clash fueled by long-standing rivalry that delivered relentless action and ended with Liddell's second-round knockout at 0:38. received the Knockout of the Night for his second-round knockout of in a bout, showcasing Diaz's striking precision after a competitive first round. earned Submission of the Night for submitting Mike Brown via triangle armbar in the first round at 3:31 during their matchup, highlighting Sudo's expertise.

Aftermath

Immediate Reactions

The main event between and at UFC 47 received widespread media acclaim as a pivotal moment in , with outlets like highlighting how Liddell's second-round knockout victory over the defending champion showcased the sport's striking prowess and helped propel UFC's growing mainstream visibility in 2004. MMA Weekly echoed this sentiment, describing the bout as a high-stakes clash that delivered on years of built-up rivalry and electrified audiences. In the post-fight , Liddell immediately called out , the interim light heavyweight champion, expressing his intent to unify the title and settle their ongoing rivalry following Couture's prior win over him at UFC 43. This bold statement positioned Liddell as the top contender in the division. Ortiz, suffering his first loss, conveyed disappointment in interviews, citing an accidental eye poke by Liddell earlier in the fight as a factor but ultimately showing respect for his former training partner's performance, while rumors swirled about potential negotiations for his UFC contract amid the defeat. Andrei Arlovski's dominant TKO (punches) victory over Wesley "Cabbage" Correira in the second round earned him praise for his well-rounded skills, immediately elevating his status and paving the way for a title opportunity later that year. Nick Diaz's second-round knockout of further boosted his profile in the division, with Diaz noting in post-fight comments that fighting was his primary pursuit, signaling his rising momentum within UFC. No major injuries were reported from the event, allowing most fighters to avoid extended medical suspensions. Fans and critics largely agreed that UFC 47 ranked among the most thrilling cards of its era, driven by the Liddell-Ortiz intensity and several finishes, though some noted the undercard's mixed pacing.

Long-Term Impact

Chuck Liddell's dominant TKO victory over at UFC 47 propelled him toward the UFC championship, as he went on to defeat in his next bout before knocking out to claim the title at just over a year later. This win marked a turning point in Liddell's career, establishing him as the division's premier striker and a key figure in the UFC's rising popularity. Despite the loss, Ortiz rebounded with four consecutive UFC victories between 2005 and 2006, and his overall contributions to the sport led to his induction into the in 2012. Nick Diaz's second-round knockout of at UFC 47 boosted his profile in the division, leading to notable victories over fighters like and , culminating in multiple title challenges, including bouts against and , solidifying his status as a contender and fan favorite. The event's performance, with approximately 106,000 buys, represented a modest but building success for LLC, which had acquired the UFC in , and contributed to the organization's momentum toward explosive growth in the mid-2000s, including the launch of reality series that propelled mainstream adoption. The Liddell-Ortiz rivalry, ignited by their UFC 47 clash, became one of MMA's inaugural high-profile feuds, characterized by intense personal animosity and trash-talk that influenced promotional strategies, setting a template for modern UFC marketing emphasizing fighter narratives over pure athleticism. Occurring shortly after UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia's positive steroid test in late 2003, which forced him to vacate his title, UFC 47 underscored ongoing concerns about performance-enhancing drugs in the sport, prompting the UFC to enhance its testing protocols and eventually align more closely with (WADA) standards in subsequent years. In retrospectives from the 2020s, including ESPN's 2019 30 for 30 documentary Chuck & Tito and UFC anniversary highlights, the event is frequently cited as a pivotal moment in 2004 that bridged the UFC's formative struggles to its era of rapid expansion.

References

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