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UFC Encyclopedia Awards
Origins and Purpose
The UFC Encyclopedia Awards represent a distinct set of four unofficial accolades, curated by Thomas Gerbasi, the editorial director and senior editor of UFC.com. These awards, detailed within his comprehensive book, "UFC Encyclopedia - The Definitive Guide to the Ultimate Fighting Championship" (October 2011), were established to recognize outstanding performances at events preceding the official UFC Bonus Awards, which commenced in January 2006.
Historical Context
These "unofficial" awards cover a significant period of UFC history, encompassing 63 events prior to the formal introduction of cash bonuses on January 16, 2006, at Ultimate Fight Night 3. Gerbasi's meticulous review also included subsequent events that did not feature official bonuses, ensuring a thorough documentation of pivotal moments in the sport's evolution.
Unofficial Status
It is important to note that these awards are considered "unofficial" as they were not accompanied by monetary bonuses at the time of the events. They serve as a historical and analytical recognition of exceptional performances, distinct from the officially sanctioned bonus programs that followed.
Award Categories
Fight of the Night
This award honors the two combatants who engaged in the most compelling and impressive bout on the event's card. It celebrates strategic brilliance, resilience, and the sheer excitement generated by a closely contested matchup.
Knockout of the Night
Presented to the fighter who delivered the most impactful knockout or technical knockout. This award recognizes decisive striking power and the ability to end a fight decisively, often leaving the audience in awe.
Submission of the Night
Awarded to the fighter who executed the most skillful or dominant submission. This accolade highlights technical grappling prowess and the ability to force an opponent to tap out, showcasing mastery of ground fighting.
Award Recipients by Event
The following table details the recipients of the UFC Encyclopedia Awards for various events, noting the "unofficial" status where applicable, as documented by Thomas Gerbasi.
| # | Event | Date | Fight of the Night | Knockout of the Night |
Submission of the Night |
Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | UFC Fight Night 7 | Dec 13, 2006 | Karo Parisyan | vs. | Drew Fickett (unofficial) | Alan Belcher (unofficial) | — | [8] |
| 69 | The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale | Jun 24, 2006 | Kendall Grove | vs. | Ed Herman | Michael Bisping (unofficial) | Rory Singer | [9] |
| 68 | UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie | May 27, 2006 | Spencer Fisher (unofficial) | vs. | Matt Wiman (unofficial) | Melvin Guillard (unofficial) | Mike Swick (unofficial) | [10] |
| 67 | UFC 59: Reality Check | Apr 15, 2006 | Tito Ortiz | vs. | Forrest Griffin | Tim Sylvia (unofficial) | Evan Tanner (unofficial) | [11] |
| 66 | Ultimate Fight Night 4 | Apr 6, 2006 | Josh Neer (unofficial) | vs. | Joe Stevenson (unofficial) | — | Josh Koscheck (unofficial) | [12] |
| 65 | UFC 58: USA vs. Canada | Mar 4, 2006 | Rich Franklin (unofficial) | vs. | David Loiseau (unofficial) | Tom Murphy (unofficial) | Mark Hominick (unofficial) | [13] |
| Georges St-Pierre (unofficial) | vs. | B.J. Penn (unofficial) | ||||||
| 64 | UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3 | Feb 4, 2006 | Chuck Liddell (unofficial) | vs. | Randy Couture (unofficial) | Chuck Liddell (unofficial) | Jeff Monson (unofficial) | [14] |
| 64 | Ultimate Fight Night 3 | Jan 16, 2006 | Josh Neer | vs. | Melvin Guillard | Chris Leben (unofficial) | Jason Von Flue (unofficial) | [15] |
| 63 | UFC 56: Full Force | Nov 19, 2005 | Rich Franklin | vs. | Nate Quarry | Rich Franklin | Matt Hughes | [16] |
| 62 | The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale | Nov 5, 2005 | Rashad Evans | vs. | Brad Imes | Josh Burkman | Kenny Florian | [17] |
| 61 | UFC 55: Fury | Oct 7, 2005 | Forrest Griffin | vs. | Elvis Sinosic | Andrei Arlovski | Renato Sobral | [18] |
| 60 | Ultimate Fight Night 2 | Oct 3, 2005 | David Loiseau | vs. | Evan Tanner | Brandon Vera | Drew Fickett | [19] |
| 59 | UFC 54: Boiling Point | Aug 20, 2005 | Chuck Liddell | vs. | Jeremy Horn | James Irvin | Randy Couture | [20] |
| 58 | UFC Fight Night 1 | Aug 6, 2005 | Chris Leben | vs. | Patrick Côté | Mike Swick | Josh Koscheck | [21] |
| 57 | UFC 53: Heavy Hitters | Jun 5, 2005 | Rich Franklin | vs. | Evan Tanner | David Loiseau | Paul Buentello | [22] |
| 56 | UFC 52: Couture vs. Liddell 2 | Apr 16, 2005 | Matt Hughes | vs. | Frank Trigg | Chuck Liddell | Matt Hughes | [23] |
| 55 | The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale | Apr 9, 2005 | Forrest Griffin | vs. | Stephan Bonnar | Josh Koscheck | — | [24] |
| 54 | UFC 51: Super Saturday | Oct 22, 2004 | Tito Ortiz | vs. | Vitor Belfort | Evan Tanner | Andrei Arlovski | [25] |
| 53 | UFC 50: The War of '04 | Oct 22, 2004 | Frank Trigg | vs. | Renato Verissimo | Travis Lutter | Matt Hughes | [26] |
| 53 | UFC 49: Unfinished Business | Aug 21, 2004 | Chuck Liddell | vs. | Vernon White | David Terrell | Chris Lytle | [27] |
| 53 | UFC 48: Payback | Jun 19, 2004 | Evan Tanner | vs. | Phil Baroni | Georges St-Pierre | Frank Mir | [28] |
| 52 | UFC 47: It’s On! | Apr 2, 2004 | Chuck Liddell | vs. | Tito Ortiz | Nick Diaz | Genki Sudo | [29] |
| 51 | UFC 46: Supernatural | Jan 31, 2004 | Georges St-Pierre | vs. | Karo Parisyan | Frank Mir | B.J. Penn | [30] |
| 50 | UFC 45: Revolution | Nov 21, 2003 | Evan Tanner | vs. | Phil Baroni | Evan Tanner | Matt Hughes | [31] |
| 49 | UFC 44: Undisputed | Sep 26, 2003 | Randy Couture | vs. | Tito Ortiz | Andrei Arlovski | Nick Diaz | [32] |
| 48 | UFC 43: Meltdown | Jun 6, 2003 | Randy Couture | vs. | Chuck Liddell | Vitor Belfort | Kimo Leopoldo | [33] |
| 47 | UFC 42: Sudden Impact | Apr 25, 2003 | Matt Hughes | vs. | Sean Sherk | David Loiseau | — | [34] |
| 46 | UFC 41: Onslaught | Feb 28, 2003 | Matt Lindland | vs. | Phil Baroni | Tim Sylvia | Frank Mir | [35] |
| 45 | UFC 40: Vendetta | Nov 22, 2002 | Tito Ortiz | vs. | Ken Shamrock | Chuck Liddell | Carlos Newton | [36] |
| 44 | UFC 39: The Warriors Return | Sep 27, 2002 | Ricco Rodriguez | vs. | Randy Couture | Phil Baroni | — | [37] |
| 43 | UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall | Jul 13, 2002 | Ian Freeman | vs. | Frank Mir | Mark Weir | Genki Sudo | [38] |
| 42 | UFC 37.5: As Real As It Gets | Jun 22, 2002 | Chuck Liddell | vs. | Vitor Belfort | Robbie Lawler | Pete Spratt | [39] |
| 41 | UFC 37: High Impact | May 11, 2002 | Robbie Lawler | vs. | Aaron Riley | Ricco Rodriguez | Murilo Bustamante | [40] |
| 40 | UFC 36: Worlds Collide | Mar 22, 2002 | Josh Barnett | vs. | Randy Couture | Pedro Rizzo | Frank Mir | [41] |
| 39 | UFC 35: Throwdown | Jan 11, 2002 | Jens Pulver | vs. | B.J. Penn | Murilo Bustamante | Eugene Jackson | [42] |
| 38 | UFC 34: High Voltage | Nov 1, 2001 | Matt Lindland | vs. | Phil Baroni | Matt Hughes & B.J. Penn | Frank Mir | [43] |
| 37 | UFC 33: Victory in Vegas | Sep 28, 2001 | Matt Serra | vs. | Yves Edwards | Jutaro Nakao | Ricardo Almeida | [44] |
| 36 | UFC 32: Showdown in the Meadowlands | Jun 29, 2001 | Ricco Rodriguez | vs. | Andrei Arlovski | Pat Miletich | Josh Barnett | [45] |
| 35 | UFC 31: Locked and Loaded | May 4, 2001 | Randy Couture | vs. | Pedro Rizzo | Shonie Carter | Carlos Newton | [46] |
| 34 | UFC 30: Battle on the Boardwalk | Feb 23, 2001 | Pedro Rizzo | vs. | Josh Barnett | Tito Ortiz | Elvis Sinosic | [47] |
| 33 | UFC 29: Defense of the Belts | Dec 16, 2000 | Tito Ortiz | vs. | Yuki Kondo | Fabiano Iha | Dennis Hallman | [48] |
| 32 | UFC 28: High Stakes | Nov 17, 2000 | Randy Couture | vs. | Kevin Randleman | Jens Pulver | Andrei Arlovski | [49] |
| 31 | UFC 27: Ultimate Bad Boyz | Sep 22, 2000 | — | — | Yuki Kondo | Fabiano Iha | [50] | |
| 30 | UFC 26: Ultimate Field of Dreams | Jun 9, 2000 | — | — | — | Pat Miletich | [51] | |
| 29 | UFC 25: Ultimate Japan 3 | Apr 14, 2000 | Tito Ortiz | vs. | Wanderlei Silva | Ikuhisa Minowa | Murilo Bustamante | [52] |
| 28 | UFC 24: First Defense | Mar 10, 2000 | Bob Cook | vs. | Tiki Ghosn | Lance Gibson | Scott Adams | [53] |
| 27 | UFC 23: Ultimate Japan 2 | Nov 19, 1999 | Eugene Jackson | vs. | Keiichiro Yamamiya | Pedro Rizzo | — | [54] |
| 26 | UFC 22: Only One Can be Champion | Sep 24, 1999 | Frank Shamrock | vs. | Tito Ortiz | Brad Kohler | Jeremy Horn | [55] |
| 25 | UFC 21: Return of the Champions | Jul 16, 1999 | Andre Roberts | vs. | Ron Waterman | Eugene Jackson | Paul Jones | [56] |
| 24 | UFC 20: Battle for the Gold | May 7, 1999 | Pedro Rizzo | vs. | Tra Telligman | Wanderlei Silva | Pete Williams | [57] |
| 23 | UFC 19: Ultimate Young Guns | Mar 5, 1999 | Jeremy Horn | vs. | Chuck Liddell | Tito Ortiz | Jeremy Horn | [58] |
| 22 | UFC 18: The Road to the Heavyweight Title | Jan 8, 1999 | Bas Rutten | vs. | Tsuyoshi Kosaka | — | Evan Tanner | [59] |
| 21 | UFC Ultimate Brazil | Oct 16, 1998 | Frank Shamrock | vs. | John Lober | Vitor Belfort | Ebenezer Fontes Braga | [60] |
| 20 | UFC 17: Redemption | May 15, 1998 | Dan Henderson | vs. | Carlos Newton | Pete Williams | Carlos Newton | [61] |
| 19 | UFC 16: Battle in the Bayou | Mar 13, 1998 | Tsuyoshi Kohsaka | vs. | Kimo Leopoldo | Frank Shamrock | Jerry Bohlander | [62] |
| 18 | UFC Japan: Ultimate Japan | Oct 17, 1997 | Kazushi Sakuraba | vs. | Marcus Silveira | — | Frank Shamrock | [63] |
| 17 | UFC 15: Collision Course | Oct 17, 1997 | Randy Couture | vs. | Vitor Belfort | Mark Kerr | Mark Kerr | [64] |
| 16 | UFC 14: Showdown | Jul 27, 1997 | Maurice Smith | vs. | Mark Coleman | Mark Kerr | Kevin Jackson | [65] |
| 15 | UFC 13: The Ultimate Force | May 30, 1997 | Guy Mezger | vs. | Tito Ortiz | Vitor Belfort | Guy Mezger | [66] |
| 14 | UFC 12: Judgement Day | Feb 7, 1997 | Mark Coleman | vs. | Dan Severn | Vitor Belfort | Mark Coleman | [67] |
| 13 | Ultimate Ultimate 1996 | Dec 7, 1996 | Don Frye | vs. | Tank Abbott | Kimo Leopoldo | Don Frye | [68] |
| 12 | UFC 11: The Proving Ground | Sep 19, 1996 | Scott Ferrozzo | vs. | Tank Abbott | Brian Johnston | Mark Coleman | [69] |
| 11 | UFC 10: The Tournament | Jul 12, 1996 | Mark Coleman | vs. | Don Frye | Mark Coleman | — | [70] |
| 10 | UFC 9: Motor City Madness | May 17, 1996 | Don Frye | vs. | Amaury Bitetti | Mark Hall | — | [71] |
| 9 | UFC 8: David vs. Goliath | Feb 16, 1996 | Gary Goodridge | vs. | Jerry Bohlander | Gary Goodridge | Jerry Bohlander | [72] |
| 8 | Ultimate Ultimate 1995 | Dec 16, 1995 | Dan Severn | vs. | Paul Varelans | — | Oleg Taktarov | [73] |
| 7 | UFC 7: The Brawl in Buffalo | Sep 8, 1995 | Marco Ruas | vs. | Paul Varelans | — | Marco Ruas | [74] |
| 6 | UFC 6: Clash of the Titans | Jul 14, 1995 | Oleg Taktarov | vs. | Tank Abbott | Tank Abbott | Ken Shamrock | [75] |
| 5 | UFC 5: The Return of the Beast | Apr 7, 1995 | Oleg Taktarov | vs. | Ernie Verdicia | Jon Hess | Oleg Taktarov | [76] |
| 4 | UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors | Dec 16, 1994 | Royce Gracie | vs. | Dan Severn | Marcus Bossett | Royce Gracie | [77] |
| 3 | UFC 3: The American Dream | Sep 9, 1994 | Royce Gracie | vs. | Kimo Leopoldo | Keith Hackney | Royce Gracie | [78] |
| 2 | UFC 2: No Way Out | Mar 11, 1994 | Royce Gracie | vs. | Minoki Ichihara | Patrick Smith | Royce Gracie | [79] |
| 1 | UFC 1: The Beginning | Nov 12, 1993 | Royce Gracie | vs. | Ken Shamrock | Gerard Gordeau | Royce Gracie | [80] |
Fighters with Most Awards
This compilation highlights the athletes who have received the most accolades across these prestigious unofficial categories:
| Fighter | Fight of the Night |
Knockout of the Night |
Submission of the Night |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tito Ortiz | 8 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Chuck Liddell | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Randy Couture | 8 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Royce Gracie | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| Evan Tanner | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Vitor Belfort | 3 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Matt Hughes | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| Frank Mir | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
Key Takeaways
Award Distinction
The UFC Encyclopedia Awards, compiled by Thomas Gerbasi, offer a unique historical perspective on fighter achievements, predating the official bonus system. They highlight standout performances in striking and grappling from UFC's formative years.
Dominant Figures
Athletes like Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell lead the accolades, demonstrating consistent excellence in thrilling fights and spectacular finishes, underscoring their significant impact on the sport's early development.
Archival Value
These unofficial awards serve as a valuable archival record, providing insight into memorable moments and the fighters who defined them, contributing to the rich tapestry of UFC history documented in the official encyclopedia.
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References
References
- This is the first official Post-Fight bonus award. Subsequent awards are official unless noted otherwise.
- First UFC event (other than UFC 9) to not utilize the tournament format which, aside from UFC 23, was abandoned completely in following events.
- First UFC event to not utilize the tournament format. The format was brought back at the next event (UFC 10) and used until UFC 17.
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Disclaimer
Important Notice
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date. The awards presented herein are noted as "unofficial" and were compiled by Thomas Gerbasi as part of the UFC Encyclopedia project.
This is not professional sports analysis or official UFC data. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for consulting official UFC records or seeking expert analysis. Always refer to official sources for definitive information.
The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.