UFC 34: “High Voltage” Shocks the World

Part III

*originally published in the Nov ’01 issue of Full Contact Fighter*

With the preliminaries out of the way, the show was already a vast improvement over the last one. If the rest of the matches proved to be as thrilling, Zuffa could finally have the coming out party they deserved. Thanks to Zuffa, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, sanctioned in Nevada and now on cable television, would truly be back and better than ever.

As pyrotechnic explosions flared and burst, the crowd, now nearly filling the arena, went wild. Heavyweights Bobby “Bad Seed” Hoffman and Josh “the Baby-Faced Assassin” Barnett made their way to the Octagon. Hoffman and Barnett had met up before, squaring off in 1999 at the end of a grueling eight-man tournament – Superbrawl 13. There, Barnett had gotten the better of Hoffman, earning a hard-fought decision. But a lot had changed since then. Now, Hoffman was the King of the Cage heavyweight champ, and amassed an impressive record against world-wide talent. Barnett himself was considered a top contender, his only loss to Pedro Rizzo via knockout after a long stand-up battle. Both were seasoned veterans – with skills on their feet and on the ground – and both knew this fight would be the next step towards the UFC heavyweight title.

As referee Big John McCarthy started the match, both fighters advanced. Wary of Hoffman’s incredible punching power, Barnett tied up. From there, Hoffman got a takedown, but found himself in the guard of someone adept at submissions. The Baby-Faced Assassin tried armbar after armbar, then a kneebar, while Hoffman kept his cool and escaped each one. A scramble took them back to their feet, where they tied up against the fence. This time, Barnett got the takedown this time and attained the mount. Slamming his chest into Hoffman’s face again and again, Barnett was unable to do much damage, and was reversed. The round was nearing an end, when, from inside Barnett’s guard, Hoffman received an unintentional eye-gouge. Despite the heat of battle, Barnett was apologetic.

Back in their corners between rounds, both fighters seemed fresh, although Hoffman was indeed nursing his eye. As Big John turned them around to face one another, Barnett could be seen mouthing yet another “I’m sorry.” And then they were clashing again, Hoffman landing a knee before getting tied up. A sweep by Barnett took them to the ground, where he scored with punches from within the Bad Seed’s guard. After passing, then a scramble, Barnett was sidemounted. It was there that he unleashed a flurry of forearms and elbows. Unable to defend himself, Hoffman tapped at four minutes and twenty-five seconds.

Although it was unclear as to how much the accidental eye-gouge factored into the win, both fighters acquitted themselves well. The Baby-Faced Assassin, in spite of his signature throat-slashing “victory dance”, was quick to praise his opponent, and asked the crowd to applaud him. “I’m know I’m going to be wearing the gold real soon,” said Barnett on his future. “Real soon.” With only a handful of fighters in the UFC heavyweight division having made their mark, Josh Barnett will certainly get a shot at that gold – sooner rather than later.

Next up was Caol Uno versus BJ Penn. Uno made his way to the Octagon with UFC vet Tsuyoshi Kohsaka in tow. Penn followed, sprinting, and bringing MMA legend Frank Shamrock with him. Both fighters were visibly pumped. As referee Larry Landless started the match, no time was wasted: Uno and Penn charged each other. Uno was the first to make his move, leaping into the air and attempting a sidekick. Penn dodged, and when both fighters reset themselves, Penn opened up with lighting-fast punches – first a straight right, then a left cross. With Uno stumbling back into the fence, the Phenom followed up with four right uppercuts before the referee could jump in. Penn ran out of the Octagon as quickly as he ran in, returning a few minutes later to get his hand raised in victory. The crowd went wild. Not since the days of Vitor Belfort had they seen such amazing hand speed. In just eleven seconds, Penn had shocked the world.

Many believed Uno’s vast experience in defeating top talent would be too much for Penn – a relative unknown quantity in the MMA world. Other than being the first American black belt to win at the Brazilian Mundials, Penn only had two quick wins – against Din Thomas and Joey Gilbert. How well could he really hope to do? Evidently, extremely well. It took only eleven seconds for the Hawaiian “Phenom” to knock Uno out, cementing his shot at the belt with a dizzying flurry that left the Japanese Shooto champ crumpled on the Octagon floor.

“I want my belt,” Penn said in his post-fight interview. “I’ll go past anyone to get it.” Get ready for fast hands facing off against heavy leather at the upcoming UFC. The next stop on the Phenom’s quest: Jens Pulver.