UFC 72

Lore & Background

UFC 72 continued the UFC's expansion into Europe, as it was the third event to take place in Europe and the United Kingdom after UFC 38 in 2002 (Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom) and UFC 70 in April 2007 (MEN Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom). The card aired on pay-per-view in North America and via Setanta Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Martin Kampmann was scheduled to fight Rich Franklin, but was forced to withdraw due to injury. Yushin Okami replaced Kampmann in the main event. Jake O'Brien was scheduled to fight Tom Murphy, but was forced to withdraw due to injury. There was no replacement for O'Brien, and Murphy did not fight on the UFC 72 card.

In Their Own Story

The desert air outside the US Airways Center was dry and warm, the kind of March Phoenix heat that makes the arena's air conditioning feel like stepping into another country. Inside, the crowd was a sea of black and white, the low murmur of a crowd that had learned, over the past two years, to expect something more than a brawl. In the corner, a young man in a blue robe rolled his shoulders, jaw set, eyes already somewhere past the cage. Across the octagon, a bigger man in a black robe cracked his neck and grinned the grin of a man who had been the best in two weight classes and intended to stay there. The bell rang. Three rounds later, the grin was gone, and the young man in blue was holding a gold belt above his head while the Phoenix crowd roared like the desert had finally learned to sing.

Reader's Guide

The event featured bonus awards of $40,000 each. Fight of the Night: Tyson Griffin vs. Clay Guida. Knockout of the Night: Marcus Davis. Submission of the Night: Ed Herman.

Did You Know?

• UFC 72 was the third UFC event held in Europe and the United Kingdom.
• The main event was originally scheduled to be Martin Kampmann vs. Rich Franklin, but Kampmann withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Yushin Okami.
• Jake O'Brien was scheduled to fight Tom Murphy but withdrew due to injury; no replacement was made and Murphy did not fight on the card.