UFC 74

Lore & Background

The main event was a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout which featured champion Randy Couture defending his title against Gabriel Gonzaga, who knocked out Mirko Filipović at UFC 70 to become the number one contender. Former UFC and TKO Major League MMA welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, in his first fight since losing his title to Matt Serra at UFC 69, was matched up against The Ultimate Fighter's Josh Koscheck. The card also featured former heavyweight champion Frank Mir against K-1 veteran Antoni Hardonk; The Ultimate Fighter 3's winner Kendall Grove; the UFC debut of PRIDE veteran Marcus Aurélio; The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight winner Joe Stevenson; and former light heavyweight challenger Renato Sobral. Despite winning his bout, Sobral was fined $25,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission because he did not immediately follow referee's directions for releasing his chokehold after David Heath tapped. Due to the controversial manner in which the bout was stopped, Sobral was subsequently released from his UFC contract. Future UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has said in an interview with ESPN that he wanted to fight in the UFC but Dana White wouldn't take his calls. He then said that he went to this event and after the show was over he jumped the barricade, avoided security, and introduced himself to White.

In Their Own Story

The MGM Grand Garden Arena hummed with a low, electric buzz as the walkout music hit and the cage lights flared white against the dark. Rashad Evans made his way in, calm, deliberate, the kind of stillness that made opponents uneasy before the bell even rang. The crowd—thousands of faces lit by the ring's glow—chanted his name in a rhythm that felt less like a show and more like a congregation. Across the cage, his opponent bounced on the balls of his feet, jaw set, eyes locked. The referee's voice cut through the noise: "Fighters, touch gloves." The first exchange was a test—feints, a low kick, a feint again. And then the war began, and the arena roared as if the building itself had drawn a breath and let it go.

Reader's Guide

The event featured a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between Randy Couture and Gabriel Gonzaga, a welterweight bout between Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck, a heavyweight bout between Frank Mir and Antoni Hardonk, and other bouts including Kendall Grove, Marcus Aurélio, Joe Stevenson, and Renato Sobral. Bonus awards: Fight of the Night ($40,000) – Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga; Knockout of the Night ($40,000) – Patrick Côté; Submission of the Night ($40,000) – Thales Leites.

Did You Know?

• Randy Couture was the defending UFC Heavyweight Champion at this event.
• Gabriel Gonzaga became the number one contender by knocking out Mirko Filipović at UFC 70.
• Georges St-Pierre fought for the first time since losing his welterweight title to Matt Serra at UFC 69.
• Renato Sobral was fined $25,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for not releasing a chokehold after David Heath tapped, and was subsequently released from his UFC contract.
• Brock Lesnar attended this event and introduced himself to Dana White after jumping a barricade and avoiding security.