UFC 49: Unfinished Business

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1 Background
2 Fight Card
3 Pre-Event Notes
4 Results
5 UFC Event Chronology
6 External Links

Background

UFC 49: Unfinished Business was an 8-bout fight card that was held on August 21, 2004 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The card aired live on pay-per-view and was headlined by a light heavyweight championship bout between champion, Vitor Belfort and former light heavyweight and two-time heavyweight champion, Randy Couture.

A light heavyweight bout between Chuck Liddell and Vernon White served as a co-main event.

Fight Card

Preliminary Card

Lightweight Bout: Yves Edwards vs. Josh Thomson
Welterweight Bout: Karo Parisyan vs. Nick Diaz
Welterweight Bout: Chris Lytle vs. Ronald Jhun

Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Justin Eilers vs. Mike Kyle
Middleweight Bout: Matt Lindland vs. David Terrell
Light Heavyweight Bout: Chuck Liddell vs. Vernon White
Middleweight Bout: Joe Riggs vs. Joe Doerksen
Light Heavyweight Championship Bout: Vitor Belfort vs. Randy Couture

Pre-Event Notes

Randy Couture and Vitor Belfort will face each other for the third time after Belfort was able to claim Couture's light heavyweight title at UFC 46 controversially with a glancing blow that sliced Couture's eye lid just 49 seconds into round 1.

Belfort enters the bout amongst questions of his state of mind after his sister was reportedly kidnapped.

Yves Edwards vs. Josh Thomson is what many MMA fans believe should be for the vacant UFC lightweight title with both fighters deemed the top two lightweights in the UFC at the time.

Results

Preliminary Card

Lightweight Bout: Yves Edwards defs. Josh Thomson via KO (head kick) at 4:32 of round 1.
Welterweight Bout: Karo Parisyan defs. Nick Diaz via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27).
Welterweight Bout: Chris Lytle defs. Ronald Jhun via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:17 of round 2.

Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Justin Eilers defs. Mike Kyle via KO (punches) at 1:14 of round 1.
Middleweight Bout: David Terrell defs. Matt Lindland via KO (punches) at :24 of round 1.
Light Heavyweight Bout: Chuck Liddell defs. Vernon White via KO (punch) at 4:05 of round 1.
Middleweight Bout: Joe Riggs defs. Joe Doerksen via submission (strikes) at 3:39 of round 2.
Light Heavyweight Championship Bout: Randy Couture defs. Vitor Belfort via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round 3 to regain his light heavyweight title.

The fight was a more technical replay of the first encounter, with Couture battering Belfort in the clinch with his dirty boxing and takedowns followed by ground and pound. Belfort's only offense was an armbar that came close to catching Couture but other than that was battered and bloodied until eventually being stopped at the end of the third round.