5 worst shows in UFC history

#1 UFC 33: Victory In Vegas – 09/28/2001

The Tito Ortiz-headlined UFC 33 remains the benchmark for bad UFC shows

The UFC’s first ever show in Sin City – hence that goofy subtitle – UFC 33 was also the first show to return to pay-per-view broadcast following the infamous pre-Zuffa ‘Dark Ages’ of the promotion. Unfortunately, the 75,000 fans who ordered the show probably wished they hadn’t bothered.

Zuffa unsurprisingly tried to load the card, booking three title fights – Tito Ortiz vs. Vladimir Matyushenko for the Light-Heavyweight title, Jens Pulver vs. Dennis Hallman for the Lightweight title, and Dave Menne vs. Gil Castillo for the Middleweight title – but that turned out to be their biggest mistake.

Every fight went the distance – including three-round fights between Matt Serra and Yves Edwards and Chuck Liddell and Murilo Bustamante – meaning that by the time the Ortiz/Matyushenko fight was taking place, the broadcast ran over and was cut from pay-per-view, meaning many fans missed the conclusion of the main event – not that it was anything exciting, just another dull judges’ decision.

Due to this incident, it would be over 15 years until the UFC risked three title fights on a pay-per-view card again – they didn’t try it until 2016’s inaugural show in New York, the Conor McGregor-headlined UFC 205.

The worst fight on offer at UFC 33 was undoubtedly Pulver vs. Hallman – a fight largely considered the most inactive title fight in promotional history by longtime fans – but really, nothing set the world alight or was even slightly memorable.

Even years later, Dana White often refers to UFC 33 as the worst show the promotion has ever put on – in a post-fight press conference at the bad UFC 149 show he even quipped that he “felt like he was at UFC 33 again”. And who am I to argue with Dana White? UFC 33 remains the all-time worst show in UFC history.