UFC 44: What happened when Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture clashed for the Light-Heavyweight Championship?

UFC 44 finally saw Tito Ortiz return to the Octagon after his hugely impressive dismantling of the legendary Ken Shamrock at UFC 40, 10 months earlier in November 2002.

Ortiz clashed with Interim Light-Heavyweight Champion, Randy Couture after Couture had shockingly dominated Chuck Liddell at the previous pay-per-view.

Couture once again belied his advancing age, 40 in September 2003, to school the 28-year-old Light-Heavyweight Champion, Ortiz.

Ortiz may have entered the bout overconfident after his one-sided battering of another veteran legend in Shamrock. His confidence would soon turn to horror as his opponent dominated him from bell to bell. Couture simply did not let Ortiz go and the smaller Ortiz could not wrest himself free to inflict any offence on his opponent.

After five rounds of dominance, Couture was awarded the Unanimous Decision victory and the Light-Heavyweight Championship proper. The fallen Ortiz ended the bout in tears.

It was another tour de force performance from the "Natural."

Tito Ortiz lies shell-shocked in his title

defence

versus Randy Couture (Image credits: Zuffa LLC)

Tim Sylvia defended his Heavyweight title with ease versus fellow giant, Gan McGee. After moments spent finding his range, Sylvia finally unloaded with a spectacular punch to the chin which sent the six feet 10-inch beast flailing to the canvas. Follow up strikes ended the contest via TKO and Sylvia remained champion.

Andrei Arlovski impressed versus Vladimir Matyushenko as he edged closer to a Heavyweight title fight by knocking his opponent out in under two minutes; the first time Matyushenko had ever been stopped in his career.

Andrei Arlovski impresses at UFC 44

Jorge Rivera bested David Loiseau in a tight encounter. It was a fight he was likely losing until the latter parts of the second round. However, Loiseau visibly tired as the bout went on allowing Rivera to hit clean combinations and do enough to earn the decision win.

In the main card opener, a future superstar, Rich Franklin dominated Edwin Dewees in his second pay-per-view appearance for the company. Franklin completely destroyed his opponent with punches and brutal knees. It was a massacre and a sign of the dominance that Franklin would demonstrate in later bouts for the promotion.

That was UFC 44. Aside from the main event, the action was largely uninspired or one-sided but it's extremely significant for the upset in the headliner.