UFC Fight Night 147: 10 memorable moments from the UFC's previous shows in the UK

#5: The UFC vs. PRIDE unification match – UFC 75 – 09/08/2007

'Rampage' Jackson unified the UFC and PRIDE Light-Heavyweight titles by beating Dan Henderson in London

The biggest news story in the MMA world in 2007 was the UFC’s purchase of their biggest rival promotion, Japan’s PRIDE FC. While the buyout didn’t exactly run smoothly, most of PRIDE’s top fighters made their way to the Octagon and in September of that year, the UFC booked a title unification fight between UFC Light-Heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and his PRIDE counterpart, Dan Henderson.

It came as a massive surprise though to find out that the fight was booked as the main event of the UFC’s second show that year to take place in the UK, their first one in London since their debut there in 2002. While US fans were disappointed to see the fight take place on foreign soil, it was a dramatic way to show fans in the UK that the promotion was serious about pushing their product there.

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The fight turned out to be a tremendous one; in a back-and-forth five round instant classic, ‘Rampage’ was able to outpoint Henderson to become the first ever unified UFC and PRIDE champion. The fans in attendance were wowed, and a slice of MMA history was made, on UK soil nonetheless.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Shiven Sachdeva