''UFC 22: Only One Can be Champion'' was a

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

event held by the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

on September 24, 1999 at the

Lake Charles Civic Center Sudduth Coliseum, in the Lake Charles Event Center, is a 7,450-seat multi-purpose arena in Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA. Located on Lakeshore Drive, it is the main arena of the event center and is named for former Lake Charles Mayor James Suddu ...

in Lake Charles,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

History

The event was headlined by a Light Heavyweight Championship bout between

Frank Shamrock Frank Shamrock (born Frank Alisio Juarez III; December 8, 1972) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship (later renamed the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship) ...

and

Tito Ortiz Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz () is an American politican and retired mixed martial artist and Submission grappling, submission grappler. Ortiz is best known for his career with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC ...

. The Ortiz-Shamrock fight was notable for being widely considered one of the best MMA fights ever at the time it took place, due to the complete range of skills shown by both fighters. The bout featured back-and-forth action which saw multiple takedowns from Ortiz and crisp

kickboxing Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...

displayed by Shamrock, who eventually forced Ortiz into submission with brutal punches, elbows, and hammerfists to the temple late in the 4th round. Shamrock would begin his short lived semi-retirement after this bout, citing a lack of competition. UFC 22 marked the first UFC appearance of future

UFC Welterweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...

Matt Hughes, who would go on to dominate the UFC's Welterweight division, as well as future

UFC Lightweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...

Jens Pulver Jens Johnnie Pulver (born December 6, 1974) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist and undefeated boxer and kickboxer. In 2023, Pulver was inducted into the UFC hall of fame. Pulver was the inaugural UFC Lightweight Champion in ...

, who fought in a preliminary bout that was not televised.

Brad Kohler Bradley Kohler (born May 26, 1964) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Heavyweight division. A professional from 1997 until 2012, Kohler competed for the UFC, RINGS and DEEP. Career Kohler made his pro ...

scored one of the more infamous knockouts in MMA history. 30 seconds into Round 1, Kohler feigned a takedown attempt, only to land an explosive right cross. Steve Judson was knocked out instantly, and suffered a deep gash to his chin at the point of impact. Remaining unconscious and showing signs of having difficulty breathing, referees immediately signaled to the medical staff who administered oxygen treatment to Judson, who was taken out via stretcher to the local hospital. The event was the second to feature rounds following the significant rule changes first introduced in

UFC 21 ''UFC 21: Return of the Champions'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 16, 1999 at the Five Seasons Events Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, ...

Results

Encyclopedia awards

The following fighters were honored in the October 2011 book titled '' UFC Encyclopedia''. *Fight of the Night: Frank Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz *Knockout of the Night: Brad Kohler *Submission of the Night: Jeremy Horn

External links

UFC official website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ufc 022 Ultimate Fighting Championship flagship events 1999 in mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts events in Louisiana Sports competitions in Lake Charles, Louisiana 1999 in sports in Louisiana September 1999 sports events in the United States

History

Results

Encyclopedia awards

See also

External links

References