UFC 129
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | April 30, 2011 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario , Canada |
Area served | North America |
UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields represented a mixed martial arts spectacle organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 30, 2011, hosted at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Background
Marking the sixth UFC occasion held in Canada, this event was the inaugural MMA competition officially approved in Ontario following the sport's legalization in August 2010. Initially designated as UFC 131, it was renamed UFC 129 once the 2011 event lineup was finalized.
The event achieved a record-breaking UFC attendance figure in North America, drawing 55,724 spectators and exceeding the originally planned capacity of 42,000 seats. Tickets were rapidly purchased during pre-sale and general availability phases, resulting in gate receipts surpassing $12 million. Concurrently, a two-day UFC Fan Expo took place at the Direct Energy Centre.
Adjustments to the fight card included John Makdessi competing against Kyle Watson instead of Jonathan Brookins. The UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo defended his belt against Mark Hominick, who earned this opportunity by defeating George Roop with a first-round TKO. A scoring discrepancy favoring Aldo was identified and rectified after the bout.
Rory MacDonald faced Nate Diaz following James Wilks' withdrawal. Matt Hamill was reassigned to UFC 130 to challenge Quinton Jackson; subsequently, Phil Davis was scheduled to fight Jason Brilz but was later promoted to headline UFC Fight Night 24 against Antônio Rogério Nogueira due to Tito Ortiz's pullout. Vladimir Matyushenko stepped in as a replacement opponent for Brilz.
Brian Foster withdrew from competition after a brain hemorrhage diagnosis; Jake Ellenberger took his place against Sean Pierson.
Two preliminary fights were broadcast on Sportsnet, with UFC 129 becoming the first pay-per-view event to commence live at 9 pm ET / 6 pm PT. The title bout between St-Pierre and Shields was promoted via UFC Primetime. Originally planned preliminary bouts on Facebook expanded so that all but two fights were streamed live there at no cost.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Bantamweight |Ivan Menjivar |def. |Charlie Valencia |TKO (elbow and punches) |1 |1:30 |}
{{MMAevent bout |Lightweight |John Makdessi |def. |Kyle Watson |KO (spinning back fist) |3 |1:27 |} {{MMAevent bout |Featherweight |Pablo Garza |def. |Yves Jabouin |Submission (triangle choke) |1 |4:31 |}
Bonus awards
Performance bonuses of $129,000 were awarded as follows:
- Fight of the Night: José Aldo vs. Mark Hominick
- Knockout of the Night: Lyoto Machida
- Submission of the Night: Pablo Garza