UFC 30
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | November 12, 1993 |
| Founder | Semaphore Entertainment Group |
| Fate | Acquired by Zuffa, LLC in January 2001 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Key people | Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Owner | Zuffa, LLC (since January 2001) |
| Website | www |
UFC 30: Battle on the Boardwalk was a mixed martial arts competition hosted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Trump Taj Mahal located in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on February 23, 2001. This event marked the UFC's first under the new ownership of Zuffa, LLC and was also the first since UFC 22 to be distributed via home video.
History
The fight card included two championship bouts: a contest for the Light Heavyweight title featuring reigning champion Tito Ortiz against challenger Evan Tanner, and the inaugural UFC Bantamweight Championship match between Jens Pulver and Caol Uno. After this event, the Bantamweight division was reclassified as "Lightweight" in accordance with the updated Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, as established by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board. The UFC did not feature Bantamweight competitors again until after merging with WEC in 2011. Additionally, UFC 30 introduced fighters such as Phil Baroni, Sean Sherk, and Elvis Sinosic to the promotion.
This event signified a crucial turning point as the first under Zuffa's leadership, headed by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta with Dana White as president. Zuffa acquired UFC in January 2001 from Semaphore Entertainment Group during a period of financial difficulty. This transition laid the groundwork for UFC’s strategic expansion and market repositioning.
While Zuffa would later implement a policy allowing fighters to choose their own entrance music rather than using the standard UFC theme, this practice was not yet in effect at UFC 30.
Encyclopedia awards
The October 2011 publication UFC Encyclopedia recognized several fighters from this event:
- Fight of the Night: Pedro Rizzo vs. Josh Barnett
- Knockout of the Night: Tito Ortiz
- Submission of the Night: Elvis Sinosic