UFC 72
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | June 16, 2007 |
| Headquarters | Belfast , Northern Ireland |
Area served | Europe, North America |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC 72: Victory was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 16, 2007, hosted at The Odyssey located in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Background
The event UFC 72 represented the UFC's ongoing efforts to grow its presence in Europe, constituting their third occurrence on the continent following UFC 38 (2002, London) and UFC 70 (April 2007, Manchester). It was available via pay-per-view in North America and broadcast through Setanta Sports for audiences in the UK and Ireland.
Initially, Martin Kampmann was scheduled to compete against Rich Franklin but had to pull out due to injury; Yushin Okami stepped in as his replacement for the headline bout. In a similar situation, Jake O'Brien was expected to fight Tom Murphy but withdrew because of injury. Murphy ultimately did not participate in UFC 72 as no substitute fighter was secured.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $40,000 were awarded to the following fighters:
- Fight of the Night: Tyson Griffin vs. Clay Guida
- Knockout of the Night: Marcus Davis
- Submission of the Night: Ed Herman