UFC 94

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Industry	Mixed martial arts promotion
Founded	November 12, 1993 (1993-11-12)
Founder	Art Davie, Rorion Gracie
Headquarters	Las Vegas , United States
Key people	Dana White (President)
Products	Mixed martial arts events, pay-per-view broadcasts
Website	www.ufc.com

UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2 was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on January 31, 2009. The lineup included five bouts broadcast live and five preliminary matches that were not televised. This event was the UFC's second of the year, taking place during the weekend of Super Bowl XLIII.

The headline fight featured UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre defending his belt against UFC Lightweight Champion and former Welterweight Champion B.J. Penn, marking the inaugural UFC encounter between two reigning champions. The matchup received extensive promotion, including tours across Canada and Hawaii, alongside the debut of UFC Primetime, a preview series with a $1.7 million budget. The co-main event showcased undefeated light heavyweights Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva, both boasting perfect 13–0 records.

Background

The marquee bout matched Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre with Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn at the welterweight limit of 170 pounds (77.1 kg), representing the first UFC contest featuring two active titleholders. Penn sought to become the pioneer in holding two UFC championships simultaneously. The fight generated considerable excitement, with outlets such as Sherdog naming it the most eagerly awaited matchup of 2009, and NBC Sports describing it as one of MMA's most highly anticipated clashes. Dave Meltzer characterized it as "one of the true epic matches in the history of the sport." According to a fan poll conducted by Inside MMA, this bout topped anticipation charts between December and February, surpassing other significant fights.

St-Pierre is recognized for his formidable wrestling skills, endurance, physical power, and athleticism, having unified the Welterweight title by defeating Matt Hughes at UFC 79 and Matt Serra at UFC 83 in Quebec. He successfully defended his championship against Jon Fitch at UFC 87. Penn is acclaimed for his elite jiu-jitsu—being the first non-Brazilian to claim the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship at black belt level—as well as his proficient boxing and wrestling abilities. He captured the vacant Lightweight Championship by overcoming Joe Stevenson at UFC 80, following Sean Sherk's stripping due to doping violations. Penn retained his lightweight title with a TKO victory over Sherk at UFC 84. The two fighters previously met at UFC 58, where St-Pierre secured a split decision win.

Promotion commenced in November 2008 with UFC President Dana White and fighters visiting Toronto and Honolulu to engage fans. To amplify exposure, UFC introduced UFC Primetime, a three-episode series costing $1.7 million that aired on Spike TV in January 2009. Each fighter was filmed over a span of 25 days, exceeding standard preview coverage. Although initial friction arose with Penn concerning his depiction,, the series went on to become Spike's highest-rated UFC preview program, attracting 1.4 million viewers during its premiere.

The co-main event featured unbeaten light heavyweights Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva, originally planned for UFC 89 before Silva withdrew due to injury. Dana White indicated that Machida would earn a title shot with a victory, whereas Silva would require an additional win afterward. Machida employs counter-striking techniques, integrating Shotokan Karate, sumo wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, while Silva is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who favors striking. Machida entered this bout following a unanimous decision triumph over former Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz at UFC 84, while Silva came off first-round TKOs against Antonio Mendes at UFC 84 and Houston Alexander at UFC 78.

This event also marked the comeback from injury for judo expert Karo Parisyan, who faced undefeated South Korean welterweight Dong Hyun Kim,, as well as light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar, initially scheduled to fight Matt Hamill but sidelined by a knee injury. Bonnar’s replacement opponent was emerging talent Jon Jones, a national amateur wrestling champion who had recently defeated Andre Gusmão at UFC 87.

Completing the main card was a lightweight contest between fifth-season The Ultimate Fighter victor Nate Diaz, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt under Cesar Gracie, and contender Clay Guida, regarded as one of UFC's elite fighters. Their encounter had been previously postponed due to Guida’s foot injury.

Event

This event showcased ten mixed martial arts contests, all officially approved by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and conducted under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Each bout consisted of three rounds lasting five minutes each, except the headline championship fight, which was scheduled for five rounds. Half of the matches took place on the preliminary card, which was not broadcast. The attendance totaled 14,885 spectators, generating a gate revenue of $4.29 million. Although the UFC declared a sellout on January 14, 2009, some individual tickets were still available. The pay-per-view purchase count reached approximately 800,000.

Preliminary card

The five preliminary fights all extended through the full three rounds and concluded with judges’ decisions. Dan Cramer made history by becoming the first athlete to win a professional MMA debut on a UFC pay-per-view since Marcio Cruz at UFC 55. Against Matt Arroyo, Cramer utilized takedowns and ground striking while successfully evading submission attempts, earning a split decision victory.

Jake O'Brien rebounded from two successive TKO defeats with a split-decision triumph over Christian Wellisch in their light heavyweight debuts after O'Brien moved down from heavyweight. Despite suffering damage early while standing, O'Brien dominated the grappling exchanges on the mat.

One of the two "Fight of the Night" awards was given to John Howard for his split-decision victory against Chris Wilson in a welterweight contest. Howard controlled the match with takedowns and effective ground-and-pound, landing heavier strikes even though Wilson found success in stand-up exchanges.

In lightweight action on the prelims, Thiago Tavares secured a unanimous decision over Manny Gamburyan by employing takedowns and powerful striking to outwork his opponent.

Jon Fitch earned a unanimous decision win over Akihiro Gono by consistently executing takedowns and ground-and-pound tactics. Fitch nearly finished Gono with submission attempts but ultimately settled for a commanding decision victory.

Main card

The televised segment began with lightweight Nate Diaz battling Clay Guida. Diaz capitalized on an eight-inch reach advantage to land punches, while Guida countered with leg kicks and right-hand strikes. Utilizing his wrestling skills, Guida controlled Diaz during clinches and on the ground, securing a split decision win (29–28 twice, 28–29 once). Both fighters were awarded $65,000 bonuses for "Fight of the Night."

Following this, welterweights Karo Parisyan and undefeated Dong Hyun Kim—both judo black belts—faced off. Kim threatened with submission attempts early on, whereas Parisyan executed a judo throw and attempted a kimura lock. The contest initially ended in a split-decision victory for Parisyan (29–28, 28–29, 29–28), but this result was later overturned to a no contest after Parisyan tested positive for prohibited painkillers. Consequently, he received a nine-month suspension along with a $32,000 fine.

In the third fight at light heavyweight, Jon Jones competed against Stephan Bonnar. Jones controlled the bout through throws and takedowns—including a suplex—and knocked Bonnar down with a spinning elbow strike. Despite Bonnar’s comeback effort in round three, Jones earned a unanimous decision (29–28 once, 30–27 twice).

The fourth match featured undefeated Brazilian fighters Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva at light heavyweight. Machida floored Silva twice before finishing him with a knockout via jumping punch at 4:59 of round one. This was Machida’s first knockout victory and earned him a $65,000 "Knockout of the Night" bonus.

The headline event was for the UFC Welterweight Championship between Georges St-Pierre and B.J. Penn, officiated by Herb Dean. The fight started with clinch exchanges and knee strikes; St-Pierre attempted takedowns but encountered strong defensive tactics from Penn. In round two, St-Pierre achieved top position on the ground and delivered effective strikes as Penn defended using the rubber guard technique. St-Pierre maintained control through rounds three and four with steady ground-and-pound offense. After round four, Penn’s corner stopped the fight due to his worsening condition. Referee stoppage based on medical advice resulted in St-Pierre retaining his title via TKO.

St-Pierre greasing controversy

The bout between St-Pierre and Penn became the center of debate when St-Pierre's corner man, Phil Nurse, was observed applying petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to St-Pierre's shoulders and back during the intervals between rounds, a practice prohibited in MMA because it can reduce grip during grappling. Vaseline usage is strictly limited to facial application to treat cuts, as its presence on other areas may lower friction and confer an unfair edge. Dana White, UFC President, acknowledged the incident but expressed that it likely did not influence the fight’s outcome, anticipating that Nurse would face disciplinary measures.

Penn’s team lodged an official grievance with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), accusing St-Pierre’s camp of illicit "greasing." Penn’s coach further alleged that similar conduct occurred in St-Pierre’s earlier match against Matt Serra. NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer verified that Nurse applied Vaseline to St-Pierre’s face and subsequently rubbed his shoulders and back before wiping his hands. After the second round, Kizer ordered St-Pierre’s back to be cleaned and confirmed no additional Vaseline was applied thereafter. While critical of the cornerman’s actions, Kizer doubted the controversy would lead to overturning the fight’s result.

On March 12, 2009, Penn formally requested an NSAC inquiry by submitting a detailed 20-page complaint accusing St-Pierre’s team of misconduct. The complaint sought fines of $250,000 each for trainer Greg Jackson, Nurse, and others involved, along with suspension or revocation of St-Pierre’s license and reclassification of the bout as a no-contest.

Jackson denied any wrongdoing, clarifying that Nurse’s actions were part of breathing exercises and any Vaseline transfer was unintentional and promptly rectified. St-Pierre also denied applying Vaseline himself or engaging in cheating. Although he proposed a rematch to Penn, scheduling difficulties prevented this from materializing.

The NSAC convened a formal hearing on March 17, 2009, attended by Penn’s representatives and St-Pierre’s team; however, St-Pierre was absent. Penn's mother advocated for the harshest penalties. Both Jackson and Nurse issued apologies but rejected allegations of deliberate cheating. The commission ultimately decided not to alter the fight outcome or suspend licenses unless further complaints emerged, leaving the dispute unresolved. Penn’s camp remained uncertain about pursuing additional actions.

Subsequent events

Following UFC 94, leading welterweight contender Thiago Alves extended congratulations to St-Pierre, who was then slated to face Alves at UFC 100. St-Pierre's commanding victory fueled discussions about a potential "superfight" with UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva in 2010—a prospect both Dana White and St-Pierre publicly supported.

After his defeat, UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn contemplated retirement but ultimately decided to continue competing. He arranged a match against top contender Kenny Florian, securing a submission victory in the fourth round at UFC 101.

In reaction to the Vaseline incident, the UFC introduced new regulations on February 7, 2009, restricting Vaseline application exclusively to independent cutmen during bouts to uphold competitive integrity.

Despite Lyoto Machida's knockout win over Thiago Silva, Dana White did not immediately award him a title shot. Instead, a contest between former champion Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine was set to determine Machida's title contender status. Jackson emerged victorious but sustained a jaw injury; consequently, Machida challenged reigning champion Rashad Evans at UFC 98. Jackson retained his title opportunity upon recovery. After losing to Machida, Thiago Silva was scheduled to face former champion Forrest Griffin at UFC 101, though his opponent was later switched to Jardine.

Karo Parisyan was scheduled to compete against American Kickboxing Academy's Josh Koscheck at UFC 98, but Parisyan's nine-month suspension imposed by the NSAC due to a failed drug test involving painkillers cast uncertainty over the bout's occurrence.

Bonus Awards

A total of $65,000 in bonuses was distributed among fighters:

• Fight of the Night: Clay Guida vs. Nate Diaz and John Howard vs. Chris Wilson
• Knockout of the Night: Lyoto Machida
• Submission of the Night: No bonus was granted.

Reported Payout

The disclosed fighter earnings submitted to the Nevada State Athletic Commission do not account for sponsorship deals or discretionary bonuses:

• Georges St-Pierre earned $400,000 (including a $200,000 victory bonus) defeating B.J. Penn, who received $125,000
• Lyoto Machida secured $120,000 (with a $60,000 win bonus) over Thiago Silva, who was paid $29,000
• Jon Jones obtained $14,000 (comprising a $7,000 win bonus) against Stephan Bonnar, who earned $22,000
• Karo Parisyan took home $80,000 (including a $40,000 win bonus) after defeating Dong Hyun Kim, who made $26,000
• Clay Guida collected $40,000 (with a $20,000 win bonus) beating Nate Diaz, who received $20,000
• Jon Fitch earned $68,000 (featuring a $34,000 win bonus) over Akihiro Gono, who was paid $28,000
• Thiago Tavares received $26,000 (including a $13,000 win bonus) defeating Manny Gamburyan, who earned $14,000
• John Howard took home $6,000 (with a $3,000 win bonus) against Chris Wilson, who made $15,000
• Dan Cramer earned $16,000 (including an $8,000 win bonus) after beating Matt Arroyo, who was paid $8,000
• Jake O'Brien secured $22,000 (with an $11,000 win bonus) defeating Christian Wellisch, who received $12,000

See also

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
• List of UFC champions
• List of UFC events
• 2009 in UFC

External links

• UFC 94 PPV Page at UFC.com