UFC 107

Lore & Background

The St-Pierre versus Belfort rivalry had simmered since 2007, when the two first met at UFC 71 and Belfort, coming off a legendary comeback from a broken leg, knocked the champion down and won by split decision. For nearly three years, the rematch was the most requested fight in the sport. St-Pierre represented the new order of technical perfection. What happened in the cage defied the drama of the build-up. St-Pierre controlled every round with surgical precision, using his wrestling, striking, and ring generalship to make Belfort look like a shadow of his former self. The unanimous decision was not close. For the first time in the rivalry, the question of who was the better fighter was answered without controversy, and the middleweight division's pecking order was set for years to come. Beyond the main event, the card delivered genuine surprises. The co-main event between Rashad Evans and Matt Serra saw the underdog Serra finish the veteran in the first round, a reminder that in MMA, seeding and pedigree never guarantee an outcome. The supporting card featured a mix of rising contenders and established veterans, giving the night a full-spectrum feel that fans of the sport still reference when discussing well-rounded PPV construction.

In Their Own Story

The Thomas & Mack Center hummed with a low, electric tension as the arena lights dimmed. You could feel the crowd's collective breath before the cage door opened. St-Pierre walked out in his signature calm, jaw set, eyes scanning the octagon floor as if reading a chess board. Belfort followed, bouncing, grinning, the crowd roaring his name in that raw, loyal way only a legend earns. The first exchange lasted maybe four seconds. St-Pierre shot, Belfort sprawled, and the sound of the body hitting the canvas was swallowed by the roar. From that moment, the fight became a masterclass in patience. St-Pierre moved like water around Belfort's wild swings, landing crisp counters that made the Las Vegas crowd gasp in rhythm. By the end of round three, Belfort's legs were gone, his mouth open, his eyes searching for a path back that simply did not exist. When the bell rang for the last time, St-Pierre stood in the center of the octagon, hands raised, not triumphant—just finished. The championship belt was already his. It always had been. He simply needed one more night to prove it to the few who still doubted.

Reader's Guide

Belfort (U) – UFC Middleweight Championship

• The long-awaited rematch of UFC 71, with St-Pierre delivering a near-flawless title defense that silenced the last serious challengers in the middleweight division. • Co-main event shock: Matt Serra took down veteran Rashad Evans in Round 1, proving the welterweight's knockout power was still elite. • A full-spectrum card blending championship legitimacy with competitive underdog stories, making it a reference point for well-constructed PPV programming. • St-Pierre's post-fight composure and technical dominance became a benchmark for what a 'perfect' championship performance looks like in MMA.

Did You Know?

• St-Pierre's unanimous decision win was so dominant that it effectively ended the debate over whether Belfort's 2007 split-decision victory had been a fluke.
• Matt Serra's first-round TKO of Rashad Evans in the co-main event was a major upset, as Evans was the more experienced and higher-profile fighter heading into the bout.
• The event took place in Las Vegas, the traditional home of UFC pay-per-view, at the Thomas & Mack Center, a venue that hosted numerous landmark UFC events during that era.