In June, the Ultimate Fighter 13 finale card saw Tony Ferguson pick up a UFC contract while veteran Clay Guida spoiled Pettis’ UFC debut in the main event. Later that month, top heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos stamped his ticket for a shot at champion Cain Velasquez with a punishing three-round win over comebacking Shane Carwin at UFC 131 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Several intriguing storylines were flowing around the promotion’s traditional Independence Day weekend event in Las Vegas on July 2, and each one delivered. In the main event, Dominick Cruz’ first UFC appearance was a successful one, as he outpointed Urijah Faber in their long-awaited bantamweight rematch. Plus, Chris Leben scored the biggest win of his career, knocking out Wanderlei Silva in 27 seconds, and former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz turned back the clock for one emotional night, as he upset Bader, submitting him in under two minutes.
Looking to keep the momentum going from that stirring victory, Ortiz stepped up on short notice to face Evans in a rematch of their UFC 73 contest. This time there would be no emotional win for Ortiz, as he was stopped by “Suga” in the second round of their UFC 133 main event in Philadelphia on August 6.
Later that month, the UFC’s international tour brought them to Brazil for the first time since 1998, and UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro on August 27 was a good one for the home team, as Anderson Silva (over Yushin Okami), Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (over Forrest Griffin) and “Minotauro” Nogueira (over Brendan Schaub) all emerged victorious in emphatic fashion, thrilling the Brazilian fans that packed HSBC Arena.
