Mixed Martial Arts
The following is a list of major noteworthy MMA events during 2003 in chronological order.
| Date | Event | Alternate Name/s | Location | Attendance | PPV Buyrate | Notes |
| February 28 | UFC 41: Onslaught | Atlantic City, New Jersey, US | 13,401 | 60,000 | This event marked the return of Tank Abbott to the UFC. This was Abbott's first fight since October 1998. | |
| March 16 | Pride 25: Body Blow | Yokohama, Japan | ||||
| March 27 | WEC 6: Return of a Legend | Lemoore, California, US | This event is noted for the return of Frank Shamrock in his first fight since retiring. Shamrock had not fought since December 2000. | |||
| April 25 | UFC 42: Sudden Impact | Miami, Florida, US | 6,700 | 35,000 | ||
| June 6 | UFC 43: Meltdown | Paradise, Nevada, US | 9,800 | 49,000 | UFC rule change, in the event of a stoppage fights restart in the position the fight was stopped. | |
| June 8 | Pride 26: Bad to the Bone | Pride 26: Reborn | Yokohama, Japan | |||
| August 10 | Pride Total Elimination 2003 | Saitama, Japan | 40,316 | Quarterfinals to Pride GP 2003 middleweight tournament. | ||
| September 26 | UFC 44: Undisputed | Las Vegas, Nevada, US | 10,400 | 94,000 | ||
| October 5 | Pride Bushido 1 | Saitama, Japan | ||||
| October 10 | Rumble on the Rock 4 | Honolulu, Hawaii, US | ||||
| November 9 | Pride Final Conflict 2003 | Tokyo, Japan | 67,450 | Present record holder for the highest attendance of a strictly MMA event. Semifinals and final to Pride GP 2003 middleweight tournament. Wanderlei Silva becomes the Pride 2003 middleweight Grand Prix champion. |
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| November 21 | UFC 45: Revolution | Uncasville, Connecticut, US | 9,200 | 40,000 | ||
| December 31 | Pride Shockwave 2003 | Saitama, Japan | 39,716 | Gary Goodridge announced he would retire from Pride FC at this event. | ||
| December 31 | K-1 PREMIUM 2003 Dynamite!! | Nagoya, Japan | 43,560 | Event featured six K-1 MMA bouts and four K-1 kickboxing bouts. |
Read more about this topic: 2003 In Sports
Famous quotes containing the words mixed, martial and/or arts:
“Let us not deny it up and down. Providence has a wild, rough, incalculable road to its end, and it is of no use to try to whitewash its huge, mixed instrumentalities, or to dress up that terrific benefactor in a clean shirt and white neckcloth of a student of divinity.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“To a surprising extent the war-lords in shining armour, the apostles of the martial virtues, tend not to die fighting when the time comes. History is full of ignominious getaways by the great and famous.”
—George Orwell (1903–1950)
“Self-expression is not enough; experiment is not enough; the recording of special moments or cases is not enough. All of the arts have broken faith or lost connection with their origin and function. They have ceased to be concerned with the legitimate and permanent material of art.”
—Jane Heap (c. 1880–1964)