The card was headlined by a
heavyweight title bout between
Randy Couture and
Pedro Rizzo. A
welterweight title bout between
Pat Miletich and
Carlos Newton also occurred. The card featured the first appearance of future
UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Serra, the professional debut of future multi-divisional
UFC Champion B.J. Penn, and
Kevin Randleman's first fight in
Light Heavyweight. UFC 31 again saw reformed weight classes, adopting the
current standard under the new
Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, set by the
New Jersey State Athletic Control Board a month earlier in April 2001.
Bantamweight was renamed
Lightweight and raised from 150 to 155.
Welterweights were now at 170,
Middleweights at 185, and
Light Heavyweights at 205.
Dana White has said on many occasions that this was one of the best fight cards ever mainly due to the main event and the bout between
Matt Serra and
Shonie Carter which involved the infamous
backfist finish. ==Results==