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The final event of 1999 saw the vacant Heavyweight Title on the line and Kevin Randleman who should have been champion at UFC 20 got another opportunity at the title, this time opposite Pete Williams.
Randleman looked focused and charged Williams immediately, attempting a takedown. However, Williams defended nicely and responded with a great combination which put Randleman down.
Randleman finally got Williams down and was active in the mount and the rest of the fight largely played out the same round. It was a pretty dull encounter in all honesty but justice was done when the judges this time, awarded Randleman the win and the Heavyweight Championship.
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka took on Pedro Rizzo in a contest with Heavyweight title implications. It was pretty dull in truth, with tentative action throughout until Rizzo exploded with a massive right hand which stiffened Kohsaka like a board. Brutal finish to a disappointing fight.
In the final ever UFC one night tournament, Katsuhisa Fujii defeated Masutatsu Yano via TKO in the first round. This was another tentative encounter that finally exploded into life at the end, when Fujii decked Yano with a big right hand and a stunning combination to earn the TKO.
Kenichi Yamamoto defeated Daiju Takase in the other tournament first round encounter which was a brutally dull fight wherein Yanamoto remained in the mount throughout, which was enough to earn him the decision victory.
The final saw Kenichi Yamamoto beat Katsuhisa Fujii in the final which was mercifully better than the preceding two bouts. From the bottom, Yamamoto spun into a beautiful kneebar for the win via Submission.
Elsewhere, Joe Slick beat Jason DeLucia in just 88 seconds when a takedown saw DeLucia's leg get mangled badly under the weight of his body. Nasty looking injury that. However, he was fine and returned to action the following year in Pancrase.
Finally, Eugene Jackson defeated Keiichiro Yamamiya in a bout where both men go their shots in but it was Jackson who landed a sick left hand for the Knockout. Incredible punch.
UFC 23 was a middling show, with the UFC tournament sapping the life out of the crowd and the main event underwhelming.
However, Jackson and Slick ensured the card will be forever remembered by a couple of highlight reel finishes.
