This Day in MMA History: May 10

Considering his Ultimate Fighting Championship run consisted of just four fights, Murilo Bustamante managed to make quite an impression. Going into the first defense of his middleweight belt against then-undefeated Matt Lindland at UFC 37, he had already ensured his place in history as the first Brazilian UFC champion of the modern era. By the time he left Bossier City, Louisiana, that night, he would be part of mixed martial arts lore for another reason.

The “double tap” fight, as it is often called, went awry within the first few minutes, as the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt ensnared Lindland in an armbar. With the hold locked in and Lindland’s arm fully extended, the American appeared to tap, and referee “Big” John McCarthy stopped the fight. Lindland then protested that he had not tapped, and McCarthy controversially restarted the fight. The outcome was not critically affected, as Bustamante ended up catching Lindland in a guillotine choke in the third round, but it remains one of the most bizarre title matches in UFC history.

From there, Bustamante would make history one more time, joining Jens Pulver and Randy Couture as one of the few sitting champs to leave the UFC for another promotion. He would experience success in Pride Fighting Championships, even reaching the final of the 2005 Pride Welterweight Grand Prix. Lindland would go on to build on his resume, as well, remaining a middleweight contender in the UFC for several more years before leaving the promotion for good. From there, he made his mark in International Fight League—as a head coach and as a fighter—Affliction and Strikeforce.

Also of note at UFC 37 was the promotional debut of a very fresh-faced Robbie Lawler. The 20-year-old slugger outpointed Aaron Riley, bringing his career record to 5-0 and confirming his status as a future champion. That title would come eventually but only after more than a decade of professional twists and turns that saw Lawler wander across two weight classes in at least a half-dozen different organizations before returning to the UFC in 2013.