Las Vegas Weekly

December 29, 2008 · 12:45 PM

Photo Gallery: Pink leads all-star turnout for UFC 92 and Strip after-parties

By Robin Leach

Sully Erna and Pink.

Photo: Pure Management Group

Rock singer Pink led a parade of stars -- and fighters -- to the parties after the battles in the UFC 92 Octagon wars at the MGM Grand over the weekend. She first hit LAX nightclub at the Luxor for UFC President Dana White’s official after-party. That ’70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama joined the group at the VIP stage tables with everybody enjoying Patron tequila shots!

Also partying alongside was UFC light heavyweight Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, who was celebrating his first-round knockout of Wanderlei Silva. The former light heavyweight champion basked in the limelight with a large group of friends that included White and UFC commentator Joe Rogan. Seated nearby were Believe magician Criss Angel and his girl next door, Holly Madison, both sipping on Montecristo Rum and Cokes.

After the UFC 92 superfight, Wilmer, who is a celebrity investor in Company American Bistro at the Luxor, treated several friends to dinner there before the disco party -- including Pink! Dana White and his UFC owner partners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta grabbed a nearby table for SoHo Kobe sliders and yuzu chili chicken wings.

It was Pink’s first UFC fight, although her father was a one-time boxer who taught her the Muay Thai style of martial arts fighting. Also at the MGM event were Tito Ortiz and very expectant gal pal Jenna Jameson, George Clooney’s former gal pal and Las Vegas model Sarah Larson and MLB stars Greg and Mike Maddux, Michael Barrett and Shane Victorino.

Over at Prive nightclub in Planet Hollywood, mixed martial arts fighter Rashad Evans celebrated his victory over Forrest Griffin to become the new light heavyweight champion. My pal, movie tough guy Chuck Zito, joked by playing door host behind Prive’s velvet ropes to bar Forrest’s immediate entrance!

Up the Strip at Christian Audigier nightclub in Treasure Island were a trio of UFC combatants, including a very happy C.B. Dollaway, who celebrated his first-round TKO of Mike Massenzio earlier in the night. Letting loose were fellow fighters Efrain Escudero and Ryan “Darth” Bader, the newly minted light heavyweight winner of the reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter. Professional boxer Zab Judah also dropped by the T.I. party spot but stuck to sipping on Fiji water.

UFC champion Jackson also celebrated at Carey Hart’s Wasted Space club inside the Hard Rock Hotel with friends Tito and Jenna. Jason Giambi stopped in to congratulate Jackson on the knockout victory. Also at the Hard Rock: French heavyweight and UFC Champion Cheick “Unstoppable” Kongo celebrated his UFC win with friends at a big dinner in Mr. Lucky’s.

Here’s the brief recap of the UFC 92 showdown attended by 14,100 fans: It was the first time that two season winners from Spike TV’s The Ultimate Fighter had faced off: Forest Griffin from Season 1 and Rashad Evans from Season 2. They battled for two rounds, but toward the end of the third round, the referee stopped the fight with a TKO after Griffin was kicked to the mat and was unable to defend himself in a flurry of thrown punches. Rashad is now the second Ultimate Fighter winner to capture a title and remains undefeated as one of the biggest UFC stars.

A lot of excitement centered on the match-up between former champion Frank Mir and Antonio Nogueira. Mir’s victory halfway through the second round guarantees him a shot now at newly crowned heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, who recently beat Randy Couture. Fight fans at the MGM predicted this could be an even bigger PPV TV fight.

Wanderlei Silva, after just 3:21 in the first round, lost in a TKO to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson after falling from a massive left-hook punch that sent him to the canvas in their scheduled three-round light heavyweight bout. He was taken to Valley Hospital for observation as a precaution. In two previous meetings, Rampage had lost to Silva, and just a week after losing his belt to Forrest Griffin had been arrested by California Highway Patrol officers after a police chase after crashing his truck into two cars.

“I’m back,” he yelled to fans afterward the victory.

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