Las Vegas Weekly

November 17, 2008 · 2:05 PM

After Couture-Lesnar’s Octagon bout, UFC fighters duke it out at parties

By Robin Leach

Arianny Celeste celebrates birthday No. 23.

Photo: Alec Loc Thieu

You would think after the beating, bruising and battering the UFC fighters dished out to one another at UFC 91, they’d just want to hit the hay in the nearest bed. Not the case for these mighty warriors! They wanted to party as hard as they’d fought, and when these guys let loose, they’re drinking and dancing until the real lights go out!

Here’s the Vegas Deluxe rundown of everywhere they went:

As we reported yesterday -- click HERE -- new heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar decided on sushi, sashimi and sake at Shibuya in MGM Grand for his victory celebration. Meantime, the vanquished Randy Couture, complete with scrapes and cuts on his pummeled face, kept his word and partied at Studio 54, also at MGM. Ringside celebrities included singer-actress Mandy Moore, actress Laura Prepon, comedy actor Rob Schneider, rapper 50 Cent and British boxer Ricky “Hitman” Hatton, who fights there this coming Saturday.

Randy’s loss didn’t spoil the fun at Studio 54, and fans kept chanting his name throughout the night. Randy had wife Kim at his side as he welcomed fans, friends and fellow fighters including Kevin “The Monster” Randleman, former WEC world featherweight champion Uriah Faber, Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga, Mike “Quicksand” Pyle and the voice of the UFC, announcer Bruce Buffer. Also partying there was hip-hop music mogul and Death Row records founder Suge Knight and Deuce Bigelow star Rob Schneider. (For the record, Suge Knight, real name Marion Knight, has just been officially charged with three crimes by the Clark County Justice Court in connection with the August beating here of his girlfriend of three years, Melissa Isaac.)

UFC Octagon girl Arianny Celeste celebrated the fight -- and her 23rd birthday -- with a bash of her own at the sprawling Studio 54, and the alluring beauty was joined by star fighters Heath “Texas Crazy Horse” Herring, B.J. “The Prodigy” Penn, Mac Danzig and Matt “The Law” Lindland. Arianny turned her birthday celebration into a weekend-long festival of fun with a second party over at Victor Drai’s Tryst in the Wynn.

Over at Prive in Planet Hollywood, UFC TV host and color commentator, actor-comedian Joe Rogan, was the center of attention flanked by mixed martial arts fighters Mark “The Hammer” Coleman and Dan “Hollywood” Henderson. Joe also hit the Wolfgang Puck bar and grill restaurant inside MGM Grand for his pizza favorites. Randy Couture’s trainer Shawn Tompkins, and Junie Browning, a cast member of the current Ultimate Fighter reality series, wound down at the Sportsbook Bar & Grill in the Palazzo.

Fighter Kenny Florian, along with his trainer and his entire camp, loaded up with carbs for his fight right after the weigh-in with a slew of signature dishes from Chef Ludo Lefebvre at the new Lavo hot spot in the Palazzo. Then right after the fight, Kenny shot over to sister spot Tao in The Venetian to celebrate his Octagon win over Joe “Daddy” Stevenson. Kenny arrived with 10 friends, and his pal Mandy Moore waited upstairs in Tao nightclub to add her congratulations.

Also at Tao was UFC’s All Access host Rachelle Leah looking stunning in a little black dress and heels and celebrating with other UFC friends in the club’s VIP area. A late arrival was superstar singer-musician Prince, who snuck in quietly at 3 a.m. through a private rear entrance and right into a waiting skybox hand in hand with his exotic new girlfriend.

The wild weekend parade of parties just kept on going -- and last night UFC President Dana White and Joe Rogan continued the celebration at Wasted Space in the Hard Rock. They were welcomed by New York Yankees star partner Jason Giambi and Irish rapper-singer-songwriter Everlast.

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