View source for UFC 37.5

{{short description|UFC mixed martial arts event in 2002}}
{{Infobox MMA event
| name = UFC 37.5: As Real As It Gets
| image = UFC37.5.jpg
| promotion = [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]]
| date = June 22, 2002
| venue = [[Bellagio (hotel and casino)|Bellagio Hotel and Casino]]
| city = [[Las Vegas, Nevada]]
| attendance = 3,700
| gate = 
| buyrate = 
| purse =  
| previousevent = [[UFC 37|UFC 37: High Impact]]
| followingevent = [[UFC 38|UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall]]
}}
'''''UFC 37.5: As Real As It Gets''''' was a [[mixed martial arts]] event held by the [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]] at the [[Bellagio (hotel and casino)|Bellagio Hotel and Casino]] in [[Las Vegas, Nevada]] on June 22, 2002.

==Background==
The fight card was headlined by a bout between top contenders, returning [[Vitor Belfort]], and [[Chuck Liddell]]. UFC 37.5 was the first UFC event to feature [[Joe Rogan]] as a [[color commentator]] but he would leave again to host [[Fear Factor]], and return at [[UFC 40]]. Joe made several UFC appearances prior to UFC 37.5 as the behind-the-scenes interviewer starting at [[UFC 12]].

UFC 37.5 was a last-minute event specifically held to promote the UFC on [[Fox Sports Net]]'s ''[[The Best Damn Sports Show Period]]'', where the "best fight" of the night was to air during the ''BDSSP'''s "All Star Summer" celebration in June 2002.<ref name="ufchistory">{{cite news |last1=Hernandez |first1=Sergio |title=History in the Making: Before UFC on Fox, there was UFC 37.5 and Robbie Lawler |url=https://www.mmamania.com/2011/8/28/2390065/history-in-the-making-before-ufc-on-fox-there-was-ufc-37-5-and-robbie |access-date=26 September 2018 |date=Aug 28, 2011}}</ref> The fight aired was [[Steve Berger]] vs [[Robbie Lawler]], which has the distinction of being the first [[mixed martial arts]] (MMA) fight to be aired on US cable television.<ref name="ufchistory"/> It also aired in [[Free-to-air|Free-to-Air]] television in Brazil for first time at [[Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão|SBT]], Vitor Belfort had previously participated at the network's [[reality show]] ''[[Casa dos Artistas]]'' (''The House of Artists'').

The event featured only six fights, which is a much smaller card than others under the UFC banner at the time, and was not broadcast on Pay-per-view until August 16th. The number 37.5 was used because [[UFC 38]] had already been announced and marketed in England, where the UFC was making their debut just three weeks later.

==Results==
{{MMAevent}}
{{MMAevent card|Main Card}}
{{MMAevent bout
| Light Heavyweight
| [[Chuck Liddell]]
| def.
| [[Vitor Belfort]]
| Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28)
| 3
| 5:00
| 
}}
{{MMAevent bout
| Welterweight
| [[Benji Radach]]
| def.
| Nick Serra
| Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 30–27, 30–27)
| 3
| 5:00
| 
}}
{{MMAevent bout
| Welterweight
| [[Pete Spratt]]
| def.
| Zach Light
| Submission (armbar)
| 1
| 2:25
| 
}}
{{MMAevent bout
| Welterweight
| [[Robbie Lawler]]
| def.
| [[Steve Berger]]
| TKO (punches)
| 2
| 0:27
| 
}}
{{MMAevent bout
| Middleweight
| [[Tony Fryklund]]
| def.
| Rodrigo Ruas
| TKO (punches)
| 2
| 3:34
| 
}}
{{MMAevent bout
| Lightweight
| [[Yves Edwards]]
| def.
| Joao Marcos Pierini
| TKO (injury)
| 1
| 1:19
| Pierini injured his shoulder falling to the mat after a high kick from Edwards.
}}
{{MMAevent end|notes = yes}}

==Encyclopedia awards==
The following fighters were honored in the October 2011 book titled ''[[List of UFC encyclopedia award recipients|UFC Encyclopedia]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last= Gerbasi|first= Thomas|date= 2011-10-17|title= UFC Encyclopedia - The Definitive Guide to the Ultimate Fighting Championship|location= New York|publisher= DK|page= 195|isbn=978-0756683610}}</ref>
*'''Fight of the Night: Chuck Liddell vs. Vitor Belfort'''
*'''Knockout of the Night: Robbie Lawler'''
*'''Submission of the Night: Pete Spratt'''

==See also==
* [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]]
* [[List of UFC champions]]
* [[List of UFC events]]
* [[2002 in UFC]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}<!--added above External links/Sources by script-assisted edit-->

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.ufc.com/}}

{{UFC Events}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ufc 037.5}}
[[Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship flagship events]]
[[Category:2002 in mixed martial arts]]
[[Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship events in Paradise, Nevada]]
[[Category:2002 in sports in Nevada]]
[[Category:June 2002 sports events in the United States]]