Hess's mixed martial arts debut came in the Ultimate Fighting Championship 5 tournament, where he defeated Andy Anderson by TKO.
[1] The fight is regarded as one of the dirtiest in UFC history,[2] and Hess was ultimately fined $2,000 for two violations of the rules against eye gouging.
[2] However, despite the marketing slogan, early UFC events did have a limited list of forbidden techniques, though infractions could only result in a fine.
[2] After an attempt to gain public support for a return to the UFC via opinions published in Inside Kung Fu magazine,[3] Hess fought Vitor Belfort at SB 2-SuperBrawl 2, where he lost by KO in 12 seconds.
Since 2007, Hess has made several efforts to get into fighting shape and has suffered a number of injuries, including breaking three toes and an ankle.