On Sept. 28, 2001 at UFC 33 (appropriately titled Victory in Vegas) , Dave Menne stepped into the Octagon to face Gil Castillo for the vacant UFC Middleweight Championship. By then, he was a veteran of nearly 40 fights with a record of 30-7-2. He was also very well traveled, having fought in various countries such as the United States, Japan, and Kuwait, making him one of the more experienced competitors on the roster at the time.
However, Castillo was by no means out of his league against the MMA globetrotter, as the Californian was a perfect 8-0, with wins over some of the then best in the industry like Vernon White and Nate Marquardt.