UFC 103: Franklin Vs. Belfort

[Marquis]

Main Card

Rich Franklin Vs. Vitor Belfort
Mirko "CroCop" Filipović Vs. Junior Dos Santos
Mike Swick Vs. Martin Kampmann
Josh Koscheck Vs. Frank Trigg
Tyson Griffin Vs. Hermes Franca

Preliminary card

Efrain Escudero vs. Cole Miller
Paul Daley vs. Brian Foster
Drew McFedries vs. Tomasz Drwal
Eliot Marshall vs. Jason Brilz
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Igor Pokrajac
Rob Emerson vs. Rafael dos Anjos

Franklin Vs. Belfort. Looking forward to this one. I'm a fan of Franklin's, maybe even a big one, but I also do like Belfort, and would like him to have a impactful debut, but sadly for Belfort I don't think that will be happening. I see Franklin just picking Vitor apart like he usually does for most of his opponents. Vitor like's to throw quick straight punches, which I don't even think good head movement can save you from with that hand speed, but just not getting in front of them or staying out of range can. I see Franklin keeping his distance from Vitor with his leg kicks, and working angles to catch Vitor with a few punches. Vitor like I said, likes to throw straight punches, so I see Franklin staying on Vitor's side and catching him, then moving out. Also Franklin might not have to do this for long, Vitor is fighting above middleweight which is where he's been recently in his last two fights. I don't think it will be a big deal if this fight is at catchweight of 195, but the advertisement for the fight tonight during UFC 102 said it would be a light heavyweight bout, which if it is, then I can see Vitor having stamina issues. I say Franklin takes this one by decision.

Mirko "CroCop" Filipović Vs. Junior Dos Santos.Glad to see Mirko back in the octagon ready to avenge his record in the UFC. This is a pretty dangerous fight for Mirko. Dos Santos might look to take Mirko down and submit him, but Mirko has one of the best takedown defenses in the sport, well in his prime he did, not sure about the Mirko of today. This fight really depends on what Mirko shows up. If the Mirko we saw in pride comes, then goodnight Dos Santos. Dos Santos wouldn't be able to get Mirko down at all, and would have to stand with him. In which I obviously give the K-1 star the advantage. Both are kickboxers, just Mirko is a better class of kickboxer, but if the Mirko that showed up in the UFC previously comes, then Mirko is in for a long night. Calling this fight is hard since Mirko hasn't fought any top competition fighters as of late besides Overeem, who he was getting dominated by, so I'm not exactly sure where Mirko is at right, but due to being biased since he is my favorite fighter, I'll say Mirko takes this via round 1 TKO.

Mike Swick Vs. Martin Kampmann. Well I'm not really sure how two welterweight wins, one which was a split decision over Condit, earns Kampmann a number 1 contender shot, but if he beats Swick then you really can't question him. Both of these fighters are primarily strikers, but in Kampmann's case he also has some pretty slick submissions, so he's well rounded. I see this fight mostly being on the feet, where I would give Swick the advantage. Kampmann is thought to have the more technical stirking, and maybe he does, but I see him leave himself way too open, which often leads to him catching a couple of punches, like in the McFedries fight. Luckily for Kampmann though he seems to have a decent chin. One which I think won't save him from Swick. Swick has KO power, it doesn't matter how good your chin is, he catches you with a few of those, or just one, then you're out. I see Kampmann getting caught with a punch by Swick that will rock him, then attempt to get Swick down, but since Swick is also a MW who dropped to WW, I can't imagine Kampmamm having success in taking Swick down without getting caught in a Guillotine Choke, much less submit him. So I would say Swick snuffs the takedown, and eventually TKO's him. I have Swick by TKO in round 2.

Josh Koscheck Vs. Frank Trigg. Koscheck takes this one in my book. Koscheck is a better wrestler then Trigg, even if Koscheck thinks he's a kickboxer now, with his better wrestling background I'm sure he can stop Trigg's takedown attempts. Leaving the fight on the feet, where I assume the new Kickboxer Koscheck wants it. And although I don't consider Koscheck a great striker, I'm pretty sure his striking is good enough to out strike Trigg. Koscheck by TKO, hopefully his recent KO lose makes Koscheck go back to his wrestling, in which I see him dominating Triggs by lay and pray.

Tyson Griffin Vs. Hermes Franca. So Franca finally makes his return to the octagon. I have Griffin by deicison in this fight. Although Franca should feel fine off his back, I see Griffin getting him down and controlling him with his better wrestling, which seems to be Franca's weakness. If Franca could somehow keep this fight on the feet, I would give his striking the edge over Griffin's, but I doubt he can. I say Tyson via long lay and pray Decision.

 

[jmt225]

This is a very, very solid show.

I think Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort is going to be an absolute war, with an unbelievable knockout to end it. And I think Belfort will be the one to get that knockout. While Rich has the reach and strength advantage, I think think Belfort's hand speed will be too much to handle for him. And if Rich is picking Belfort apart somehow on the feet, then Belfort has other ways of getting himself back into the fight. I mean, the guy is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt after all. Nevertheless, I cannot wait to see this one. I'm so happy Belfort is back in the UFC!

CroCop vs. Junior Dos Santos is going to be another stand-up war, and one that I'm certain will end with a devastating knock out. And right now, while I do love me some CroCop, I see Dos Santos being the one who gets the knockout. He's just shown so much in his first couple of fights in the UFC, that it's really hard to bet against him. That plus the fact he's a protege of Anderson Silva and Big Nog, I really don't see CroCop hanging with someone like that. But I do wish CroCop well and if he somehow does pull off a victory, then I will not be disappointed in the least bit.

I agree with Marquis that Martin Kampmann doesn't deserve the ranking he has in the UFC, but I honestly don't think it matters as I totally see Swick knocking his ass out when they fight. Swick is currently solidifying himself as the old Vitor Belfort of the Welterweight Division. He has shown himself to have unbelievable handspeed, and is very well-rounded. Kampmann really doesn't stand a chance, and I look forward to GSP vs. Swick come UFC 109 or somewhere around that time.

To me, it depends on which Josh Koscheck shows up to the fight whether or not he will win against Frank Trigg. If the 'wrestling, lay N' pray' Koscheck shows up, then he'll win a decision, but if the 'stand up, repeatedly throwing the overhand right because that's all I know how to do on the feet' Koscheck shows up, then he'll lose a decision or get knocked out. Either way, it'll be interesting to see.

Tyson Griffin and Hermes Franca have both been in TON of 'Fight of the Nights' in the UFC, and I completely expect this one to add their list of FOTNs. I can't predict a winner because they're so alike, but I cannot wait to see this fight nonetheless. It's going to be amazing.

And as far as the prelims, it'll be aired on Spike, so I'm looking forward to that as well, mostly Efrain Escudero vs. Cole Miller, which I think is going to be a GREAT fight. I see Cole ultimately subbing him, but you never know with Efrain. He seems to be an underdog in all his fights, but yet the guy just won't lose. Should be a good one.

 

[Marquis]

MIKE SWICK is OUT of UFC 103 following a training accident suffered while sparring against Josh Koscheck.

Kos swept the American — nicknamed 'Quick' — causing him to land on his head.

His injuries are not serious but we can reveal he will be unable to face Martin Kampmann on September 19.

Instead, rising British star Paul 'Semtex' Daley will step in to face the Dutchman on the televised card of the showpiece event, which airs live on ESPN.

Daley — who will be making his Octagon debut — told SunSport: "I got the call and I accepted. I came to the UFC to fight the best, and that's what I am going to do.

"Kampmann is on a roll with the UFC, but I will roll over him. Semtex is going to explode onto the UFC's welterweight scene at UFC 103."

The UFC's UK president Marshall Zelaznik added: "Semtex has come to the UFC with a lot of hype, a lot of ability and — as he's already proved — a lot of confidence.

"He was asked to step up and — real fighter that he is — he accepted right away.

"He's already done the UK proud by stepping up and I know he's going to go all out to do exactly the same at UFC 103.

"He has an attack-minded style and British fans will be able to see Paul make his debut against one of the best 170lbs fighters in the UK on ESPN."

Taken from the Sun.UK, which from what I understand isn't a great source for news, so take it for what it's worth.

If this fight does go down, then I see Kampmann as the new number 1 contender for the belt. Daley is a knockout artist with no ground game who most of his loses come via submission, while Kampmann is a pretty well rounded fighter with a tough chin. I see Kampmann standing and attempting to pick part Daley till he can get a takedown in, or wait till he gets rocked to shoot for one. Once Kampmann gets Daley down I see him submitting Daley rather quick.

It's a shame if true they can only come up with Daley as a replacement. I would have taken Fitch off his fight with Almeida and gotten him to replace Swick for the title shot fight. I wonder if this fight will still remain for number 1 contender, I doubt it, but have yet to see any confirmation if it is.

Edit: Other sources are now confirming this, so it looks to be true that Daley will indeed replace Swick.

 

[jmt225]

I'm very disappointed Swick got injured. He's worked so damn hard and has overcome so much to get to the position he got to for UFC 103, and it's a real shame to see it all get flushed down the toilet over Koscheck being too rough during training.

Anyway, I pretty much agree Marquis... Paul Daley is nowhere near Martin Kampmann's league. Kampmann should make quick work of him, and then go on to lose to GSP in a couple of months.

While I don't think Swickwould stand a chance against GSP either, I do think he would put up a great fight; a much better one than Kampmann, anyway.

But yeah... this just goes to show how much the UFC lacks fighters at Welterweight right now. GSP has pretty much wiped everyone in the division out, and did so dominantly, so rematches don't look too sexy, so to speak.

 

[Final Form Snyper.]

That seems to be also the situation with the Middle weight division. These 2 are elite in their divisions because they are constantly training even when they aren't fighting. GSP has left a burning trail of ex contenders behind and lets nothing for himself in the future. Which isn't his fault because he is exceptionally skilled and a monster athelte.

 

[INDYjon22]

I am very excited about this card. I love to watch both Franklin and Belfort fight so I see this fight being excellent. I think it will go to a decision with Belfort winning a unanimous decision. He has faster hands then Franklin and is better on the ground. However I do think Franklin has a chance at winning this fight and it really could go either way. Lets just see what happens.

I think that that Dos Santos/CroCop fight will interesting. I dont really know much about Dos Santos besides that he is strong as hell and knocked out a 6'11 dude in like his debut in the UFC. In the end I think CroCop will kick Dos Santos head off his shoulders.

Im upset that Swick got hurt and he will have to start over in his hunt for a title shot. Kampmann will beat Paul Daley black and blue, end of story.

I am really hype for the Koscheck/ Trigg fight because I am a huge fan of both. I think it'll be a close decision but a unnamous decision in favor of Koscheck. He is younger, faster and better at wrestling.

Grffin/Franca looks good on paper but i think it'll be a decision for Franca in the end. I love Griffin but I think Franca is to experienced for him. It'll be a fast fight though.

Should be a great night with a great line up of fights.

 

[Final Form Snyper.]

Tyson Griffin vs Hermes Franca - Lay and Pray, thats his only exit.

Rich Franklin vs Vitor Belfort - Close fight but I see Rich working from outside majority of the fight and basically picking Belfort apart just like Wanderlei Silva. Franklin has very good angles and some great footwork, leaving most to guess where he will be next.

Martin Kampmann vs Paul Daley - Kampmann will simply dominate Daley in most areas and will no doubt mess him up.

Mirko Cro Cop vs Junior Dos Santos - Interesting fight here, with the winner IMO moving closer to the title. Santos has been rather impressive and needs to win to establish his status. But Cro Cop will seem to pick himm off at will and end him wit a KO/TKO in the second.

 

[bealzer1010]

Awesome fights tonight,
Glad to see Koscheck back with a win, the match was similar to Koschecks last one might have been called a little early but was probably for the best Trigg looked way overmatched.

Was pretty upset to see Kampmann lose, but on the upside Daley looked very impressive and pulled off a huge upset dont think anybody had this guy winning! Be nice to see this guy square off with Swick next.

I think everyone will have the same feelings on the Dos Santos-Cro Cop ending and think we got robbed!! It looked like a setup for a big KO, then Mirko got the eye injury, still a pretty good fight. Both fighters took each others shots and kept on going. Dos Santos gained his confidence in the 3rd when he started using the knees which helped him to land the punch to cause the injury to stop the fight. Have to say I think Mirko still doesnt look the same in the UFC as he did in Pride (surprised he was allowed to wear the pride shirt to the ring). Would like to see Dos Santos fight someone like Mir next where he can be taken down, we would be able to see if he has any ground game!!

Franklin-Belfort well plain and simple Franklin got his ass whooped quick!!!! I think once they showed the replay in slow-mo it kinda ruined the tko it looked like Belfort was barley connecting until Franklin's head was on the ground, then he got some stiff ones in. But needless to say if Belfort gets Silva next jusssssssssst maybe he could be the one dethrone the king of middleweights...Yea right who am I kidding I dont think Siva has losing in his system anymore, he gave that up a couple years ago.

Definitely liked the prelims being aired on spike, good fights too, hopefully they do that more often so we dont have to watch the same 3 promos on repeat for 1/2 before the fight lol

 

[jmt225]

Full Results:

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Robert Emerson​

Round 1
Dos Anjos, from a southpaw stance, lands a nice leg kick to open the fight. He shoots but Emerson defends well and gets back to the center to the cage. Emerson fighting more of a counter-striking style while dos Anjos is initiating more of the action. Dos Anjos lands a nice left hook to the jaw of Emerson but he shakes it off. Emerson defends another shot by pushing dos Anjos head down and retreating from danger. Dos Anjos is in on a single but Emerson grabs a whizzer trying to stave off the attempt but this time dos Anjos gets it. With only a few seconds left in the round, dos Anjos grounds and pounds to the bell. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for dos Anjos.

Round 2
Dos Anjos kicking to the legs of Emerson, they are starting to take a toll. Emerson finally checks a kick and lands a straight right hand and another. Emerson has found an effective attack and scores with yet another right. Dos Anjos shoots but Emerson defends. Emerson defends another takedown, dos Anjos ducked under a right hand but Emerson sprawled. A big inside leg kick to Emerson’s lead left leg from dos Anjos backs up the Californian. Dos Anjos presses him against the cage as the 10-second warning sounds. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for dos Anjos.

Round 3
After a brief exchange to start the third dos Anjos gets in deep on a shot. Emerson sprawls but he cannot defend and is pulled to the canvas along the cage. Dos Anjos tries to take his back and gets a hook in before attempting a choke that Emerson defends by turning back into him. Emerson gets his guard back but dos Anjos is dropping punches and elbows from the top. Emerson pushes dos Anjos back with his legs and tries to stand but the Brazilian dives back into his guard before passing to half and then side-control. Emerson escapes back to his feet but dos Anjos grabs double underhooks and presses him against the cage. Emerson frees himself from dos Anjos’ clutches but finds himself on the receiving end of yet another brutal inside leg-kick. An exhausted Emerson is throwing single right hands looking for the finish but dos Anjos keeps landing the inside leg-kick to Emerson’s lead leg before circling away. The round comes to a close with Emerson still chasing the elusive dos Anjos. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 dos Anjos.

All three official judges score it 30-27 for dos Anjos, who takes the unanimous decision.

Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Igor Pokrajac​

Round 1
Pokrajac throwing leg kicks early and after a couple Matyushenko gets the timing down and blasts the Croat with a big right hand over the top. Matyushenko, standing upright, doubles up on the jab. Pokrajac wades in with punches and stuns Matyushenko with a combination. He rushes after him hoping to finish but the veteran wrestler ducks under and takes him to the mat. Matyushenko stands and controls the legs of Pokrajac before jumping back to the ground. He quickly moves to mount but Pokrajac gives up his back. Matyushenko tries for the choke but is bucked off and mounted himself as the round closes. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Matyushenko.

Round 2
Matyushenko lunges in with a jab and finds his mark. Pokrajac answers with punches of his own. Matyushenko, bleeding from the nose, lands a nice straight right-left hook combo that rattles the Croat. The fighters are exchanging heavy blows in the center of the cage with Matyushenko getting the better shots in. He takes Pokrajac to the mat and punches from the top. He pins his arm with a leg and punches to his defenseless opponent. Pokrajac defends the position but has his back taken. Matyushenko cannot sink the choke and Pokrajac gets back to his feet but has to defend a guillotine. The one-sided round comes to an end with Sherdog.com scoring it 10-9 for Matyushenko.

Round 3
Pokrajac throws a sloppy right leg kick to Matyushenko’s lead leg and pays for it when he is clipped with a big right hand. Matyushenko shoots and is briefly stuffed before finishing the takedown. With little action, referee Leon Roberts stands the fighters up. Matyushenko grinds Pokrajac up against the cage but again the referee breaks them after a lull. Pokrajac gets his first takedown from another clinch but Matyushenko sweeps him right away. The fight ends with Matyushenko on top. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for “The Janitor.”

Matyushenko takes a unanimous decision with scores of 30-27 on all three of the official judges' scorecards.

Eliot Marshall vs. Jason Brilz​

Round 1
Brilz is moving forward while Marshall circles round the outside throwing jabs. Marshall plants and throws a three-punch combination that had Brilz ducking for a shot. Marshall retreats out of range and the fighters reset in the center of the Octagon. Brilz finally shoots but Marshall defends. Brilz shoots under another jab from Marshall but he is again denied. Marshall throws a weak head kick and Brilz rushes forward, pinning him against the cage at the horn. Sherdog.com scores the first frame for Marshall 10-9.

Round 2
Marshall is showing off some impressive takedown defense again in round two. Brilz is in deep on a single but Marshall shows good balance and patience as he fights his way free of Brilz. The big Nebraskan pushes Marshall against the cage and works some knees to the thighs but one gets Marshall right in the groin. Replays show the left knee landing square on the cup of Marshall. After a quick respite, the Coloradan is ready to continue. Brilz continues to try to take the fight to the mat but Marshall proves too tough to ground. Marshall lands a nice counter right as Brilz chucks and ducks for another takedown. Brilz lands a couple shots, his first significant ones of the round, at the close of the second. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Marshall.

Round 3
Brilz just can’t get Marshall to the mat. He pushes his way into a clinch and tries to drop for the takedown but is stuff yet again. Brilz pushes Marshall against the cage but little action ensues. Brilz winging big rights now as the desperation sets in. He needs a finish and is fighting like he knows it. Brilz shoots again but is denied again. Marshall grabs double unders along the cage and slips away from Brilz. Another weak shot is defended and Marshall lands a two-piece combo on an advancing Brilz. Brilz slugs away at the 10-second warning but it is too little too late. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Marshall.

Official scores are announced as being 30-28 Brilz and 30-27 (twice) for Marshall, who takes the split decision. However, the official scoresheet for the contest declaes scores of 30-27 (twice) for Marshall and 30-27 for Brilz.

Ricky Story vs. Brian Foster​

Round 1
Story and Foster are slugging it out right from the get go. Foster lands a right hand that stumbles Story but he manages to stay on his feet. Foster throws him to the mat but Story takes top position when Foster misses on a guillotine. Story passes but Foster manages to get to his feet. Story will not let go of a body-lock and takes him back to the mat. Story is bleeding from the nose pretty good. Story trying to pass from half to mount but he is denied. Story punching from the top as he continues to try to advance his position. Foster gets his guard back but Story lands a punch that starts the blood flowing from his nose now. Foster is back up for a second but Story takes it back to the mat. Foster makes it back up again and the fighter exchange heavy shots once again. Both fighters are bloody as the round closes.

Round 2
The fighters slug it out some more to open round two. Story ducks under during the exchange and hits a single-leg takedown. He moves from his guard and locks up an arm-triangle that forces Foster to tap at 1:09 of the second round.

Nik Lentz vs. Rafaello Oliveira​

Round 1
The fighters trade leg-kicks and Oliveira adds another one. Oliveira hurts Lentz with a punch and rushes in. He has to defend a guillotine but Lentz cannot get his guard making it academic for Oliveira. With the fighters back on their feet, Lentz stops a takedown and jumps to another guillotine. Oliveira slams him to the mat and breaks the hold. Lentz finding his range on his punches now, he lands a nice combination that has Oliveira reeling. He pushes him against the cage and takes him to the canvas with a double at the horn. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Lentz.

Round 2
Lentz, feeling more comfortable as the fight wears on, begins round two with a pair of right leg-kicks, one to the body and one to the head of Oliveira. Lentz pushing the pace this round, he pushes Oliveira against the cage and pops him with a nice right hand. Oliveira answers with a right of his own. Oliveira takes Lentz to the mat along the cage and tries to wrest control of the fight back from his opponent. Oliveira trying to mount but gets put back in guard. Lentz takes top position in a scramble only to be put back on bottom by Oliveira. Lentz is back on his feet but looks to be tiring. He is bleeding pretty good from his mouth. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Oliveira.

Round 3
Lentz still charging forward as the third gets under way. Oliveira changes levels and grabs hold of the wrestler taking him to the mat in sloppy fashion. Oliveira goes to work in the guard, landing punches and looking to pass. Lentz uses the cage to get back to his feet and resumes his forward movement. Oliveira stops him dead in his tracks with a stiff right hand but Lentz is undeterred. He takes Oliveira to the mat, again sloppily. The men trade punches with Lentz firing down to the body and head while Oliveira counters with backfists. Lentz punishing Oliveira from half-guard with both right and left hands while trapping his opponent’s left arm with his leg. Oliveira lands an upkick in the rounds closing seconds but it should not be enough to sway the judges. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Lentz.

The official cards read 29-28 (twice) and 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Nik Lentz.

Jim Miller vs. Steve Lopez​

Round 1
Miller firing from his normal southpaw stance attacks early with punches. Lopez, also a southpaw returns the favor. Miller catches the lanky Lopez with a punch that wobbles him but he smiles and shakes it off. Miller winces during an exchange and paws at his left eye as if he was poked but he does not stop fighting. Miller lands a high kick and goes back to rubbing his eye with his hand. Perhaps sensing some urgency, Miller unloads a flurry and drops Lopez with a left. He rushes in to finish and locks up a guillotine along the cage. Lopez does well to defend but as soon as he is out he starts eating leather. Miller, working in the guard delivers some big left hands. Lopez remains calm and utilizes his guard to limit the damage from Miller. With just seconds left, Miller sits back for a leg-lock but doesn’t come close. Lopez gets up, but with no time left on the clock.

Round 2
There is little happening in the second round when Lopez waves to referee Don Turnage that he cannot continue. There were a couple of exchanges but nothing really landed. Replays show Lopez’s shoulder dislocated when he threw a punch. Jim Miller wins by TKO at 48 seconds of round two.

Drew McFedries vs. Tomasz Drwal​

Round 1
McFedries comes out swinging for the fences and Drwal keeps his distance with kicks to the lead leg. McFedries is really loading up on his punches as he unloads with both hands. Drwal answers with a left hook that opens a small cut above the right eye of McFedries. Drwal lands a snapping low kick and enters into a clinch with his dangerous opponent. Drwal, while standing, takes the back of McFedries. He winds up heavy knees and connects them with the left thigh of his foe. The fighters separate and go toe-to-toe with punches. Drwal gets the better of the exchange as McFedries is already gassed out. Drwal gets a takedown and moves to mount. Drwal unloads and forces McFedries to give up his back to avoid punishment.

Jordan Breen scores the fight 10-9 Drwal
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Drwal
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Drwal

Round 2
Drawl roughs McFedries up with a series of straight-punching combinations. Drwal gets a takedown and moves to side control. Drwal advances to mount and McFedries offers nothing to resist. Drwal takes the back and secures a tapout at the 1:03 mark of round one from a rear-naked choke.

Efrain Escudero vs. Cole Miller​

Round 1
Escudero circles away from his taller opponent. Miller is effectively using his reach in the center of the Octagon as he uses his jab and straight right hand. Escudero scores a single-leg takedown, but he does not follow his opponent to the floor. Miller stands and seems a little trigger shy as he pulls two punches. Miller lands a knee and misses a spinning-back kick. Miller connects with a teep kick and Escudero slams him to the floor. Miller stands and is belted by a right hook. Miller crumbles and Escudero unloads on the downed fighter with two right hands and a left. Referee Yves Lavigne steps in to save the American Top Team product at 3:36 of round one.

Tyson Griffin vs. Hermes Franca​

Round 1
Griffin lands two hard low kicks to start the fight. Griffin sneaks a jab through the defense of the Brazilian. Griffin takes the center of the cage with his back foot and throws his jab and right hand while Franca circles. The Xtreme Couture fighter continues to abuse the left leg of Franca with low kicks. Griffin connects to the body with a straight right. The American has doubled up on his jab for the first time of the fight. Griffin peppered the BJJ black belt throughout the first frame, but the crowd was displeased with the pace of the action.

Jordan Breen scores the fight 10-9 Griffin
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Griffin
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Griffin

Round 2
Griffin stays behind his jab to start the second stanza. Griffin clips Franca with a right hand and a toughman-like brawl ensues. Griffin mixes in a kick to the body with his haymakers and Franca catches it. Franca holds the leg and throws his right hook nonstop to the head. Griffin does little to trump his free-swinging opponent, as he throws his right hand exclusively until Franca lets go of the leg. Technique returns to the bout as Griffin drops Franca with a right straight. Griffin swarms and absolutely tees off on his prey. Franca is taking heavy shots, but he’s trying to catch Griffin in an armbar. Franca goes for the heel and Griffin has none of it. He keeps punching until Franca goes limp. Referee Dan Miragliotta steps in at 3:26 of round two.

Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg​

Round 1
Trigg lands the first meaningful shot of the fight after a period of long distance striking. A left straight clips Koscheck on the right eye. Two right hooks drop Trigg to the floor. Koscheck follows Trigg to the floor and pounds him out with four powerful right hands. Leon Roberts halts the contest at 1:25 of the first period.

Martin Kampmann vs. Paul Daley​

Round 1
Kampmann opens up with a punching flurry, but nothing lands clean. Daley stands tight in the pocket and counter punches effectively. Kampmann is rocked from a Daley right hand. Crisp, technical striking is on display in this contest. Kampmann attempts a single and Daley shrugs him off. Daley blasts Kampmann with a left and a right. Kampmann answers the assult with a right hook of his own. Both fighters are landing at a good pace as they trade punches. Daley hurts Kampmann with a left hook. Kampmann stumbles back to the fence and Daley unleashes both hands to the head. Referee Yves Lavigne steps in for an awful premature stoppage at 2:31 of the first. Lavigne stepped in as Kampmann was defending in a standup position against the cage. Kampmann was clearly dazed by the onslaught of punches from Daley, but it did not warrant referee intervention.

Junior dos Santos vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic​

Round 1
Dos Santos lets his hands fly and backs Cro Cop up against the cage. Cro Cop defends his way off the cage and lands a kick to the right side of Cigano’s body. And another. Cigano is applying pressure with punching flurries, but nothing is landing clean. Finally a right hand gets through. Cigano explodes with punches, but Cro Cop is game. Cro Cop is sporting a lump over his right eye. He shoots for a single and fails as Cigano backs away. The Croatian goes to the clinch and briefly throws Cigano to the floor. The Brazilian is cut over both eyes. Cro Cop lands a sharp left straight that rocks Cigano’s frame. Cro Cop is starting to land. Cigano attacks with an uppercut and Cro Cop covers up well. Cro Cop’s defensive strategy is clear: he’s covering up and staying stationary instead of moving away. Cro Cop gets in another left at the horn.

Jordan Breen scores the fight 10-9 dos Santos
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 Cro Cop
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 dos Santos

Round 2
Cro Cop fires a head kick that comes up short. Cro Cop lands a stinging low kick and Cigano belts him with a left hook. Cigano charges while unloading. Cro Cop shows good defense, but he’s not answering. Cigano continues to attack and lands an uppercut. Cro Cop covers and pushes him away when he gets close. Cro Cop misses another headkick. Cigano lands a stiff-left hand to the midsection. The crowd is starting to boo as Cro Cop does nothing. The fighters clinch and Cro Cop lands a left knee to the body. Cigano answers it with a knee of his own. The Brazilian falls to the canvas as Cro Cop lands a kick directly on the groin protector. Referee Dan Miragliotta gives dos Santos five minutes to recover. Dos Santos opens up a cut above the left eye of Cro Cop with a right hook. Cigano also connects with a body kick to end the round.

Jordan Breen scores the fight 10-9 dos Santos
Jeff Sherwood scores the round 10-9 dos Santos
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 dos Santos

Round 3
Cro Cop comes forward and lands a straight left. And another. Dos Santos is not phased. He answers with a solid body shot from his right hand. Dos Santos lands three knees to the body and a left hook. Another knee crushes Cro Cop’s body and he’s hurt. Cigano goes to the head with a knee and the Pride veteran is wobbly. Cigano continues the torrent of punishment with knees to the body. Cigano lands a right hand to the left eye of Cro Cop and the Croatian quits. The fight is over. Cro Cop took the punch directly on the eye and then waved to referee Miragliotta that he was done. The official time is 2:00 of round three.

Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort​

Round 1
Belfort makes the first move with a low kick. Franklin checks it. Franklin moves in and out of range as Belfort stays planted; his left hand cocked and loaded. At the midway point of round one, not one meaningful strike has found its target. The crowd is growing restless. A left hand to the temple knocks Franklin down to his knees. Belfort lands another left hook and finishes the Ohioan with punches from both hands. Referee Yves Lavigne steps in at 3:02 of round one.

I've only watched the two main preliminaries and the main event thus far, but on paper this looked like a great show.

I am SHOCKED at Vitor's dominance of Rich Franklin. Listen, I know in the past I've praised Vitor as someone who could be an unstoppable beast when he wants to be, but never did I expect him to quickly beat a fighter like Rich Franklin, who in my opinion is one of the very best fighters in the World. I am very, very impressed, and it's pretty much guaranteed now that Vitor will be next in line for a shot at Anderson Silva. I for one cannot fucking wait!

No surprise about Junior dos Santos kicking CroCop's ass, however. CroCop just isn't the same. But forget that, Junior dos Santos has shown himself to be the future of the Heavyweight Division. Fuck Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez; Junior dos Santos is the person people need to be looking out for, and he showed tonight just why that is.

I'm very disappointed in Frank Trigg's performance, as I was convinced he was going to put up a great fight, but oh well. I guess Koscheck is just the better fighter. Hopefully Kos can get a rematch against Paulo Thiago and we can see who really is the best fighter between those two. Though I'm worried another knockout victory is going to have Koscheck convinced he's some great stand-up fighter, which he isn't. He just has heavy hands, whereas technically he's absolute shit.

Even though I hate to hear it was supposedly stopped prematurely, I'm still sort of glad to hear Martin Kampmann lost his fight. I just don't like him and I did not want to see him get a shot at GSP, because it was going to be heavily undeserving. So, yeah, while I'm surprised by the outcome and wished it could have been more convincing, it doesn't bother me in the least bit.

Surprised to hear Tyson Griffin dominated Hermes Franca like he did. I was expecting a 3 Round War between these two. But it looks like Tyson is going to start climbing up that UFC Lightweight Ladder again. I don't think he has it in him to someday be champion, but he'll definitely put up a great fight against anyone in the division.

And the two prelim fights were okay. I thought Cole Miller was going to put up a better fight and was disappointed that he didn't, but man... Efrain Escudero is the real fucking deal. I'm very interested in seeing what the future holds for him. And no surprise with the Tomasz Drwal/Drew McFedries. bout Drawl has some serious potential.

 

[X]

Well, I only just got done watching the main event, and I'm just starting to watch the prelims right now, but my god, what a terrible main event that was. I would have been pissed if I were those fans, call me impatient, but them just standing there dancing around each other with no contact for nearly the entire first round got on my nerves. Looks like Vitor's return is going to be the real deal though, because once Franklin did bite, Belfort took care of him pretty easily. Still, what a hugely disappointing fight.

I'll post some thoughts on the rest of the card when I'm done watching it.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Jesus, talk about a fucking whiny crowd. Half the time I didn't even know what they were booing. I think they were booing Junior dos Santos. No idea why, but I'm fairly certain they were.

Basically, any time the two fighters weren't throwing their arms at each other like idiots (I'm looking at you, Mr. Franca) they were crying about it. Fuck that crowd. Fuck them in the ass.

I'm pretty sure our old friend Mirko was losing more exchanges than Joe Rogan was letting on to, and I was actually pretty impressed by Santos' performance. Him just suddenly throwing his hands up and yelling in the third was pretty surreal moment - I thought he'd gone insane with blood lust for a second. Glad he won despite a pretty sharp groin kick. I'd hate to see Mirko win two fights in a row in controversial fashion.

I was very disappointed with Frank Trigg. Hopefully he can come back and have a few more good fights before he retires... and goes back to TNA. I don't like Josh Koscheck. I don't think I ever will.

And yep, Vitor knocked out Franklin. The result I was hoping for actually.

 

[bealzer1010]

Full Results:
No surprise about Junior dos Santos kicking CroCop's ass, however. CroCop just isn't the same. But forget that, Junior dos Santos has shown himself to be the future of the Heavyweight Division. Fuck Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez; Junior dos Santos is the person people need to be looking out for, and he showed tonight just why that is.
.

If he already wasnt under peoples radar I bet he is now!! Cain gets past Rothwell then I think a fight with Dos Santos would be a good one could get a #1 conteder for the HW belt out of this fight.
The only problem I see with him other than what he has for a ground game, is what happens with Nogueira? These two are pretty close dont think they would fight each other, with Nogueira still be right there contending for the belt and Dos on a terror what will happen?

 

[Marquis]

Decent event, sad results.

Franklin Vs. Belfort. Shame that the fight ended like that. I'm not really sure what brought Franklin down, but it looks like it was a forearm smash behind the ear, like what Serra caught GSP with. I'm not exactly sure about the power of a forearm to the back of the head, but I imagine it's pretty powerful to take out both Franklin and GSP. I'm pretty sure I saw Belfort get some punches near the back of the head or on it when Franklin was grounded, but it was over anyway.

Dos Santos Vs. CroCop. Well CroCop looked slightly better then I expected. Due to poor camera angles I couldn't see it, but CroCop did manage to cut up Dos Santos's face with straight lefts. Still, not a great performance at all. In the first few minutes of the match I saw CroCop run back with his hands in front of his face looking like someone who was scared. The pushing I didn't think much about since he's done that before, albeit I don't think I've seen him it do it as much as he did in this match. Anyway, CroCop was just not willing to take any risks and was just looking for that homerun left head kick. It's sad that he's gonna retire apparently after this performance, but when you don't have that killer instinct anymore, and just look to keep yourself safe, then it's for the best.

Kampmann Vs. Daley Well well, this one was a big surprise to me. Now I know Daley has good stand up and knock out power, but Kampmann has taken some serious bombs before, as he did in this fight with Daley, and still managed to keep his head on. I think the problem was Kampmann took too many bombs here. After being rocked the first time he should have shot for the takedown and not give it up. I think he should have gone for the takedown right away, but he seems to like to come out and stand, then go down. Props to Daley, still one dimensional, but when you have knockout power like that you're bound to get a good few wins. All it takes is one punch(a couple in this case) to end your night. I'm interested to see if Daley now takes on Swick.

Koscheck Vs. Trigg Well Koscheck did TKO Trigg like I thought he would, but I was hoping he wouldn't. All this win will do I assume is make Koscheck think he's a striker more. Which in the long run will be bad for him against top tier competition, since he NEEDS to start using his wrestling.