UFC 103 – Rich Franklin Vs. Vitor Belfort Play By Play
This is a few hours delayed because I was covering the Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez fight. You can read the play by play of that fight here.
I’m slightly bothered here because the UFC show isn’t in HD for me. I’m going to guess my cable company only has one HD PPV station and the boxing took that channel.
1. Hermes Franca vs. Tyson Griffin
For some reason, Franca has pink hair. Yesterday, at the weigh-ins, I thought it was a wig. Franca weighed in 4 pounds over, but they changed the contracted weight so that there could be a fight. Franca looks soft, but does look bigger than usual.
Either Franca’s punches have always been loopy, or there’s something wrong with him tonight. The entire first round was stand-up and Griffin easily won the round. He used his jab nicely and followed it up with a right hand and also used the leg kicks well.
There was a very crazy, but sloppy trade where they were just unloading on each other. Franca caught Griffin’s leg when he threw a kick but Griffin hopped on one foot and threw some right hands and Franca dropped it. Griffin threw a kick and followed it up with a right hand that knocked Franca down. He followed it up, slightly worried that Franca was going to pull out a triangle, but he finished him with punches on the ground.
Winner: Tyson Griffin by way of 2nd round TKO
2. Frank Trigg vs. Josh Koscheck
Trigg came out to LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out. It doesn’t seem as if the crowd remembers him all that well.
Koscheck popped Trigg with a right hand after Trigg was off-balanced and Trigg went down. Koscheck grabbed the back of his head while he was sitting on his butt and hit him in the face three times with the other hand. It was then stopped.
Winner: Josh Koscheck by way of 1st round TKO
Koscheck looked pretty emotional after the win. Heels aren’t supposed to cry. He then called out Matt Hughes.
They showed Tito Ortiz in the audience with Jenna Jameson and Mike Goldberg called her Jenna James. I think he has his porn stars mixed up.
3. Paul Daley vs. Martin Kampmann
Daley looks really put together, which contrasts Kampmann’s physique. Paul Daley put a whippin’ on Kampmann. He was hurting Kampmann with some big shots, but give credit to Kampmann because he was taking them. Daley’s stand-up was pretty impressive. The dude knows how to throw a hook. Kampmann was out on his feet.
Winner: Paul Daley by way of 1st round TKO
I wonder if they put him with Swick, since GSP probably won’t be back this year.
4. Rob Emerson vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Dos Anjos was very active in the first round with his strikes, and especially his kicks. But his game was to take him down. Emerson did a good job not going to the ground, until the very end of the round.
Dos Anjos was obliterating the inside of Emerson’s front leg with inside leg kicks. Emerson did get a few good punches in, but he was way too worried about getting his front leg blasted. He didn’t have much on his punches near the end of the round.
Dos Anjos finally was able to get the takedown after killing Emerson with more inside leg kicks. Should be an easy victory for Dos Anjos.
Winner: Rafael Dos Anjos by way of unanimous decision
5. Junior Dos Santos vs. Mirko Cro Cop
Cro Cop came out with a Pride shirt.
Dos Santos hit Cro Cop with some huge shots and it looked like Cro Cop was in trouble. But he didn’t follow up and Cro Cop was able to get his wits back. Cro Cop started scoring with a short and straight left hand that Dos Santos had trouble seeing coming. Cro Cop couldn’t set up the high kick.
Cro Cop is having troubles with his footing. He keeps slipping, especially as he back pedals. Dos Santos was getting better of the stand-up, and then Cro Cop kicked him right in the balls. Dos Santos cut him over the left eye. Cro Cop is down two to zero on my scorecard.
This one ended weirdly. Dos Santos was in the process of finishing him and Cro Cop stopped fighting and covered up his eyes. The referee stopped the fight. It looks like Cro Cop took a knee and a punch to the left eye and told the referee that he couldn’t see.
Winner: Junior Dos Santos by way of 3rd round TKO
6. Vitor Belfort vs. Rich Franklin
Well, Vitor can punch. He hit Franklin with a left that put him down and then hit Franklin on the back of the head that looked to put him out. Hmmm. If I’m Franklin, I know I got put down, but I’m probably bothered that the shot that stopped the fight was to the back of my head.
Winner: Vitor Belfort by way of 1st round TKO
I hope Dana sets up the following:
Rich Franklin vs. Kieth Jardine (good warmup 205 fight for Franklin)
Nate Marquardt vs. Vitor Belfort
Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson
I also hope they put the two middle weight fights on the same card so they can see each other.
All those fights would be fine.
Who gets the next shot at Machida/Shogun winner? Rashad/Rampage isn’t happening anytime soon.
I can’t make up my mind about Rashad/Rampage.
I want the momentum and hype from TUF 10 to carry into the actual fight, but if they keep the plan to film a UFC All-Access for the fight, I think that show could get the hype back. Can you imagine some of the great bits Rashad would have about Rampage delaying the fight?
But sadly, I think if Couture beats Vera, Dana will hand him a title bout on a silver platter.
I think it could be Randy. Dave Meltzer said it could also be Tito.
Amazing when you consider that after all this time, Tito is quite possibly two wins away from a title shot, and with no disrespect to Mark Coleman… well I’d be shocked it Tito desn’t steamroll him. Honestly if Rampage won’t be ready until May, and Tito rolls, why not rematch Tito and Rashad? You can’t keep him on the sidelines forever, and there’s a definite score to be settled between the two.
Eventually the UFC has to start giving their prospects legit shots at the next level of talent. There are a few 205’ers that need to be stepped up by the UFC so we don’t start seeing runs of rematches.
A few of the top of my head. The winner of Lil Nog vs. Cane needs to be given a top contender bout. Jones-Hamill winner also needs a step up in competition. Ryan Bader too.
I know these guys are young but they need to start facing off against the Coutures, Ortizs and Colemans.
I see where you’re coming from, but part of the reason you wait with these young guys is because you haven’t built them up yet to where people want to see them.
No one knows Lil’ Nog and Cane outside of the hardcores. So let’s say you put Lil’ Nog in there against a Tito. If Lil’ Nog wins, he beats someone who means something, or at least, we’re supposed to think he means something. If Tito wins, he gains nothing because he beat a guy no one knows.
That’s part of the strategy in booking. You have to be able to see what the outcomes are both ways and whether or not you risk making the match-ups you are making.
I think we are seeing that build up right now.
There is a strong chance Jon Jones will headline the Ultimate Finale against Hamill. That will help his popularity; if he wins his next fight should be the third fight on a major card against an A level talent like Forrest.
Lil Nog and Cane will get some attention after UFC 106; that card will get serious PPV view buys.
As for Bader, if the UFC airs the prelims, that will get him some exposure.
But I think you put these guys up against the losers, not winners, of major fights. So whoever loses Ortiz-Coleman should face Cane or Bader. Griffin against Jones. That way the vet gets a chance to get rolling again and the youth gets a chance to earn a few stripes the way Dos Santos just did against Cro Cop.