It doesn’t get much bigger than the UFC bringing events to Brazil.Don’t get me wrong, I love Las Vegas and events here in America, as well as in Canada, but no MMA crowd gets you pumped for a fight like Brazil does.UFC 147 might not have been the succe…
It doesn’t get much bigger than the UFC bringing events to Brazil.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Las Vegas and events here in America, as well as in Canada, but no MMA crowd gets you pumped for a fight like Brazil does.
UFC 147 might not have been the success that UFC thought it would be around January, but still, as expected, the Brazilian crowd was crazy and exciting just like they would’ve been if the card was stacked from top to bottom.
Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin wasn’t quite the Silva-Sonnen rematch the UFC was hoping to have in Brazil for the event, but still, Wanderlei and Franklin put on a show.
The UFC plans to host many more events in Brazil, including one already announced for sometime in last-quarter 2012. With that said, here are 10 major fights the UFC could bring to Brazil.
After UFC 147 this past weekend, we are now through the first six months of UFC events of 2012. To kick off the second half, the UFC will present one of the most anticipated fight cards in history with UFC 148.But, before we look forward to that, let’s…
After UFC 147 this past weekend, we are now through the first six months of UFC events of 2012. To kick off the second half, the UFC will present one of the most anticipated fight cards in history with UFC 148.
But, before we look forward to that, let’s take a look at who shined during the first half of 2012. Here are my picks for the 2012 first half MVPs.
Ever since fans found out the anticipated rematch between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen wouldn’t happen at UFC 147 in Brazil, the card was doomed. Fans are already billing it as the worst card in UFC history.I will agree that this isn’t a blockbuster…
Ever since fans found out the anticipated rematch between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen wouldn’t happen at UFC 147 in Brazil, the card was doomed. Fans are already billing it as the worst card in UFC history.
I will agree that this isn’t a blockbuster card, and I’ll also agree this is the type of card the UFC usually would offer for free, but in no way is this a bad card.
For starters, the card is in Brazil. A Brazilian fight crowd could get you excited to watch Bob Sapp take on Jon Fitch.
The card features some of the best young talent out of Brazil, two heavyweights on the verge of title contention and a main event that features two of the best fighters in MMA history.
If that’s still not enough for you, here are ten reasons you can’t miss UFC 147.
There isn’t a lot of argument that the UFC’s lightweight division is the most stacked and dominant in the company, but it hasn’t always been that way. Division power comes and goes with big names and big fights and as the UFC continues to grow, so…
There isn’t a lot of argument that the UFC’s lightweight division is the most stacked and dominant in the company, but it hasn’t always been that way. Division power comes and goes with big names and big fights and as the UFC continues to grow, so does each division.
The lightweight division has now been viewed as one of the best for a couple of years now thanks largely to the merger of the UFC and the WEC, which has seen the likes of Donald Cerrone, Danny Castillo, Anthony Njokuani, Anthony Pettis and current UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson all come over to the already deep division.
I remember hearing about the UFC’s light heavyweight division being the organization’s most dominant just a few years ago.
It seemed every time we looked, a new, talented challenger emerged and was beginning to look like the “next big thing.” Guys like Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz, Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva, Brandon Vera, Rampage Jackson, Thiago Silva, Shogun Rua, Chuck Liddell, and the list goes on and on, but my, how the mighty have fallen.
Today, many consider the light heavyweight division to be one of the weakest in the UFC. The main question is: what makes a division the most dominant?
Is it how top heavyweight it is or how deep it is? I would say it takes both and that’s why I believe that by the beginning of 2013, the UFC’s welterweight division will become the UFC’s most dominant.
I’ll start right at the top with reigning champion Georges St-Pierre. He is currently working his way back from a torn ACL, but he is planning on returning this November. GSP recently turned 31, which is in no way young, but, really isn’t that old neither. The way St-Pierre trains and takes very good care of himself outside the cage, he could have anywhere from three to six more years left inside the octagon.
Now, let’s take a look at the next five guys on top of the welterweight division: Carlos Condit, Martin Kampmann, Johny Hendricks, Nick Diaz and Jake Ellenberger.
Condit, who is currently the UFC Interim Welterweight Champion, is only 28 years old and is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC. Nicknamed “The Natural Born Killer,” and for good reason, Condit holds 28 professional MMA wins, 13 by knockout and 13 by submission. He’s coming off arguably the biggest win of his career defeating Nick Diaz to become the UFC Interim Welterweight Champion and he’s scheduled to face St-Pierre for the undisputed Welterweight Championship in November.
Kampmann, 30, is scheduled to face Hendricks, 28, at the same event to name a new UFC welterweight No. 1 contender. Ellenberger, 27, is coming off a KO loss to Hendricks, but was riding a six-fight winning streak before the loss and could get right back into the title mix with another win.
Nick Diaz has fought all across the globe and is a former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. While his attitude and actions have many worried about his future, there is no doubt in my mind we’ll see Diaz back in the UFC sometime in 2013. Believe it or not, Diaz is still only 28 years old.
So, the division is without question one of the most top heavy when it comes to the top six guys, but that’s not what separates the welterweight division from the others. No, that’s the talented group of young, scary and talented fighters in the middle.
It starts with Rory MacDonald, who is scheduled to fight former UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn in what will be the biggest test of his young career. MacDonald could very easily be the UFC Interim Champion today if he defeated Condit back in 2010. He was about 10 seconds from doing so, but the fight was stopped after MacDonald was rocked by a flurry from Condit. Since then, MacDonald has defeated Che Mills, Mike Pyle and Nate Diaz. A win over Penn will no doubt propel MacDonald from a young, up-and-comer to title contender overnight.
Other talent in the UFC welterweight division include Siyar Bahadurzada (28), Lance Benoist (23), John Hathaway (24), Erick Silva (27), Rick Story (28), Pascal Krauss (25), T.J. Waldburger (24), Matt Riddle (26) and Simeon Thorsesen (28). All of those guys hold at least one win in the UFC already and knowing Dana White and company, they’ll be looking to get the division more young talent as time goes on.
With all this said, you still can’t forget the so-called “other” guys which include former title contenders Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, B.J. Penn, Diego Sanchez, Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy as well as former middleweight title contender Demian Maia. The division also includes highly skilled veterans like Mike Pyle, Brian Ebersole, Mike Pierce, Dong Hyun Kim, Charlie Brenneman and Paulo Thiago.
As you can see, this division is absolutely stacked, which means get ready for some great fights and a lot of movement in the rankings as it appears we are currently moving into the age of the welterweights.
The summer has officially started and the UFC’s summer of fights is about to begin. And there’s no better way to kick it off than a card on free TV. This Friday’s UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida is live from Atlantic City, New Jersey, and will featur…
The summer has officially started and the UFC’s summer of fights is about to begin. And there’s no better way to kick it off than a card on free TV.
This Friday’s UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida is live from Atlantic City, New Jersey, and will feature a four-fight main card on FX, six fights on Fuel TV, and the remaining two bouts live on Facebook.
Besides the fact that the card is free, which is reason enough for many to watch, here are 10 more reasons you can’t miss UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida.
UFC 147 is one of the least anticipated events in the history of the UFC. With the soccer stadium idea falling through along with the Silva-Sonnen rematch, the card was doomed from the start. But, the event does feature two potential Hall of Fame fight…
UFC 147 is one of the least anticipated events in the history of the UFC. With the soccer stadium idea falling through along with the Silva-Sonnen rematch, the card was doomed from the start. But, the event does feature two potential Hall of Fame fighters.
For Rich Franklin, defeating Wanderlei Silva for a second time won’t do much for his career, but does he need anything else to add to a already successful career?
Franklin got into MMA to, “just earn a little extra money.” he said in an interview, while teaching in Cincinnati. Rich Franklin would make his UFC debut at UFC 42 against the late Evan Tanner which he won by TKO.
Franklin’s first loss would come to the hands of future UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida in December of 2003. Rich would go to win a couple of fights outside the UFC before returning at UFC 50 defeating Jorge Rivera.
Franklin’s first big break came at The Ultimate Fighter One Finale, in which he faced Ken Shamrock in the night’s main event. The trouble with that was the co-main event was the Ultimate Fighter Light Heavyweight Final which seen one of the greatest fights of all-time between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.
This did not bother Franklin at all as he made a mark himself, knocking out Shamrock in the first round. At this point in Ken Shamrock’s career, he had never been knocked out, making the win that much sweeter for Franklin.
Franklin jumped around between light heavyweight and middleweight early in his career, but would find a nice home at middleweight when he defeated Tanner again at UFC 53 to win the UFC Middleweight Championship.
“Ace” would go on to defend the championship against Nathan Quarry at UFC 56, in which he won by KO in the first round. He would also defend the title at UFC 58 against David Loiseau in a five round battle that seen both men bruised and beaten at the conclusion. Franklin would walk away with a unanimous decision win.
Franklin’s next title defense was against some new guy named Anderson Silva. Silva, who was known to many MMA fans from his Pride days, dominated Rich in a way no man had ever done before. Silva’s muay thai was too much for Franklin, as he was defeated by TKO in the first round.
Rich Franklin would then defeat Jason MacDonald and Yushin Okami to get back in the title picture and receive his rematch with Silva. This time, the fight was held in Rich’s hometown of Cincinnati. It didn’t help Franklin much, as he was defeated once again by Silva.
Since then, Franklin’s career has been very up and down. He’s been defeated by Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort and most recently, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin.
Franklin, since his loss to Silva, has defeated Travis Lutter, Matt Hamill, Wanderlei Silva and holds a highlight reel knockout over former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and Hall of Fame fighter Chuck Liddell.
Franklin blocked a Liddell kick that broke his arm. As Liddell pushed forward toward the end of the round, Franklin threw an almost Liddell-like overhand that knocked Liddell unconscious. Franklin would win knockout of the night for this win that would also mark Chuck Liddell’s final appearance inside the Octagon.
Is Rich Franklin Hall of Fame worthy? Is that even a question?
Franklin, in my opinion, should be one of the next men inducted. His career speaks for itself, but if you want to go deeper, there isn’t a better ambassador for the sport of MMA then Rich Franklin. He’s one of the best fighters in UFC history as well as one of the nicest and most loved guys in the sport’s history.
A UFC Hall of Fame isn’t complete without Franklin and if Franklin retired after this Saturday’s fight with Wanderlei Silva, win or lose, Franklin is 100 percent Hall of Fame worthy. The scary part, though, Franklin’s career may be far from over.
Rich Franklin fights this Saturday night at UFC 147: Silva vs. Franklin II at the Estadio Jornalista Felipe Drumond in Belo Horizonte, Brazil live on Pay Per View!
