Tag: rich franklin

Anderson Silva KO’s Belfort, Completing Step One of GSP Superfight

Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS — The incredible history of Anderson Silva adds new and dramatic chapters after seemingly every fight. He dances, he punches, he taunts, and he wins. Sometimes all at the same time.

The gifted middleweight champion ex…

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Anderson Silva knocks out Vitor BelfortLAS VEGAS — The incredible history of Anderson Silva adds new and dramatic chapters after seemingly every fight. He dances, he punches, he taunts, and he wins. Sometimes all at the same time.

The gifted middleweight champion extended his own UFC record win streak to 13 straight in the octagon with a highlight-reel front kick knockout victory over challenger Vitor Belfort at UFC 126.

After Silva’s last fight, a near-defeat against Chael Sonnen, there was a thought among some that Silva’s reign was nearing an end. Instead, his performance was reminiscent of his dominant knockouts over Forrest Griffin and James Irvin. After nearly half a round of measuring Belfort, Silva snapped his left leg forward, catching Belfort flush under the jaw. Belfort crashed backwards and looked out of it, but referee Mario Yamasaki gave Belfort a chance to recover. Silva didn’t. He jumped all over Belfort, landing a right and left on the jaw that finished yet another contender.

‘UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort’ Live Results + Commentary

(Above: "…and I’m gonna wear one of those stupid jester-hats in the Octagon. And you’re not going to do a damn thing about it." Below: Jon Jones knows that the best way to deal with a bully is to ignore him, Michihiro Omigawa…

Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort UFC 126 weigh ins photos mma
(Above: "…and I’m gonna wear one of those stupid jester-hats in the Octagon. And you’re not going to do a damn thing about it." 
Below: Jon Jones knows that the best way to deal with a bully is to ignore him, Michihiro Omigawa does that ridiculous duck-face thing, and Miguel Torres and Antonio Banuelos face off for the unofficial Mexican Bantamweight Championship. All photos courtesy of the UFC 126: Weigh In Pics gallery on CombatLifestyle.com)
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Fuck football. Unless you were cursed enough to grow up in Green Bay, or you’re a supporter of dudes who get accused of rape a lot, you know as well as I do that this weekend belongs to cage-fighting. And if you don’t, you can piss off right now. Seriously. The rest of us will wait. 

Now then. Tonight’s ultra-stacked lineup features the longest-reigning champion in UFC history defending his middleweight title for the eighth time against a power-punching dynamo who used to be a UFC champion himself, seven years and one weight-class ago. Supporting the main event will be a scrap between two Octagon icons and former belt-holders (Franklin vs. Griffin), a fight that could produce the future of the 205-pound division (Jones vs. Bader), Miguel Torres’s breathtaking mullet, and the UFC debuts of some exciting imported talent from Japan.

Live UFC 126 results will be stacking up after the jump, beginning with a quick recap of the Yamamoto/Johnson Facebook match at 8:25 p.m. ET, leading into the Spike TV prelims broadcast at 9 p.m., and finally the pay-per-view broadcast at 10 p.m. So we’ve got a long night of fighting in front of us — but hey, nobody ever said being an MMA fan would be easy.

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UFC 126 Weigh-In Results

Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS — Fight week has evolved into a mega-event feel. The intensity between main event participants Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort in the middleweight championship match is palpable, there are stars on the card like Forres…

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Anderson Silva wears a mask when he stares down Vitor Belfort at the UFC 126 weigh-ins.LAS VEGAS — Fight week has evolved into a mega-event feel. The intensity between main event participants Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort in the middleweight championship match is palpable, there are stars on the card like Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin, and the buzz around Jon Jones is hard to miss. Continuing the momentum, Friday’s UFC 126 weigh-ins at the Mandalay Bay Events Center were packed, thousands of fans making sure not a single seat went unfilled.

Silva and Belfort gave the fans a preview of what’s to come, engaging in one of the most intense staredowns in UFC history before exchanging words and eventually being separated by UFC personnel.

Silva, playing on Belfort’s recent assertions that he “wears a mask,” in putting on a different persona to intimidate his opponents, took the words literally, wearing a white mask and going nose-to-nose with Belfort before ripping it off and exchanging some words with the former UFC light-heavyweight champion. He and Belfort heatedly went back and forth, with both refusing to back down until being pulled apart.

UFC 126 Fight Breakdown: Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveLAS VEGAS — The careers of two distinguished fighters intersect at the perfect time at UFC 126. Both Rich Franklin and Forrest Griffin are returning after injury layoffs. Both are former champions, both are 3-2 in t…

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LAS VEGAS — The careers of two distinguished fighters intersect at the perfect time at UFC 126. Both Rich Franklin and Forrest Griffin are returning after injury layoffs. Both are former champions, both are 3-2 in their last five fights, both are crowd favorites, and the list goes on.

Due to its physical nature, mixed martial arts is a sport with a short prime, and Franklin and Griffin are both intent on proving they have some “prime” left to their respective careers, even if it comes at the expense of the other. Which one has more left in the tank?

For all we know, Franklin might still be reigning over the middleweight division if Anderson Silva had never come to town. But after two losses to Silva, Franklin has been in a veritable no man’s land, taking fights in the light-heavyweight division as well as catch weight fights. With championship thoughts still dancing in his head, Franklin can certainly make a strong statement regarding his place in the 205-pound weight class by beating the division’s former champ.

Rich Franklin Believes Forrest Griffin Fight Isn’t Hard to Predict

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LAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting spoke to Rich Franklin prior to his UFC 126 fight against Forrest Griffin about who has the edge going into the fight, his budding modeling career, his prediction on Silva vs. Belfort and a side bet he has with Griffin going into the fight.

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LAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting spoke to Rich Franklin prior to his UFC 126 fight against Forrest Griffin about who has the edge going into the fight, his budding modeling career, his prediction on Silva vs. Belfort and a side bet he has with Griffin going into the fight.

Forrest Griffin on UFC 126, His Place in Rankings and British TV Shows

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LAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting spoke to Forrest Griffin about his UFC 126 fight against Rich Franklin on Thursday. The former light heavyweight champion talked about his injury plagued 2010, the key to beating Griffin, what he’s watching on TV these days and much more.

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LAS VEGAS — MMA Fighting spoke to Forrest Griffin about his UFC 126 fight against Rich Franklin on Thursday. The former light heavyweight champion talked about his injury plagued 2010, the key to beating Griffin, what he’s watching on TV these days and much more.