UFC 147 was last night in Brazil. Not a great card as far as big names, but some good fights. Here are the results:
•Rich Franklin def. Wanderlei Silva via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
•Cezar "Mutante" Ferreira def. Sergio "Serginho" Moraes via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) - to win "TUF: Brazil" middleweight tourney
•Rony "Jason" Mariano Bezerra def. Godofredo "Pepey" de Oliveira via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) - to win "TUF: Brazil" featherweight tourney
•Fabricio Werdum def. Mike Russow via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 2:28
•Hacran Dias def. Yuri Alcantara via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
•Rodrigo Damm def. Anistavio "Gasparzinho" Medeiros via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 2:12
•Francisco "Massaranduba" Drinaldo def. Delson "Pe de Chumbo" Heleno via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 4:21
•Hugo "Wolverine" Viana def. John "Macapa" Teixeira via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
•Thiago "Bodao" Perpetuo def. Leonarda "Macarrao" Mafra via TKO (punches) - Round 3, 0:41
•Marcos "Vina" Vinicius def. Wagner "Galeto" Campos via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 1:04
•Felipe Arantes and Milton Vieira fight to a split draw (29-28, 28-29, 28-28)
Showing posts with label Rich Franklin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rich Franklin. Show all posts
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Keefe Interviews Tito Ortiz
Rich Keefe had the chance to sit down with the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz, to discuss where he ranks in the division, UFC 134, and his long time rivalry with Chuck Liddell.
Tito Ortiz by Keefe21
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Don't call it a comeback
"Uh oh, light heavyweights. Tito Ortiz is baaaaaaaaaack."
Yesterday, Dana White held a press conference to make a litany of announcements regarding UFC. First and foremost, he addressed the Fedor situation, expressing disappointment in negotiations and clarifying that he had made every effort to sign the top heavyweight in the world, but felt negotiations were at an impasse.
In addition, White also announced the new main event for UFC 103 on Sept. 19 in Dallas, TX. Rich Franklin is still one half of that main event, but instead of a rematch with Dan Henderson, he'll be taking on newly signed Vitor Belfort, who will take part in his first UFC fight since a split decision loss to Tito Ortiz at UFC 51.
Speaking of Tito Ortiz, White confirmed after weeks of speculation that the former UFC light heavyweight champion is in fact returning to the UFC fold. After setting aside their differences, the two polarizing figures were able to reach an agreement that, according to White, will allow the fighter to "retire in the UFC."
Ortiz, who last fought at UFC 84 in a decision loss to current light heavyweight kingpin Lyota Machida, returns after back surgery which actually fused his spinal cord. It's similar to the surgery Nate Quarry had a couple years ago. Ortiz, battling back injuries dating back several years, has stated that this surgery will allow him to compete at 100% for the first time in a long time. While it remains to be seen how much of a difference this procedure will make at this stage of his career, the prospect of a "healthy" Ortiz is certainly enticing. Couple that with his incredible drawing power as a PPV machine, and you can see why White made a concerted effort to bridge the gap and make amends with the former champion. Certainly a victory for everyone involved, and personally, I'm hoping "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" has one more run left in him.
That being said, Ortiz posted a video on YouTube yesterday documenting his first full day back in training. While it shows nothing ground breaking, the brutal honesty of the video should be received well. After showing several minutes of footage of Ortiz jump roping, working on strikes on a heavy bag and then practicing his infamous ground and pound, the video actually shows Ortiz rise up from the bag and scurry over to a garbage can, where he spends several moments vomiting into a garbage can in the corner. Props to Ortiz for including this in the video. I assume most fighters would be too embarassed to admit it even happened, never mind let you see first hand. He's embracing the fact that he's a long way away from being ready, which is a reason he declined a co-headliner at UFC 103 and is looking towards a November or December return. According to White, that could be against former UFC heavyweight champion and current Hall-0f-Famer Mark "The Hammer" Coleman. That could be an excellent matchup given that Coleman always comes to fight and would pit two extremely talented wrestlers against each other. For Ortiz, Coleman would present a solid threat, but also be the type of fight where Ortiz could likely survive the ring rust he'll expectedly have and still be able to earn a victory.
Here's the video of Ortiz's first day back training. It's a good watch, and a great intro into the LL Cool J track...
-Bess
Yesterday, Dana White held a press conference to make a litany of announcements regarding UFC. First and foremost, he addressed the Fedor situation, expressing disappointment in negotiations and clarifying that he had made every effort to sign the top heavyweight in the world, but felt negotiations were at an impasse.
In addition, White also announced the new main event for UFC 103 on Sept. 19 in Dallas, TX. Rich Franklin is still one half of that main event, but instead of a rematch with Dan Henderson, he'll be taking on newly signed Vitor Belfort, who will take part in his first UFC fight since a split decision loss to Tito Ortiz at UFC 51.
Speaking of Tito Ortiz, White confirmed after weeks of speculation that the former UFC light heavyweight champion is in fact returning to the UFC fold. After setting aside their differences, the two polarizing figures were able to reach an agreement that, according to White, will allow the fighter to "retire in the UFC."
Ortiz, who last fought at UFC 84 in a decision loss to current light heavyweight kingpin Lyota Machida, returns after back surgery which actually fused his spinal cord. It's similar to the surgery Nate Quarry had a couple years ago. Ortiz, battling back injuries dating back several years, has stated that this surgery will allow him to compete at 100% for the first time in a long time. While it remains to be seen how much of a difference this procedure will make at this stage of his career, the prospect of a "healthy" Ortiz is certainly enticing. Couple that with his incredible drawing power as a PPV machine, and you can see why White made a concerted effort to bridge the gap and make amends with the former champion. Certainly a victory for everyone involved, and personally, I'm hoping "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" has one more run left in him.
That being said, Ortiz posted a video on YouTube yesterday documenting his first full day back in training. While it shows nothing ground breaking, the brutal honesty of the video should be received well. After showing several minutes of footage of Ortiz jump roping, working on strikes on a heavy bag and then practicing his infamous ground and pound, the video actually shows Ortiz rise up from the bag and scurry over to a garbage can, where he spends several moments vomiting into a garbage can in the corner. Props to Ortiz for including this in the video. I assume most fighters would be too embarassed to admit it even happened, never mind let you see first hand. He's embracing the fact that he's a long way away from being ready, which is a reason he declined a co-headliner at UFC 103 and is looking towards a November or December return. According to White, that could be against former UFC heavyweight champion and current Hall-0f-Famer Mark "The Hammer" Coleman. That could be an excellent matchup given that Coleman always comes to fight and would pit two extremely talented wrestlers against each other. For Ortiz, Coleman would present a solid threat, but also be the type of fight where Ortiz could likely survive the ring rust he'll expectedly have and still be able to earn a victory.
Here's the video of Ortiz's first day back training. It's a good watch, and a great intro into the LL Cool J track...
-Bess
Sunday, June 14, 2009
UFC 99 Results
Undercard:
John Hathaway beat Rick Story by unanimous decision
Stefan Struve beat Denis Stojnic by second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Paul Kelly beat Roli Delgado by unanimous decision
Paul Taylor beat Peter Sobotta by unanimous decision
Denis Siver beat Dale Hartt by first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Terry Etim beat Justin Buchholz by second-round submission (D'arce)
Main Card:
Dan Hardy beat Marcus Davis by split decision
Spencer Fisher beat Caol Uno by unanimous decision
Mike Swick beat Ben Saunders by second-round TKO (strikes)
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic beat Mostapha al Turk by first-round TKO
Cain Velasquez beat Cheick Kongo by unanimous decision
Rich Franklin beat Wanderlei Silva by unanimous decision
The Sports Brief's MMA New Rankings coming soon...
-Keefe
John Hathaway beat Rick Story by unanimous decision
Stefan Struve beat Denis Stojnic by second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Paul Kelly beat Roli Delgado by unanimous decision
Paul Taylor beat Peter Sobotta by unanimous decision
Denis Siver beat Dale Hartt by first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Terry Etim beat Justin Buchholz by second-round submission (D'arce)
Main Card:
Dan Hardy beat Marcus Davis by split decision
Spencer Fisher beat Caol Uno by unanimous decision
Mike Swick beat Ben Saunders by second-round TKO (strikes)
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic beat Mostapha al Turk by first-round TKO
Cain Velasquez beat Cheick Kongo by unanimous decision
Rich Franklin beat Wanderlei Silva by unanimous decision
The Sports Brief's MMA New Rankings coming soon...
-Keefe
Monday, June 1, 2009
10 Fights to Watch in June
Welcome MMA fans to an action packed month of fights. The UFC, WEC, and Strikeforce are all on display. Despite just 1 title fight and just 1 actual pay-per-view there are some intriguing match ups out there. Let's take a look at my Top 10 for June. (These aren't in order of importance rather by date.)
1. Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields (at middleweight); June 6th, Strikeforce
Lawler is a Top 10 maybe Top 5 middleweight in the world. Jake Shields is a Top 10 maybe Top 5 welterweight in the world. Neither guy is signed by the UFC. Neither guy has a worthy opponent out there. Maybe Lawler could fight one of the DREAM 185 pound guys, but the fact of the matter is Shields has no one he can fight, when 9 of the top 10 welterweights are in the UFC and he's the other, who does he fight? He goes up to 185 apparently. What's next for him if he wins?
2. Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith; June 6th, Strikeforce
Diaz just ran through Frank Shamrock in his last fight, not he gets in the cage with a very exciting fighter and fellow UFC alum Scott Smith. Diaz changes weights more than Anna Nicole (too soon?), so he is a prime candidate for tough fights outside the UFC. Perhaps if he and Shields both win that would be a match up in the future.
3. Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers; June 6th, Strikeforce
The former UFC Heavyweight Champ and current Affliction star Andrei Arlovski steps in for the injured Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ Alistair Overeem... 2 quick things here. Overeem (one of my favorites) is the champ after beating Paul Buentello forever ago for the vacant title, and he hasn't defended it once. He's been fighting in DREAM and K-1. What the hell? How can a title be taken seriously like that? And 2, Overeem is hurt because of a bar fight where he and his brother, former Pride fighter Valentin, put 5 bouncers in the hospital. Crazy. I do like how Affliction and Strikeforce will work together, because they have to. Rogers is a big dude, could be a solid fight.
4. Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead; June 6th, Strikeforce
We all know the best 205 pounders are in the UFC. Babalu is the best not under contract by Dana White and the Ferrettas. He already beat Whitehead in Affliction. But these two guys are very experienced and have fought in the very best organizations in the world. Nice work out of Strikeforce to put together a card like this. They have 4 fights I want to see.
5. Mike Brown vs. Urijah Faber; June 7th, WEC 41
The lone Championship bout in the month, we can see the 2 best Featherweights in the world on free tv. Thanks Versus. Brown shocked most of the MMA world when he beat Faber for the title back in November of 2008. In his last 3 fights, Brown beat the 3 of the best at 145, Jeff Curran, Faber, and Leonard Garcia. The WEC is praying (much like Hughes did against Serra in a laying fashion) that Faber wins so they can set up a Faber/Brown III. But if Brown wins? Who's left? They better hope a lightweight drops down and challenges him. Should be the best fight of the month right here.
6. Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin (catch-weight 195); June 13, UFC 99
I don't know what to make of this one. Besse and I tried to figure this out and we got nothin. Silva was the 205 champ of Pride and really the world for a 4-5 year period. Franklin was the best middleweight around until Anderson Silva showed up. So you got one guy moving up and another moving down and they catch (pun!) each other in the middle. Wow. Both guys though are can't miss fighters.
7. Mike Swick vs. Ben Saunders; June 13, UFC 99
Two exciting alums of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. Swick was a good middleweight, but made the move after losing to a huge 185er in Okami. He's 3-0 as a welterweight and is already a top 10 guy. Saunders meanwhile is 3-0 in the UFC. The winner of this fight should be taking on the likes of Josh Koscheck, Karo Parisya, Paulo Thiago, huge fight for both guys.
8. Mirko Cro Cop vs. Mustapha Al-Turk; June 13, UFC 99
Crop returns to the UFC where he posted just a 1-2 record after being regarded as a top 3 heavyweight in the world when he was in Pride. Both Cro Cop and Al-Turk share losses to Cheick Kongo. This is a big fight to me, because I want to see if Cro Cop has anything left in him. He was in the ring with Overeem and was getting whooped before it was rules a no contest cause he got his junk kneed in by Alistair, I hope he's recovered from that, not sure you can though.
9. Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida; June 20, Ultimate Fighter Finale
Like oh so many fighters who lose in the UFC Diego moved down a weight class. Fighting at 155 now Diego has to be a threat at the title. He was a top 10 welterweight, if he can handle the cut, and he certainly did in his win over Joe Stevenson, I say look out. Remember he beat Kenny Florian in TUF 1 (both out of their weight classes), but I think Diego is just a couple fights away from the title. Guida always pushes the pace and makes for exciting fights. Goldberg is going to be nuts in this one.
10. Joe Stevenson vs. Nate Diaz; June 20, Ultimate Fighter Finale
Big fight for both guys here. If Diaz wins he proves he should be fighting Top 5 UFC Lightweights until he loses. Stevenson on the other hand, needs to W. He's lost 3 of his last 4 fights. Nothing to be ashamed of in the losses as they were to B.J. Penn, Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez, but if he can't beat those guys he's not winning any titles. A loss to Diaz would be devastating. You won't want to miss either Lightweight bout, this and Diego vs. Guida, both for free on Spike TV.
-Keefe
1. Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields (at middleweight); June 6th, Strikeforce
Lawler is a Top 10 maybe Top 5 middleweight in the world. Jake Shields is a Top 10 maybe Top 5 welterweight in the world. Neither guy is signed by the UFC. Neither guy has a worthy opponent out there. Maybe Lawler could fight one of the DREAM 185 pound guys, but the fact of the matter is Shields has no one he can fight, when 9 of the top 10 welterweights are in the UFC and he's the other, who does he fight? He goes up to 185 apparently. What's next for him if he wins?
2. Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith; June 6th, Strikeforce
Diaz just ran through Frank Shamrock in his last fight, not he gets in the cage with a very exciting fighter and fellow UFC alum Scott Smith. Diaz changes weights more than Anna Nicole (too soon?), so he is a prime candidate for tough fights outside the UFC. Perhaps if he and Shields both win that would be a match up in the future.
3. Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers; June 6th, Strikeforce
The former UFC Heavyweight Champ and current Affliction star Andrei Arlovski steps in for the injured Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ Alistair Overeem... 2 quick things here. Overeem (one of my favorites) is the champ after beating Paul Buentello forever ago for the vacant title, and he hasn't defended it once. He's been fighting in DREAM and K-1. What the hell? How can a title be taken seriously like that? And 2, Overeem is hurt because of a bar fight where he and his brother, former Pride fighter Valentin, put 5 bouncers in the hospital. Crazy. I do like how Affliction and Strikeforce will work together, because they have to. Rogers is a big dude, could be a solid fight.
4. Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead; June 6th, Strikeforce
We all know the best 205 pounders are in the UFC. Babalu is the best not under contract by Dana White and the Ferrettas. He already beat Whitehead in Affliction. But these two guys are very experienced and have fought in the very best organizations in the world. Nice work out of Strikeforce to put together a card like this. They have 4 fights I want to see.
5. Mike Brown vs. Urijah Faber; June 7th, WEC 41
The lone Championship bout in the month, we can see the 2 best Featherweights in the world on free tv. Thanks Versus. Brown shocked most of the MMA world when he beat Faber for the title back in November of 2008. In his last 3 fights, Brown beat the 3 of the best at 145, Jeff Curran, Faber, and Leonard Garcia. The WEC is praying (much like Hughes did against Serra in a laying fashion) that Faber wins so they can set up a Faber/Brown III. But if Brown wins? Who's left? They better hope a lightweight drops down and challenges him. Should be the best fight of the month right here.
6. Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin (catch-weight 195); June 13, UFC 99
I don't know what to make of this one. Besse and I tried to figure this out and we got nothin. Silva was the 205 champ of Pride and really the world for a 4-5 year period. Franklin was the best middleweight around until Anderson Silva showed up. So you got one guy moving up and another moving down and they catch (pun!) each other in the middle. Wow. Both guys though are can't miss fighters.
7. Mike Swick vs. Ben Saunders; June 13, UFC 99
Two exciting alums of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. Swick was a good middleweight, but made the move after losing to a huge 185er in Okami. He's 3-0 as a welterweight and is already a top 10 guy. Saunders meanwhile is 3-0 in the UFC. The winner of this fight should be taking on the likes of Josh Koscheck, Karo Parisya, Paulo Thiago, huge fight for both guys.
8. Mirko Cro Cop vs. Mustapha Al-Turk; June 13, UFC 99
Crop returns to the UFC where he posted just a 1-2 record after being regarded as a top 3 heavyweight in the world when he was in Pride. Both Cro Cop and Al-Turk share losses to Cheick Kongo. This is a big fight to me, because I want to see if Cro Cop has anything left in him. He was in the ring with Overeem and was getting whooped before it was rules a no contest cause he got his junk kneed in by Alistair, I hope he's recovered from that, not sure you can though.
9. Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida; June 20, Ultimate Fighter Finale
Like oh so many fighters who lose in the UFC Diego moved down a weight class. Fighting at 155 now Diego has to be a threat at the title. He was a top 10 welterweight, if he can handle the cut, and he certainly did in his win over Joe Stevenson, I say look out. Remember he beat Kenny Florian in TUF 1 (both out of their weight classes), but I think Diego is just a couple fights away from the title. Guida always pushes the pace and makes for exciting fights. Goldberg is going to be nuts in this one.
10. Joe Stevenson vs. Nate Diaz; June 20, Ultimate Fighter Finale
Big fight for both guys here. If Diaz wins he proves he should be fighting Top 5 UFC Lightweights until he loses. Stevenson on the other hand, needs to W. He's lost 3 of his last 4 fights. Nothing to be ashamed of in the losses as they were to B.J. Penn, Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez, but if he can't beat those guys he's not winning any titles. A loss to Diaz would be devastating. You won't want to miss either Lightweight bout, this and Diego vs. Guida, both for free on Spike TV.
-Keefe
Monday, January 19, 2009
UFC 93 Results
Sorry for the delay, but in case you missed the latest UFC ppv, here you go:
Undercard:
Dennis Siver beat Nate Mohr by third-round TKO (strikes)
Tomasz Drwal beat Ivan Serati by first-round TKO (strikes)
Eric Schafer beat Antonio Mendes by first-round TKO (strikes)
Martin Kampmann beat Alexandre Barros by second-round TKO (strikes)
John Hathaway beat Thomas Egan by first-round TKO (strikes)
Main card:
Marcus Davis beat Chris Lytle by split decision
Alan Belcher beats Denis Kang by second-round submission (guillotine)
Rousimar Palhares beat Jeremy Horn by unanimous decision.
Shogun Rua beats Mark Coleman by third-round TKO
Dan Henderon beats Rich Franklin by split decision.
Undercard:
Dennis Siver beat Nate Mohr by third-round TKO (strikes)
Tomasz Drwal beat Ivan Serati by first-round TKO (strikes)
Eric Schafer beat Antonio Mendes by first-round TKO (strikes)
Martin Kampmann beat Alexandre Barros by second-round TKO (strikes)
John Hathaway beat Thomas Egan by first-round TKO (strikes)
Main card:
Marcus Davis beat Chris Lytle by split decision
Alan Belcher beats Denis Kang by second-round submission (guillotine)
Rousimar Palhares beat Jeremy Horn by unanimous decision.
Shogun Rua beats Mark Coleman by third-round TKO
Dan Henderon beats Rich Franklin by split decision.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
UFC 88 Results
Rashad Evans def. Chuck Liddell via violent KO - 1:51 of round 2
(You'll see this next on Ultimate Knockouts 6. Watching this on TV you had no idea how long it took the Iceman to get back to his feet. This was vicious. He was out. Not until after Rashad's interview by Joe Rogan did you see Hackelman and the rest of Liddell's corner holding him up ala Weekend at Bernie's or dare I say Weekend at Bernie's II. Just unbelievable. Who fights Forrest now for the Light Heavyweight title? We shall see.)
Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via TKO - 0:39 of round 3
Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via unanimous decision
Nate Marquardt def. Martin Kampmann via TKO - 1:21 of round 1
Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via split decision
UNDERCARD:
Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via unanimous decision.
Tim Boetsch def. Mike Patt via TKO - 2:03 of round 1.
Jason MacDonald def. Jason Lambert via submission - 1:20 of round 2.
Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro via split decision.
How we did...
Keefe UFC 88 Picks: 8-1, (14-5 overall)
Besse UFC 88 Picks: 5-4, (13-6 overall)
(You'll see this next on Ultimate Knockouts 6. Watching this on TV you had no idea how long it took the Iceman to get back to his feet. This was vicious. He was out. Not until after Rashad's interview by Joe Rogan did you see Hackelman and the rest of Liddell's corner holding him up ala Weekend at Bernie's or dare I say Weekend at Bernie's II. Just unbelievable. Who fights Forrest now for the Light Heavyweight title? We shall see.)
Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via TKO - 0:39 of round 3
Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via unanimous decision
Nate Marquardt def. Martin Kampmann via TKO - 1:21 of round 1
Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via split decision
UNDERCARD:
Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via unanimous decision.
Tim Boetsch def. Mike Patt via TKO - 2:03 of round 1.
Jason MacDonald def. Jason Lambert via submission - 1:20 of round 2.
Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro via split decision.
How we did...
Keefe UFC 88 Picks: 8-1, (14-5 overall)
Besse UFC 88 Picks: 5-4, (13-6 overall)
Friday, September 5, 2008
UFC 88 predictions
With tomorrow night marking the first time the UFC invades Atlanta, GA, that means it’s time for The Sports Brief to predict the outcomes of each fight. Keefe is busy preparing for his show today, so he was only able to bless us with outcomes. But I’ve included a brief analysis on how I think each fight will play out.
At UFC 87, I went 8-2 with my picks while Rich came in at 6-4. With a lot of close, interesting match-ups on tap for UFC 88, however, those early standings could change quickly. I can’t wait to find out…
Main Event
Chuck Liddell v. Rashad Evans
This is a striker v. wrestler matchup, and Liddell has always had tremendous success in fights like these. Evans is a very accomplished wrestler with an undefeated record, and while he showed some good skills in the 3rd round of his fight against Tito Ortiz, it was a 1-point deduction to Ortiz that kept his unblemished record in tact.
Bottom line is that Liddell’s sprawl is one of the best in the business. Even when Ortiz got him down in their entertaining rematch, he popped right back up onto his feet. Expect to see plenty of that tomorrow night. And when Liddell isn’t sprawling, he’ll be popping Evans in the face numerous times before forcing a referee stoppage towards the end of the second round.
Chuck Liddell wins via (T)KO in the 2nd round
Keefe says: Chuck Liddell def. Rashad Evans via (T)KO in 2nd
Televised Bouts
Rich Franklin v. Matt Hamill
An interesting clash here at 205, mainly because Franklin returns to a division he once left due to being too small and at a disadvantage in terms of strength. At middleweight, you’ll be hard pressed to find someone more physically gifted than Franklin. But at light heavy, and against Hamill, he’ll face a significant size and strength advantage. Which plays right into Hamill’s game. He likes to come forward and maul his opponents, and he’s a highly skilled wrestler with crafty takedowns. Hamill is ever improving, but the one downside is his striking. It’s powerful, but sloppy.
I actually see this playing out much like his fight against a current middleweight fighter who recently left the 205-lb. division in Michael Bisping. This will be a grinding three round fight that sees flashes of brilliance and moments for both fighters. But in the end, I think Franklin’s experience, his polished striking and his savvy ground defense will earn him the checkmark on all three scorecards. Look for Hamill to once again impress, though, and earn himself another big fight down the road. Something tells me he’ll be headlining a UFC Fight Night against Stephan Bonnar once “The American Psycho” recovers from his knee injury. You’ll remember these two were originally scheduled to be the co-main event to Florian and Lauzon back in April.
Rich Franklin wins via unanimous decision
Keefe says: Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via decision
Dan Henderson v. Rousimar Palhares
Henderson swears he can beat Anderson Silva if given another crack at him. And you know what? I believe him. But he’s got a serious submission artist staring him in the face on Saturday night. Did you see Palhares’ submission win over Ivan Salaverry at UFC 84? Ridiculous transition into an armbar, and it earned him submission of the night. What’s interesting is that Henderson’s revered wrestling background may get him into trouble here. If this goes to the ground for a long period of time, I have no doubt that Palhares could seize a limb and break it. And three of Henderson’s seven losses have come by submission (one to each Nogueira brother). But I think Henderson keeps this on the feet and slugs away, scores a takedown or two, grounds and pounds briefly and then retreats to his feet. Palhares may put a scare into him at some point, but I think this will be a great step back for “Dangerous.” Or is it “Hollywood”? Whatever.
Dan Henderson wins via (T)KO in the 2nd round
Keefe says: Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via (T)KO in the 1st
Karo Parisyan v. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
I’m calling it now. This will be the most exciting fight of the night. Parisyan claims to be motivated and says he actually trained for this fight. Can you imagine if there’s any truth to him saying he never really trained for fights up until now? Wow. That could have serious implications moving forward for the Armenian. But Yoshida is on a nine fight win streak, including that amazing submission over “War Machine” at UFC 84 that was just painful to watch. I honestly felt bad for Koppenhaver. Although not as bad as I did for Ed Herman when he got choked out and pounded out by Demian Maia at the same time.
Anyway, Parisyan has never been submitted and has been (T)KO’d only twice in his career. Once in his last fight against Alves – which had a questionable stoppage – and earlier in his career against Sean Sherk. His fight against Diego Sanchez showed how tough and durable his chin is, and I think it will prevail here.
Karo Parisyan wins via unanimous decision
Keefe says: Karo Parisyan def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida via decision
Martin Kampmann v. Nate Marquardt
This card is loaded with toss ups, and here is another one. Kampmann, coming off a knee injury, looked solid in his submission win over Jorge Rivera. It was a good test for his health and an opportunity to knock off ring rust. But now he takes on Marquardt, who is as tough as they come in the UFC’s middleweight division. A pair of point deductions against Thales Leites cost him a win in his last fight, but it’s obvious as to who dominated that fight.
In this one, I think Kampmann’s ability to utilize his kickboxing will be the factor. I think he’ll try and break down Marquardt early with leg kicks and brief combinations on his feet. Eventually Marquardt will go for a takedown, and I think that’s where people underestimate Kampmann’s submission game.
Martin Kampmann wins via submission (rear-naked choke) in the 3rd round
Keefe says: Nate Marquardt def. Martin Kampann via submission in the 1st
Preliminary bouts
Besse: Thiago Tavares wins via submission (triangle choke) in the 3rd round
Keefe: Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via submission in the 2nd
Besse: Tim Boetsch wins via unanimous decision
Keefe: Tim Boetsch def. Mike Patt via (T)KO in the 1st
Besse: Dong Hyun Kim wins via KTFO in the 1st round
Keefe: Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via (T)KO in the 3rd
Besse: Jason McDonald wins via any submission he pleases in the 1st round
Keefe: Jason McDonald def. Jason Lambert via submission in the 2nd
Besse: Roan Carneiro wins via unanimous decision
Keefe: Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro via decision
Let us know your thoughts on tomorrow’s action. If you like what you see, check out more from The Sports Brief at http://sportsbrief.blogspot.com/
You can e-mail us at sportsbrief@gmail.com
-Bess
At UFC 87, I went 8-2 with my picks while Rich came in at 6-4. With a lot of close, interesting match-ups on tap for UFC 88, however, those early standings could change quickly. I can’t wait to find out…
Main Event
Chuck Liddell v. Rashad Evans
This is a striker v. wrestler matchup, and Liddell has always had tremendous success in fights like these. Evans is a very accomplished wrestler with an undefeated record, and while he showed some good skills in the 3rd round of his fight against Tito Ortiz, it was a 1-point deduction to Ortiz that kept his unblemished record in tact.
Bottom line is that Liddell’s sprawl is one of the best in the business. Even when Ortiz got him down in their entertaining rematch, he popped right back up onto his feet. Expect to see plenty of that tomorrow night. And when Liddell isn’t sprawling, he’ll be popping Evans in the face numerous times before forcing a referee stoppage towards the end of the second round.
Chuck Liddell wins via (T)KO in the 2nd round
Keefe says: Chuck Liddell def. Rashad Evans via (T)KO in 2nd
Televised Bouts
Rich Franklin v. Matt Hamill
An interesting clash here at 205, mainly because Franklin returns to a division he once left due to being too small and at a disadvantage in terms of strength. At middleweight, you’ll be hard pressed to find someone more physically gifted than Franklin. But at light heavy, and against Hamill, he’ll face a significant size and strength advantage. Which plays right into Hamill’s game. He likes to come forward and maul his opponents, and he’s a highly skilled wrestler with crafty takedowns. Hamill is ever improving, but the one downside is his striking. It’s powerful, but sloppy.
I actually see this playing out much like his fight against a current middleweight fighter who recently left the 205-lb. division in Michael Bisping. This will be a grinding three round fight that sees flashes of brilliance and moments for both fighters. But in the end, I think Franklin’s experience, his polished striking and his savvy ground defense will earn him the checkmark on all three scorecards. Look for Hamill to once again impress, though, and earn himself another big fight down the road. Something tells me he’ll be headlining a UFC Fight Night against Stephan Bonnar once “The American Psycho” recovers from his knee injury. You’ll remember these two were originally scheduled to be the co-main event to Florian and Lauzon back in April.
Rich Franklin wins via unanimous decision
Keefe says: Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via decision
Dan Henderson v. Rousimar Palhares
Henderson swears he can beat Anderson Silva if given another crack at him. And you know what? I believe him. But he’s got a serious submission artist staring him in the face on Saturday night. Did you see Palhares’ submission win over Ivan Salaverry at UFC 84? Ridiculous transition into an armbar, and it earned him submission of the night. What’s interesting is that Henderson’s revered wrestling background may get him into trouble here. If this goes to the ground for a long period of time, I have no doubt that Palhares could seize a limb and break it. And three of Henderson’s seven losses have come by submission (one to each Nogueira brother). But I think Henderson keeps this on the feet and slugs away, scores a takedown or two, grounds and pounds briefly and then retreats to his feet. Palhares may put a scare into him at some point, but I think this will be a great step back for “Dangerous.” Or is it “Hollywood”? Whatever.
Dan Henderson wins via (T)KO in the 2nd round
Keefe says: Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via (T)KO in the 1st
Karo Parisyan v. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
I’m calling it now. This will be the most exciting fight of the night. Parisyan claims to be motivated and says he actually trained for this fight. Can you imagine if there’s any truth to him saying he never really trained for fights up until now? Wow. That could have serious implications moving forward for the Armenian. But Yoshida is on a nine fight win streak, including that amazing submission over “War Machine” at UFC 84 that was just painful to watch. I honestly felt bad for Koppenhaver. Although not as bad as I did for Ed Herman when he got choked out and pounded out by Demian Maia at the same time.
Anyway, Parisyan has never been submitted and has been (T)KO’d only twice in his career. Once in his last fight against Alves – which had a questionable stoppage – and earlier in his career against Sean Sherk. His fight against Diego Sanchez showed how tough and durable his chin is, and I think it will prevail here.
Karo Parisyan wins via unanimous decision
Keefe says: Karo Parisyan def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida via decision
Martin Kampmann v. Nate Marquardt
This card is loaded with toss ups, and here is another one. Kampmann, coming off a knee injury, looked solid in his submission win over Jorge Rivera. It was a good test for his health and an opportunity to knock off ring rust. But now he takes on Marquardt, who is as tough as they come in the UFC’s middleweight division. A pair of point deductions against Thales Leites cost him a win in his last fight, but it’s obvious as to who dominated that fight.
In this one, I think Kampmann’s ability to utilize his kickboxing will be the factor. I think he’ll try and break down Marquardt early with leg kicks and brief combinations on his feet. Eventually Marquardt will go for a takedown, and I think that’s where people underestimate Kampmann’s submission game.
Martin Kampmann wins via submission (rear-naked choke) in the 3rd round
Keefe says: Nate Marquardt def. Martin Kampann via submission in the 1st
Preliminary bouts
Besse: Thiago Tavares wins via submission (triangle choke) in the 3rd round
Keefe: Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via submission in the 2nd
Besse: Tim Boetsch wins via unanimous decision
Keefe: Tim Boetsch def. Mike Patt via (T)KO in the 1st
Besse: Dong Hyun Kim wins via KTFO in the 1st round
Keefe: Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via (T)KO in the 3rd
Besse: Jason McDonald wins via any submission he pleases in the 1st round
Keefe: Jason McDonald def. Jason Lambert via submission in the 2nd
Besse: Roan Carneiro wins via unanimous decision
Keefe: Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro via decision
Let us know your thoughts on tomorrow’s action. If you like what you see, check out more from The Sports Brief at http://sportsbrief.blogspot.com/
You can e-mail us at sportsbrief@gmail.com
-Bess
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