The Phenom, former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon to face UFC superstar Rich Ace Franklin in the main event of UFC 103. Also featured on the biggest MMA event to ever hit Texas will be perhaps the most explosive heavyweight battle of the year when one of the sports most feared strikers, Mirko Cro Cop, takes on Brazilian knockout artist Junior Dos Santos.
New Twitter devotee Rich Franklin relayed a curious thing Saturday morning: his re-match with Dan Henderson had been taken off the event description for UFC 103 on Sept. 19 in Dallas.
"Ive heard the ufc pulled my fight off the website for 103," tweeted Franklin. "I don't kno y. They hvnt spoken to me @ this, n i assume the fight is still on."
Grammar issues aside, the message seemed to be a red flag--the UFC was backing away from the match-up, which had drawn almost unanimous criticism from fans on internet sounding boards.
During a Friday radio appearance on ESPN 1100 for The Caring Place cancer support center, UFC president Dana White hinted there were more changes in store for the Dallas event.
"My job is to put on fights that the fans want to see," he chortled. "Hang, tight, stick around. Stay tuned."
Two things could lend credence to a new main event for UFC 103: White's make-up with Tito Ortiz, which he announced via a tweet on Friday, and the dearth of talent influx from Affliction's collapse the same day.
Is Franklin/Hendo II on ice? And is that a good thing?
Wanderlei Silva talks about his fight with Rich Franklin and how he wants to fight again in September and December of this year, if the UFC will let him.
On a night of scintilating action both in and out of the Octagon -- Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva fought to a main event Fight of the Night finish and Mirko "Cro Cop" announced to the UFC, "Oh, by the way, I'm outta here. Going back to Japan" -- the UFC was fairly successful on its first stop in Germany.
Despite all of the backlash from mainstream German media that is caught in the MMA time warp of five to 10 years ago, UFC 99 drew an announced attendance of 12,854 to the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, accounting for estimated gate receipts of $1.3 million.
ESPN's MMA Live breaks down Saturday's UFC 99 fight card featuring Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva and takes a look back at this past weekend's WEC 41 "Brown vs. Faber 2" and Strikeforce "Lawler vs. Shields."
Rich Talking about professionalism and negative press around 18:00
Although the UFC stepping into Germany for UFC 99 on Saturday has been a big step forward for the promotion and the sport -- it is the first time a major MMA promotion has landed in Germany -- it has also been a step into a time warp that goes back 10 years.
There have been front page news stories in Germany that decry MMA as a bloodsport, much like the American media of five to 10 years ago. The venue in Cologne even had to agree to UFC 99 being and 18-and-over event.
But main eventer Rich Franklin believes that UFC 99 will bust open some doors for the sport in Europe. At the pre-fight press conference he commented:
"I know we've gotten a little bit of negative press here in Germany, and I think once you see the level of professionalism and sportsmanship the UFC brings to a sport like this, you'll be more than impressed."
The Countdown to UFC 99 begins tonight -- Tuesday night -- on Spike, taking an inside look at the main event between Wanderlei Silva and Rich Franklin, as well as Cain Velasquez and Cheick Kongo.
The UFC's German invasion has shaped up quickly, with the bulk of the June 13 fighters confirmed in less than a month.
More than half the fighters on the card are either foreign-born or based outside the US, with one fighter, Peter Sobotta, bringing in the hometown crowd as a resident of Balingen, only 272 miles, or 438 kilometers, from the 20,000 seat Lanxess Arena in Cologne.
The UFC recently inked a deal with German sports network DSF to air UFC content, including live or tape-delayed events.
At the festivities for UFC 96 last weekend, UFC president Dana White said the European card would come at a premium for those watching in the US.
"It will be a pay per view event," White told reporters.
In past overseas events, the time difference has not been friendly to pay per view buyrates. So far, none of the Europe based pay events have cracked the 300,000 range. While by no means are those slim numbers, and the promotion has done extremely well in live attendance numbers, there appeared to be a push towards airing the events free for Spike TV viewers. UFC 99 appears to be a break from that strategy.
So far, the only official bout on the card is the main event, between Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva at a catch weight of 195lbs. Tickets for the event go on sale to the public in three days.
The latest edition of Dana White's UFC 96 video blog includes a look at the UFC 99 press conference in Germany along with Dana and Lorezno Fertitta spending time with Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, and more.
UFC president Dana White presents the first installment of his UFC 93 blog. The newest episode follows Dana through England as he prepares for the filming of the new season of the "Ultimate Fighter" and much, much more.
Marc Ratner, Vice President of UFC Regulatory Affairs, is hard at work preparing for UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland on Jan. 17. It's the UFC's second appearance on Irish soil. In the show's main event, Dan Henderson is scheduled to face Rich Franklin at light heavyweight.
Because the Irish government does not recognize MMA as a sport, Ratner will oversee many logistical duties normally done by an athletic commission, including hiring of referees, ringside officials, and drug testing.
"As if it would be in the state of Nevada," Ratner tells MMAInsider.
Ratner is still working on forming a commission that oversees MMA in the United Kingdom. Up until now, the British Boxing Board of Control, which once oversaw boxing in Ireland, has not been open to MMA. However, Ratner says there have been changes in the Board's executive staff, and some of the new members may be amenable to incorporating the sport.
"We're working with them, hoping that will happen," says Ratner. "The British Boxing Board of Control can be the overall entity that's in charge, but they need some kind of MMA division. That's what we're working on."
Stateside, South Carolina and Wisconsin are two targets on his to-do list. The New York legislature reconvenes in mid-January, and the UFC's strategy groups and lobbying firms are laying the groundwork for the passage of bill 1-11458-A, which would regulate MMA in the Empire State. "We feel very confident that the sport of MMA will be approved in New York this session," Ratner says. He was unclear on the timetable for Massachusetts, though a July 2008 bill to regulate the sport was passed on.
"Everywhere there's an athletic commission, we want the sport of MMA approved. So we're out there working," he said.
Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin received a Hummer from UFC president Dana White for serving as a coach on season two of The Ultimate Fighter.
Problem is, the Hummer just isn't Rich's style, so he's putting it up for sale. If you decide to buy Rich Franklin's Hummer, you'll likely get to meet him when you go to pick it up.
Here's the message from Rich's site, announcing the sale of his Hummer:
"Hey guys, it's Rich. I'm putting my Hummer up for sale. I have had this thing since season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter when it was given to me as a gift by Dana White for coaching on the show. It is a cool car and fun to drive, but it draws too much attention my way - and that isn't my style. Most of the 11,000 miles have been put on there by friends and family who have borrowed it. Basically, the car still looks brand new. If you happen to be the one to buy my car - I would love to meet you when you come my way to pick it up."
For a detailed description of Rich Franklin's Hummer, click here. To check out more photos of this tricked out monster, click here.
Rich will be back in action at UFC 93 on Jan. 17 in Dublin, Ireland. He will face Dan Henderson in a light heavyweight showdown in the main event.
The upcoming fight between Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin at light heavyweight was not, it appears, an original idea for UFC matchmaker Joe Silva.
According to a source from Henderson's camp who asked to remain anonymous, Henderson originally accepted an offer to fight against Franklin at UFC 88 on Sept. 6 in Atlanta, Georgia, but was later told Franklin's camp turned the fight down.
At the time, Henderson was coming off a loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 82, while Franklin had last defeated Travis Lutter at UFC 83. Both were at crossroads in their respective careers due to middleweight Anderson Silva's dominance, and had been suggested for the light heavyweight division (Henderson's suggestions had been far more frequent).
Franklin ended up fighting Matt Hamill in the co-main event of UFC 88, while Henderson was slotted one fight before against jiu-jitsu ace Rousimar Palhares in a middleweight showcase.
Franklin's light heavyweight return was successful, no doubt leading the UFC to push for a main event meeting at UFC 93.
The two lend much-needed star power to the UFC's second trip to Ireland. Historically, events held abroad draw lower pay per view buyrates for the Las Vegas-based organization. In the end, the timing might have been just right.
UFC President Dana White presents the 5th edition of his video blog for UFC 91.
In this episode, Dana holds court at the UFC 91 pre-fight press conference, takes viewers behind the scenes with the production crew, continues his media onslaught, checks a cut on Rich Franklin's right eye, harasses Kenny Florian, and breaks from his hard boiled egg diet.
Tickets for UFC 93 go on sale to the general public beginning Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 9 a.m. in Ireland and the U.K. There are presale options to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public.
Starting Friday, Oct. 17 at 9 a.m. in Ireland and the U.K., tickets for UFC 93 go on sale to UFC Fight Club members. And on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. in Ireland and the U.K., tickets go on sale to newsletter subscribers.
UFC 93 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland. It features two high profile fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship as the promotion kicks off 2009. Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson clash in the main event and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Mark Coleman will also do battle. Both fights are in the light heavyweight division.
Copyright 2009 MMA Weekly LLC. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of MMA Weekly content is expressly prohibited without expressed written consent of MMA Weekly. MMA Weekly will not be liable for any errors in content or any action taken in reliance thereof.
MMA Insider Blog RSS Feed
