Former middleweight champion Rich Franklin (22-3) will look to get back on the winning track against 185-pound winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 4, Travis Lutter (9-4), at UFC 82 on March 1 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Dave Melter from WrestlingObserver.com confirmed the rumored bout in a recent print edition of his newsletter. In fact, it will serve as a co main event alongside the middleweight showdown between current division titleholder, Anderson Silva, and PRIDE FC Welterweight Champion, Dan Henderson.
Franklin is coming off of another devastating loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 77: "Hostile Territory" in front of his hometown crowd this past October. In his only other fight in the Buckeye State, "Ace" thrashed Jason MacDonald via corner stoppage at UFC 68: "Uprising" in March.
He is currently taking a break from training while he films the motion picture, "Weapon," starring as a genetically engineered super soldier.
Lutter has not competed since nearly pulling off an upset of Silva at UFC 67: "All or Nothing" back in February. The long layoff for the "The Serial Killer" is due in large part to a chronic neck injury (not his inability to make weight for the title fight with Silva).
In fact, he was supposed to fight Ryan Jensen at UFC 74: "Respect" in August, but had to withdraw after re-aggravating the injury during training.
To check out the latest UFC 82 rumored fight card right here.