UFC 93 recap and final thoughts
by James Iannotti on Jan 17, 2009 7:43 PM EST
108 comments
UFC 93: "Franklin vs. Henderson" took place earlier today live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the 02 Arena in Dublin, Ireland. (Be sure to check out the replay tonight starting at 10pm ET on PPV if you didn't have a chance to catch this afternoon's live action.)
For years people wanted to see middleweights Rich "Ace" Franklin and Dan "Hollywood" Henderson face off against each other to see who the better man was at 185 pounds. Today the two finally squared off in the Octagon in the main event of UFC 93 ... as light heavyweights.
As many expected him to do, Henderson used a strong wrestling attack to score a lot of takedowns to control most of the first two rounds. His ground and pound was on point and he did a lot of damage to the former UFC 185-pound champion with elbows and ground strikes.
Franklin stayed competitive throughout the fight and showed a lot of heart by winning the third round. He put a nice all around striking game on display, complete with punches, kicks and knees in this fight. "Ace" was certainly prepared and had a solid gameplan, but it's more than likely difficult to fully prepare for what it actually feels like once Dan Henderson grabs you.
Both fighters had their moments, but in the end Dan Henderson's strong start by stealing the first two rounds is what won him the fight.
With the win he now becomes the coach of the U.S. side in the new season of "The Ultimate Fighter," which features a "U.S. vs. England" theme. His opposing coach will be England's own Michael "The Count" Bisping - who will, of course, coach the British team.
The two coaches will face each other at the end of the season with the winner more than likely earning a shot at division kingpin Anderson Silva shortly thereafter.
The co-main event today was a rematch from a fight in Japan a few years back between Brazilian Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and UFC Hall of Famer Mark "The Hammer" Coleman in which Rua sustained a injury early on which caused a premature stop.
Both fighters came out blazing looking to impose their will and respective gameplans. In the process, however, they basically both ran out of gas. The second and third rounds were filled with lazy takedown attempts and wild punches hay-makers. It resembled more of a fight you'd see in prison than one between a Hall of Famer and a man who was once considered the best fighter in perhaps the deepest division in the sport.
Coleman fought valiantly and was winning the third round before Rua finally connected on a devastating fight-stopping combination late in the third round. Shogun was probably on his way to a decision win, but came through with the late stoppage.
Regardless, there was nothing impressive about this fight for the Chute Boxe product. This makes back to back fights for him in the Octagon where he gassed out and looked less than impressive. Maybe this will be a wake up call for him and he'll bounce back and return to the Shogun of old.
One can only hope.
Denis Kang's UFC debut was soured by a second round submission loss to Muay Thai specialist Alan Belcher. Kang looked to be in control most of the fight, winning the first round by with his crisp stand up and takedowns.
The second round was more of the same, but Belcher started gaining confidence on his feet. Kang attempted one last takedown attempt with less than a minute remaining in the round and fell right into a deep guillotine choke from Belcher.
Plain and simple ... he got caught.
After the fight, Belcher referred to himself as the top dog in the UFC and started talking about title shots and stuff. Maybe Kang hit him a little too hard once or twice, but he might want to bite his tongue next time those thoughts pop up in his head ... especially if there's a microphone around.
Tough Brazilian Rousimar Palhares needed the full three rounds to grind out a unanimous decision against MMA journeyman Jeremy Horn. After the fight he revealed that he suffered a broken hand in the first round and that's why he had to resort to plan B, which was take Horn down and look for submissions and ground strikes.
That being the case, this fight speaks volumes on just how talented Palhares is. To break his hand in the first round against a seasoned veteran like Jeremy Horn and still come away with the unanimous decision is very impressive to say the least.
Finally, in the fight that was perhaps the most anticipated on the card all together because of all the back and forth pre-fight talk between both sides, welterweights Chris "Lights Out" Lytle and Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenades" Davis fought to a split decision.
The two fighters agreed to stand and trade with each other weeks before the actual event in hopes of putting on a great fight for the Irish fans. And when the opening bell rang, it was clear they were going to do just that.
Lytle's strategy was to stay aggressive and swing for the fences. Davis, on the other hand, played a more defensive role and used a lot of technical boxing to counter Lytle's aggression. It was a solid back and forth war, but technique won out over heart and aggression in the end.
Davis won a razor close split decision much to the delight of the Irish crowd. Things won't get any easier for him with the win though. He has some tough fights ahead of him in the talented UFC 170-pound division.
All in all, UFC 93 was an decent event. Both Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson put on main event worthy performances and there were a couple of very close fights. It just felt like it lacked anything spectacular, or should I say, anything that was $49.95-worthy.
But, there is always BJ Penn vs. GSP II coming up next, which is only two weeks away. It can't come soon enough.
For the complete UFC 93 coverage and blow-by-blow main card commentary click here.
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Easily. Bisping has no chin and Hendo’s ground game is way better than Bispings.
by mike on Jan 17, 2009 7:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
exactly, look at all those times he’s beed knocked out.
by Egads on Jan 17, 2009 7:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
and I thought shogun had bad cardio when he fought griffin
by shamo84 on Jan 17, 2009 8:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Your sarcasm is subtle but you cant hide the fact that he was almost knocked cold by the much smaller Ross pointon on TUF. Matt Hamill dropped him a few times and bounced him all over the ring but got robbed by a very controversial decision. Even the less than mediocre Elvis Sinosic dropped him when they fought. Maybe his soft chin is why he went down in weight classes so he could face smaller opposition.
by mike on Jan 17, 2009 8:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I didnt lose a bet today! Im rich Bitch!
by john on Jan 17, 2009 8:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think the top two fights title or non title should be 5 rounders? Another two rounds we would of either had a KO or clear decision?
by Beaver on Jan 17, 2009 9:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
yes that would have been good, Franklin was just getting started in the 3d round.. the fight was too short
by RoB on Jan 17, 2009 10:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Did Bisping get knocked down or rocked by Pointon? No.
He got hit flush, and took it. That’s called having a good chin. Same with Hamill, he got hit flush with a big right hand and took it, he didn’t go down or stumble about. Look to Serra vs Parisyan or Serra vs St Pierre 1, for what “rocked” looks like. If you watch the Sinosic fight again, you’ll notice Bisping was just gassed and off balance, not hurt. Goulet has the definition of a bad chin, Bisping does not.
by beelz on Jan 17, 2009 9:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Bisping gets killed by Hendo, and gets raped OZ style by Anderson Silva.
by naturalshadow on Jan 18, 2009 1:59 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Well Im glad Hendo got the win as I get to see him coach on TUF 9. I felt really bad for shogun, If he struggles against Coleman he has gonna have a hard time from here on… I was hoping for a blistering performance.
I gotta give loads of credit to Horn. He fought his ass off and made it without getting subbed. I was screaming so hard when he got the arm triangle for upset of the night.
All in all didn’t really live up to the hype but we Got Affliction and BJ GSP 2 still this month. Can’t wait!!
BTW Im drunk as an irishman right about now…
by Ca$z on Jan 17, 2009 7:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
You’re right I cant have been that bad now I see it the day after.
Maybe I come into my own when I have a a drink! lol
I did give it a once over before I clicked ADD COMMENT which often helps…
by Ca$z on Jan 18, 2009 7:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The guy hasnt fought in over a year and had two knee surgeries. Of course he was going to gas.
His fight agaisnt Chuck is going to prove a lot.
by R/p on Jan 17, 2009 11:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, when Shogun gets killed by Chuck, it will prove he was not even remotley close to being the best. He looked horrible against Forrest, which I was willing to admit could have been a fluke, but to look horrible against a half dead Coleman? He just isn’t the fighter everyone thought he was in Pride.
by naturalshadow on Jan 18, 2009 2:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
yea, best fight by far was lytle vs. davis, easily two of my favorite fighters, was bummed to see either one of them lose but was a great fight. colemen rua was just a joke
by connor on Jan 18, 2009 1:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Thoughts…. Im glad I did channelsurfing! It was an ok event.
by JV on Jan 17, 2009 7:49 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
just throwing this out there maybe the ufc is not having a lot of title fight in early 2009 because they will have all the title on the line at ufc 100
by liamd on Jan 17, 2009 7:49 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
That would make UFC 100 unforgetable!!!!!!!! That would be a dream event! Stack the undercard with #1 contender matchups for every belt. And show every fight!
by JV on Jan 17, 2009 7:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
if they have UFC 100- “Night of Champions” or something like that….im gonna piss my pants. haha
by djhbv23 on Jan 17, 2009 8:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That would make for one great event, but everything in the months before and after would suffer as a result. Plus, having all title fights would be an issue with timing. Not trying to be a downer, I just don’t think it’s realistic.
by GregC on Jan 18, 2009 4:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
While that would be amazing, that would lead to a not so inconsiderable wait for another title fight, especially if there are injuries. So, while I would love this as well, it’s probably not likely.
by chefdaddy on Jan 17, 2009 10:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
i agree, it would be a crazy event but everything after would seem lackluster comparatively. i think they should have a grand prix in the devisions that dont have a clear cut number one contender…which come to think of it isnt that many…dammit
by connor on Jan 18, 2009 1:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Cool idea… what if BJ beats GSP – He’d have to fight twice!!
by DanP on Jan 18, 2009 5:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Bisping has no chin?..Did Rashad Evans knock him out? did Matt Hamill or Chris Leben…could back up your no chin statement with some facts?
by Gary on Jan 17, 2009 7:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
He gave a bunch of examples that Bisbing has been rocked.
Go read it.
by Ben on Jan 17, 2009 9:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Chin doesn’t mean you had to LOSE by KO… for example, when you keep getting knocked around and put on the ground like a little girl you have a suspect chin.
If you can recover quick and pull guard (unlike how forrest did with evans) then you can keep the fight going.
by Ben on Jan 17, 2009 9:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
hendo kos bisping i hate bisping the worse uilmater winner
by tz swanger on Jan 17, 2009 7:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
TRUE…
Lost a lot of respect after he beat Hamil and acted like a NO class idiot.
Probably a decent guy, but that moment is emblazoned on my mind.
by Ben on Jan 17, 2009 9:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
hendo was the most impressive tonight on the main card. he used his strength and wrestling to control the first 2 rounds. although he gassed i think thats due to age. lets hope not, but with his fight with bisbing i can for sure see him owning him. if hendo can toss rich around he should kill bisbing
by Jared on Jan 17, 2009 8:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
i cannot tell you how happy i will be to see bispings smug face getting dropped on his head=]
by connor on Jan 18, 2009 1:50 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
What the hell happened to Shogun??!!! He was a disgrace. Coleman was done coming in to the second round and was just standing in front of Shogun asking to be knocked out. Shogun could hardly raise a hand he was that tired. They looked like a couple of piss heads down the local club on a saturday night. Glad we do not have to shell out for the PPV over in the UK for a fight like that…I loved to watch Shogun fight in pride, but he looks a shadow of his former self in the UFC…
by Rob on Jan 17, 2009 8:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
“They looked like a couple of piss heads down the local club on a saturday night.”
Dude, they didn’t even look that good lol. During Coleman’s interview after myself and my mates where all thinking Rocky Balboa, it was hilarious.
It was like Cyborg Manhoef 2. Embarassing.
by RobH86 on Jan 17, 2009 8:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree completely mate. After the fight my mate grabbed me from behind and started choking me. It ended with me putting my head through the glass door in the living room. My other mates said it was the best fight they had seen all night lol….“The first rule at rule at fight club…….”lol
by Rob on Jan 18, 2009 7:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
bisping will get dominated by hendo, thats gonna be a great fight
by child on Jan 17, 2009 8:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I can’t agree anymore. Definitely in the top 3 for worst UFC events for sure. If they bring out another fighter out of retirement, I’m going to shat in my pants and mail those to Dana to provide my thoughts on this BS. All of the guys they had on the main card would have been good if this event was held in 2005.
I was also disappointed by “wood heads” fight against Jeremy Horn. The man whos hair looks like it has been carved out of wood and placed on his head should have dominated Jeremy. Total respect for Jeremy after the beating he took in the first round – I wanted him to finish out tree truck off just to get him out of the UFC.
by deadgrassinyard on Jan 18, 2009 9:15 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
ufc 100
undercard
kenny florian vs diego sanchez no 1 contender
jon fitch vs gsp 2 no 1 contender setting up gsp vs penn 3
nate the great vs damiean maia no 1 contender
lyoto machida vs rich franklin 2 no 1 contender
gabe gonzaga vs nog no 1 contender
main card
bj penn vs thiago alves wealterweight title
forrest griffin vs liddel
brock lesnar vs frank mir title title
anderson silva vs bisping/henderson
main event
rashad evans vs rampage title
by liamd on Jan 17, 2009 8:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
If they had that many big fighters on the undercard imagine how poor the ppv’s leading up to it would be.
by Ennis on Jan 17, 2009 8:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
GSP will manhandle Penn and it will end with a Referee stoppage due to some serious ground and pound.
by elstiko on Jan 17, 2009 8:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
regardless of how gsp/bj goes, it will be years before gsp is ever on an undercard, i dont care how stacked it is.
by Egads on Jan 17, 2009 8:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I thought it would be Belcher fighting for the title after his own glorified post-fight interview. This guy said that he is next in line to fight against GSP??? Now that would be a fun fight to watch considering his ass was being owned last night.
Whatever he is smoking these days should be passed on and everyone in the world would be happy with a false image of life. Adam Belcher is a top 11 – 15 fighter at best – only if there were 15 people in middleweight. I’m surprised he didn’t wear some hotpants like he did in his previous fight.
by deadgrassinyard on Jan 18, 2009 6:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
hendo v Silva 2 works for me. It was a good fight last time. He could surprise this time around. Im glad I didnt shell out 50 bux for this event though. Poor Coleman. They need an over 40 division. Just imagine the fights.
by elstiko on Jan 17, 2009 8:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
the only problem is after the TUF series Hendo will be 39, so by the time he fights Silva he will be 40! Also, Silva will be that much better in two years, so Hendo will be over the hill and have no chance.
by matt on Jan 18, 2009 12:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
apart from ufc 94
95 maian event sanchez vs stevenson
96 main event jackson vs jardine
97 main event liddell vs shogun mmajunkie reported this
those are som shity main events
by liamd on Jan 17, 2009 8:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Seriously…
Who wants to see Jardine / Stevenson ???
Since when are they headliners…
There are much more interesting fights out there… Hell throw Thiago Alves on a card. someone interesting.
by Ben on Jan 17, 2009 9:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
hahahah i was thinking the same thing. but he means who wants to see jardine or stevenson in a main event, referring to ufc 95 and 96
by AzCombat on Jan 18, 2009 2:53 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
those are terrible, especially ’95. When does Silva fight again?
by c-war on Jan 18, 2009 1:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
more fight nights less ppvs. These events are getting pretty bad. they seem to have 3 shitty ones followed by 1 damn good 1. Stevenson/Sanchez should be on Spike tv. Silva will fight when he is medically cleared if you are talking about Wandy.
by elstiko on Jan 18, 2009 8:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The cards that have 5 solid fights on the main card usually turn out to be just as good as ones with a blockbuster main event and a weaker main card.
by PW on Jan 18, 2009 9:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Henderson vs Franklin was pretty much what I expected. These guys are so even matched up they seem to nullify each others move. I think what made the difference was definitely Henderson’s Greco wrestling. Franklin showed a a big heart in the 3rd round though but it was just too late.
Coleman vs Rua. This fight didn’t even look like a product of the UFC. Rua looked impressive in the 1rst round but then he suddenly looked flustered and exhausted. Coleman did too but that was expected from the 44yr old. Overall, Joe Rogan was right Win, Lose, or Draw this was a very bad performance for Shogun.
To all the people that said Shogun will kill Rampage. After that performance I don’t think he would even last 1 round with Rampage.
by skelow on Jan 17, 2009 8:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
the brazilians used performance enhancing-drugs in Pride for sure! and the way you can see it is in their conditioning, he was exhausted again! in Pride he would go all out war non-stop without getting tired at all.. a more dangerous guy that had more ways to finish the fight than Coleman does would’ve won..
by RoB on Jan 17, 2009 9:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I never thought I would say this cause I love Shogun but he was on something in Pride. I don’t know what his doing in training… seriously
by Nick on Jan 18, 2009 4:37 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Well you can’t say for sure. Plus his fights very rarely went outside the first round. Still though the first round in Pride was 10 minutes so maybe he was on something.
He definitely needs to change his training.
by RobH86 on Jan 18, 2009 10:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
really guys i feel franklin was stiffed hendo had two takedowns….
by j on Jan 17, 2009 8:54 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I think Hendo owned 1 and 2… 3rd one looked to go Franklins way.
Taking down and controling the guy is different from taking down and having him get up 10 seconds later…
Aggression – seemed to be Hendo
Grapling – Hendo
Striking – Hendo 1st / toss up 2nd / Franklin 3rd
Control – Hendo
I will give you this… who the hell scored it 30-27 Franklin yet it went to Hendo…
Horrible judging if one guy goes 30-27, I guess it was close.
by Ben on Jan 17, 2009 9:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Henderson controlled Franklin, but that was all he did. He did all his damage with the head butt and eye poke.
by PW on Jan 17, 2009 11:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
why was this ufc card on ppv……I mean the ppv is on at 10:30 and i’ve already seen all the fights……
by Dion on Jan 17, 2009 8:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I’d say that Shogun is done.
Yes, he’s young, yes he’s talented…but he has BJPenn-itis…he thinks that just by walking into the cage he’ll win…uhm…no.
Talent alone can’t do a thing…and Shogun is over the hill.
Let’s put him in front of Rampage again, or in front of Randy or in front of Hendo or Franklin or any of the upper level 170 guys…he’d get destroyed.
by Vox on Jan 17, 2009 9:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
He would. GSP would beat him. Thiago Alves too. Even BJ.
Michael Bisping would maul Mauricio Shogun Rua. Ha, never thought I’d say that.
by RobH86 on Jan 17, 2009 9:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Agree that Shogun showed poorly. However, bare in mind the injury he’s returning from and the inactivity. I say hold off on writing him off till we see how he looks in his next fight, hopefully vs. someone near the top of the food chain.
by CL on Jan 18, 2009 12:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’m a massive Shogun fan but he really needs to work on conditioning and pacing himself. That was terrible!
by Nick on Jan 18, 2009 4:35 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I know I was disappointed though, especially as I was there live. Still rooting for him but he hasn’t shown me anything that would have me optimistic about his chances of really doing something in the LHW division.
by RobH86 on Jan 18, 2009 10:57 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
isnt the ppv price 44.95? or something like that i know its not 49.99 unless they raised the price since ufc 92
by matt on Jan 17, 2009 9:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
shogun looked badass he just got tired his muay thai was prefect anderson silva style its relly hard to get a perfect plum win u can pull the head down like that and hit win ever u want most people can onley hit the chest with there knees and he hasent fought in over a year so lay off him and colemon is super strong useing ju jitsu from the gurd to get up from a huge dude takes a lot out of u any one questioning his hands should shut up he ko him win he was exhusted so think how much strongerhis hands r fresh if he can get his old shape back hes a top 5 contenderr
by otis marsango on Jan 17, 2009 9:54 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Wow, what fight did you watch? There was absolutely no point in that fight that anyone looked “awesome”. “Good” would even be a stretch.
by naturalshadow on Jan 18, 2009 2:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That’s one of the longest sentences I’ve ever read . . .
by GregC on Jan 18, 2009 5:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
UFC 100
Main Events
1 Lesnar VS Mir
2 Alves vs GSP
3 Rampage vs Evans
4 BJ PENN vs K-FLO or Diago Sanchez
5 Anderson Silva vs W. Silva
Under Cards
1 Forest Griffin vs Rich Franklin
2 Machida vs Chuck Liddell
3 Cheik Kongo vs NOG (prefer randy vs nog though)
4 Kos vs Fitch (Probably, never happen probably Karo)
5 Hughs vs Serra
- Palhars vs W. Silva (Not quite ufc100 worthy)
- Cyborg vs Gina “Conviction” (FIRST FEMALE CLASH)
- Royce Gracie vs Ken Shamrock (Doubt it would happen)
I would love to see some of the foreign talent like S. Aoki vs BJ PENN or AkiYama vs GSP. Not to mention Fedor (Ringside) To pump up a UFC 101 ( Imagine investing in a bunch of the talent in Asia and do a cross-over… invasion type thing) NEW Beginning and have your own superbowl between ufc america/ufc orient/ufc europe and wec.
Add a super Heavey (+250lbs over) and another under light weight.
by Prince E. on Jan 17, 2009 10:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
i still think Franklin was robbed. Hendo got the 1st but i thought Rich took the 2nd (EXTREMELY close) and 3rd.
Franklin looked like an absolute monster at weigh-ins. Big dude!
took a good headbutt and eyepoke too!
Shogun looked horrible and Coleman looked good ONLY for the initial 2 minutes, after that it was a waste of a fight.
Also, that ref is an idiot. Early stoppage and repremanded Rua for a LEGAL knee. (it was a knee to the CHEST of a downed opponent, as Joe Rogan said)
HOW THE HELL DID COLEMAN/RUA GET FIGHT OF THE NIGHT (along with Davis/Lytle)
The era of the elite Brazilian PRIDE fighters is slowly disipating. Way back when Chute Boxe had that Fedor Mystique which beat many people before even stepping in to fight. also i definately think they ( examples: Wandy and Rua’s) were on Steroids in PRIDE.
Marcus Davis/Chris Lytle was an exciting fight but i don’t think it lived all the way up to the hype.
FRANKLIN vs SHOGUN
by SoCalStunNa on Jan 17, 2009 11:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
ottis stay off the drugs when you blog dude … your embarrassing yourself
by savman on Jan 17, 2009 11:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
All in all a decent event. Kang was underwhelming, being caught in a submission (again). Lately he hasn’t been too impressive, the losses to Mousasi and Akiyama especially. Shogun looked decent until he gassed, maybe a result of still trying to get past those injuries? Who knows? As for Henderson-Franklin, definitely a close fight, and I could understand it going either way, but Franklin’s expression on the 30-27 in his favour was priceless, because there was no justification for that scoring.
by Belisarius on Jan 17, 2009 11:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Belcher didn’t say he was top dog. He said he needed 1 or 2 more fights before even getting a title shot.
by T-Rex on Jan 17, 2009 11:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Shogun- I mean Slogun- has no Anderson Silva style anything!
by matt on Jan 18, 2009 12:49 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
um not a big fan of either but rich got ripped off. dan did no damage come on besides the head but and eye poke like he got a few take downs i was actually expecting to see franklin kick his head off in the third round but that being said feel bad for rich but atleast he doesnt have to go back to 185
by jeff on Jan 18, 2009 1:17 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
UFC 100 should be tournament style just like the original. I thought Franklin won that fight though, but I’m sure all the negative talk about being a coach on TUF had some influence.
by slim473 on Jan 18, 2009 1:24 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
for ump-teenth time, tournament style (same night) can’t be done in the U.S.
by kevin on Jan 18, 2009 1:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
btw…that Shogun/Coleman fight was just down right embarassing for the UFC. Coleman is 44, was done after 3 mins in the first, and so was Shogun. Don’t tell me the surgeries and time off was why he gassed. If anything, he should have looked that much more potent..christ the guy is almost 20 years younger!
by slim473 on Jan 18, 2009 1:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
i just saw it came on late at my house, missed early show
i did score hendo wining but besides headbutt, he only scored with takedowns
ace did most damage crisp combos
bisping might just win if hendo fights the same
i loved the event tho
by phenomenal angel on Jan 18, 2009 1:30 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
My opinion about the older fighters is that MMA has progressed so rapidly that they cannot keep up. The one discipline and you can win style is far gone. Coleman should have been handed his ass inside the first 2 mins by someone as skilled as Shogun. Liddell still fights with his hands down, ala getting chumped by Evans, and Horn looks like an ammish farm hand who road his horse and buggy to the show!
by slim473 on Jan 18, 2009 1:34 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Rich got jerked bey the judges in this one. Hendo got a total of two take downs and a sloppy stand up where he missed 80% of what he threw. Rich hammered on the kicks, he barely missed any shots… and he gave a ton of them. The judges must of been sleeping during that fight, because last time i checked 2 take downs don’t win you a fight especially when your getting out guned in every aspect of the stand up!
by EddyJ on Jan 18, 2009 1:38 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Am I the only person that thought that Franklin won the 1st and 3rd round? And the only reason I gave the 2nd round to Dan “The Boring” Henderson is because he laid on top of Franklin for the entire 2nd round like a good Irish whore.
by kibbled_bits on Jan 18, 2009 1:45 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
why do you got to compare hendo to your mom man? classless!
by kevin on Jan 18, 2009 1:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I gave Rich the first, but it was close. The second was Hendo, but the only really dominant round was for Rich in the third. I don’t think Hendo would have even lasted if it was 5 rounds.
by naturalshadow on Jan 18, 2009 2:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Rich the first….LOLOLOL do you remember Dan pounding Rich’s face into the fence and skillfully controlling him whenever he tried to move.
Dan won this for sure….just get over it, Rich lost.
by Ca$z on Jan 18, 2009 7:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Man you really are ripping on the Irish.
by RobH86 on Jan 18, 2009 11:00 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
coleman looked like he ran out of gas 2 minutes into round 1. Rua ran out about a minute into round 2. Coleman looked much smaller, older and not nearly as aggressive as usual. Shogun got the win and was pretty good but he will need to win against a big name just to get back into the top 5.
Hendo vs Bisping is good but Anderson might not be the champ that far down the road. Wanderlie vs Marcus Davis anyone?
by hatteras on Jan 18, 2009 1:50 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Shogun and Coleman will be looking employment elsewere. And way to go HENDO… obviously was losing the round so you already head butted Rich and then you poke him in the eye too. Rich was pissed because he knew it was on purpose. Hendo won but I think he is a loser and a poor sport. I have seen Hendo a few times and I have seen his dirty boxing and that was evident tonight.
by holmz76 on Jan 18, 2009 2:33 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I love Shogun, but c’mon man!
It seems like he hasn’t really realized yet he is fighting amongst the top 205 pounders in the world.
Shogun needs a wakeup call to get back to his original form.
If Shogun trained like Wanderlei, he would murder alot of people.
by rhys on Jan 18, 2009 3:00 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I’ve got to give it up to Henderson. He’s extremely tough and he controlled the fight for the most part but, I’m also one that would’ve loved to see it go a couple more rounds. I was actually picking Franklin for this fight with a definite edge on his feet and more versatility in his strikes but, Hendo did a great job.
Was it just me or was anyone else disgusted with the Shogun/Coleman fight? And it won fight of the night? What? Did no one realize that they both looked absolutely horrible? You can attribute Coleman’s performance perhaps to his age and time off from competition but, Shogun? He’s got no excuses! Well….. he is coming back from knee surgery…I’ll give him that but, he’s almost 20 years younger than Coleman….. had him hurt in the 2nd round and should have completely mauled Coleman after he had him hurt but, he gassed! I’m a Shogun fan but, man he’d get destroyed by any top level light heavy wt. right now if he comes in with that type of conditioning!
by Ray on Jan 18, 2009 3:02 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I too was disturbed by shogun, he’s the fighter I look up to, by that performance I doubt he can hang with rampage in a 2nd fight or any top 205 right now
So now my 2 fav fighters head to head
I don’t wanna pick a winner but I think chuck might just pull through
Anyone know where vera is? I know he had fight soon dunno tho
by phenomenal angel on Jan 18, 2009 3:34 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Chuck could definitely get some takedowns just to get ahead on the judges score cards. He could then look for the big highlight reel KO after tiring Shogun out. I know Chuck lost 3 out of his last 4 but I’d definitely lean towards Chuck getting the W in this one.
by RobH86 on Jan 18, 2009 11:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Rua looked like crap against guy who couldn’t even hold his hands up cause he was so tired.
by Tim D. on Jan 18, 2009 4:55 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Can someone please tell me why there is no interview with Rich Franklin. They never dont interview both fighters after a main event fight. He doesnt even have an interview up on the ufc.com site??? Very odd to me
by YoungBlood on Jan 18, 2009 8:02 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
How about Franklin vs Forrest, now that would be a fight. Both those guys have similar awkward type styles and wouldn’t quit!
by slim473 on Jan 18, 2009 8:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
The toughest fight of the night was me trying to stay awake. Keep in mind that there was better GNP by Clint in Gran Torino. And, to add to my irritation, who had it 30 – 27 Franklin??
Dana – please donate my 50 dollars to the Coleman retirement fund. Dude was so tired he couldnt even speak. Was this man dehydrated from age and the weight cut, or time spent in the tanning bed? UFC 93 – Wasted Time
by TapedUpPair on Jan 18, 2009 10:58 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I thought it was a very strange card overall. Good, but… strange :S
The Lytle/Davis fight was awesome. Didn’t expect to see Davis running away though, when Lytle was blasting him against the cage. He actually turned and ran away, before engaging again. Hilarious.
Also, the Kang/Belcher fight just plain pissed me off. I’ve been telling all my casual MMA friends about how good Kang is and that he was/is one of the best MW’s in the world. Then, he goes on to dominate Belcher, and I’m sitting there all smug, only for him to get caught like that. Suffice to say, I got laughed at.
Shogun/Coleman was embarassing for both fights. To be honest though, I wasn’t expecting to see the Shogun of old. Can’t believe Coleman wants a 3rd fight.
Franklin/Hendo was awesome. I personally think it could have went either way, but oh well. At least now there’s no risk of a Franklin/Silva 3. I think Franklin should fight Wandy next.
by Hero-Of-Time on Jan 18, 2009 1:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS 30-27?? What fuckin fight was he watchin? He must have not have eaten his lucky charms that morning.
by UFCLOVA on Jan 18, 2009 1:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Lackluster card.
I think it’s better for Belcher if he doesn’t talk so much. Nimrod.
Lytle/Davis tried too hard to create some “legendary” fight of epic proportions instead of trying to beat each other. The great thing about mma is the unpredicatibilty. But when they plan to stand and trade and do just that, its sorta going in the wwe direction. And then they gave the split decision to davis, “the Irish Hand Grenade” in Ireland. What a shock right?
by observer on Jan 18, 2009 3:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
TapedUpPair that was halarious, funniest post I think you’ve ever wrote that I read!! I had a feeling it would be a lame card and just hope to hell ufc 94 lives up to its hype, and the penn/gsp match doesn’t end up controversial again or a split decision.
by nathan on Jan 18, 2009 3:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Thanks – I think I am starting to appreciate some of your posts as well as others : ) The Davis Fight was good, but it seemed rather insignificant??? 94 looks to be great – but some might find it hard to purchase after last nights emotional abuse and fiscal fleecing.
Peace Bro
by TapedUpPair on Jan 18, 2009 3:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
With a decision like 30-27 you seriously have to wonder about the judging and if there paid off, the judges are a joke in general and can’t seem to judge any better than someone new to the sport just watching it.
by nathan on Jan 18, 2009 3:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
all i have to say is hopefully the judge who gave rich 30-27 does the rest of his fights till he retires lol
by wow on Jan 18, 2009 3:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
BTW, no one has to pay $45, go to a local sports bar and pay a $5 cover.
by Kuato on Jan 18, 2009 8:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
2 takedowns = win, when you do very little after you get those takedowns?
It’s not like he had him down for the entire round.
Other than the eye poke and the head butt, Henderson did very little to hurt Franklin. Franklin probably landed 3 or 4 times as many shots as Hendo.
I’m a big fan of both fighters, but it was obvious to me that Franklin won the fight. And given the boos after the decision, I’d wager most of the crowd thought Franklin had won as well.
Franklin wasn’t interviewed after the fight. I wonder if there’s something going on between him and the UFC.
by Big_B on Jan 18, 2009 11:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
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