UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort

© Marc Wickert 
www.knucklepit.com
September 19, 2009

All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

In Earlier Matches

Efrain Escudero def. Cole Miller by TKO – 3.36, Round One.

Tomasz Drwal def. Drew McFedries by RNC – 1.03, Round Two.

Jim Miller def. Steve Lopez by TKO – 0.48, Round Two.

Nik Lentz def. Rafaello Oliveira by unanimous decision.

Rick Story def. Brian Foster by arm triangle – 1.09, Round Two.

Eliot Marshall def. Jason Britz by split decision.

Vladimir Matyushenko def. Igor Pokrajac by unanimous decision.

The Battles

Tyson Griffin (5’ 6” 155.5 lb) vs. Hermes Franca (5’6” 159 lb) 
– Lightweight
Referee: Dan Miragliotta

Round One
4.56: Tyson came out aggressively and immediately leg-kicked.
4.42: He followed with two more low kicks.
4.19: Tyson inside leg-kicked, then outside leg-kicked.
4.09: He popped a jab on Hermes’s chin.
4.01: Tyson body-punched.
3.44: He shot off another cracking leg kick.
3.38: Tyson delivered a right hand.
3.24: Tyson body-kicked.
3.18: Hermes threw an overhand right.
3.08: Griffin flung a left hook and a right cross.
2.53: Griffin flung an overhand right.
2.28: They traded and Griffin dispatched a nasty right uppercut.
2.21: He smacked out a leg kick.
2.01: Franca partially caught Griffin’s incoming kick.
1.52: Griffin poked out consecutive jabs to the face.
0.59: He right-hooked.
0.43: Hermes dropped onto his left knee after Tyson tagged him with a left hook.
Tyson closed the round with a series of leg kicks after dominating the first five minutes.

Round Two 
Franca came out more aggressively, slinging fists and leg kicks.
4.44: Griffin jabbed Franca on the chin.
4.31: Franca blazed away before Griffin knocked him down onto his right knee.
4.15: Hermes caught Tyson’s right kick; however Tyson remained standing on his other foot and kept punching like he had both feet firmly planted on the floor.
4.09: Hermes let go of the trapped leg.
3.19: Griffin was back leg-kicking.
2.59: He ripped a left hook into Franca’s body; they kept trading, with Griffin out-batting his opponent.  This was a disciplined Griffin who kept his guard up and continued to mix his combos.
1.55: Tyson dispatched an inside kick and a straight right that dropped Hermes before closing the deal with g’n’p.

Result: Tyson Griffin by KO – 3.26, Round Two.

Josh Koscheck (5’10” 170 lb) vs. Frank Trigg (5’10” 170 lb) 
–Welterweight
Referee: Leon Roberts

Frank stood southpaw and Josh was in orthodox stance.
4.33: Frank dodged a lightning left and right combo from Josh.
4.25: Trigg whipped out a left hand and kept forcing the pace.
4.06: Koscheck trialed a right cross and a right to the body whilst Trigg pushed forward and had Koscheck’s back to the fence.
3.47: Frank missed with a left and Josh missed with a right, then caught Frank with an on-the-button right that put him down.  Josh stood over Frank and dumped blows before Leon Roberts stepped in.
Trigg disputed the stoppage while Koscheck called for the head of Matt Hughes.

Result: Josh Koscheck by TKO – 1.25, Round One.

Paul Daley (5’9” 170 lb) vs. Martin Kampmann (6’0” 170 lb) 
– Welterweight 
Referee: Yves Lavigne

Both men faced off in orthodox stance, and both threw speedballs.
4.32: Paul revealed the dynamite in his fists when he landed a solid left mitt.  They briefly exchanged before separating.
4.25: Paul shrugged off a single-leg takedown, then countered with a heavy left uppercut and a left hook.
4.15: They broadsided again and Daley unleashed more of his strike power.
3.54: Daley followed another uppercut with a body punch.
3.51: They traded and Daley blasted off a left hook.
3.38: The pair clinched, then quickly broke free, choosing to continue the toe-to-toe warfare.
3.05: They were back in the clinch; Martin shoving Paul into the fence as the pair swapped knees.
2.41: Paul slammed a left hook into Martin’s temple, then followed with a ferocious flurry, causing Yves Lavigne to intervene.
This was an extremely impressive Octagon debut from the UK legend.  Daley is definitely one for fans to keep an eye on.  For more on Paul Daley: http://www.knucklepit.com/mixed-martial-arts-paul_daley.htm

Result: Paul Daley by TKO – 2.31, Round One.

Rafael Dos Anjos (5’ 9” 155 lb) vs. Robert Emerson (5’9” 155 lb) 
– Middleweight 
Referee: Kerry Hatley

Round One
Southpaw Rafael and orthodox Robert exchanged jabs and crosses.
4.28: Rafael leg-kicked.
4.10: He shot in for the takedown, Robert sprawled, and the pair tied up.
4.00: They broke free.
3.52: Robert came after Rafael with fists blazing and fired off a high kick.
3.41: Dos Anjos body-kicked as Emerson countered with a straight right.
3.18: Dos Anjos snuck in a leg kick.
2.41: He inside kicked and the duo continued to trade.
2.30: They swapped inside kicks.
1.53: RDA shot in again; however Emerson easily avoided the takedown attempt.
1.06: Emerson warded off another RDA tie-up.
0.50: Dos Anjos shot in once more and eventually tugged Emerson down before the opening round came to a close.

Round Two
4.43: Rafael punished Robert’s left leg with repeated inside kicks whilst Robert had more success with his jabs and solid rights.
3.28: Rafael failed with his shoot.
3.12: Robert caught Rafael with a combo.
2.43: Dos Anjos shot in and Emerson sprawled, causing them to clinch.
2.30: RDA worked hard to drag Emerson down, only to have him spring straight back up.
1.54: Emerson avoided RDA’s next takedown effort and continued to tag him with right crosses, while RDA kept the inside kicks coming.
0.14: They tied up and RDA attacked Emerson’s damaged left leg with knee strikes.

Round Three
Rafael resumed punishing Robert’s tender left leg with inside kicks.
4.35: Robert sprawled away from Rafael’s takedown attempt.
4.27: Rafael succeeded in eventually pulling Robert to the mats.
3.50: Rafael fought from half guard.
3.33: Emerson had Dos Anjos in full guard.  Dos Anjos rained down with g’n’p as Emerson countered with elbows from below.
1.55: Emerson scrambled to his feet after null-and-voiding much of Dos Anjos’s ground warfare.
1.18: The tie-up ended as the toe-to-toe game resumed till the round’s end.

Result: Rafael Dos Anjos by unanimous decision.

Junior Dos Santos (6’ 3” 236 lb) vs. Mirko Cro Cop (6’2” 226 lb) 
– Heavyweight 
Referee: Dan Miragliotta

Round One
4.50: Junior came straight at Mirko and had him pressed into the cage.
4.44: They broke free.
4.41: Mirko body-kicked.
4.07: Junior dodged Mirko’s high kick and worked from his blindside, as Gabriel Gonzaga had done at UFC 70 (http://www.knucklepit.com/ufc70-review.htm).
3.37: Dos Santos drove a left hook into Cro Cop’s body before they clinched, then parted.
3.34: Dos Santos unleashed a salvo of fists that caused Cro Cop to retreat.
3.18: JDS forced Cro Cop into the fence.
2.50: They stood toe-to-toe, with JDS showing no regard for Cro Cop’s Pride reputation.
2.02: Mirko swept Junior to the floor before both men immediately bounced back up.
1.24: Junior stung Mirko with a left hook.  The pair traded up to the bell.

Round Two 
They stalemated until 4.23, when Dos Santos dodged Cro Cop’s loaded high kick.
4.07: Cro Cop leg-kicked, causing Dos Santos to retaliate with a leather salvo.
3.05: Dos Santos continued to press the action and nailed Cro Cop with jabs, uppercuts and rights.
2.34: Mirko was off the mark with a high kick.
1.50: Junior worked under Mirko’s guard by dispatching body shots.
0.50: Mirko fired a kick into the racks and Dan Miragliotta called time out for Junior to recover.
0.21: Junior landed a right and a left hand that opened Mirko up above the left eye.

Round Three
Cro Cop came out aggressively, looking to turn the tide.
4.49: He landed a powerful left hook.
4.03: JDS resumed his body shots, delivering consecutive knees to Cro Cop’s midsection.
3.57: Mirko walked into two more knees.
3.50: Dos Santos was picking Cro Cop apart with hands and knees.
3.03: Cro Cop waved and said he couldn’t see.
This was a replay of the Mirko Cro Cop vs. Mostapha Al-Turk bout at UFC 99 (http://www.knucklepit.com/ufc99-review.htm), only this time Cro Cop was on the receiving end.

Result: Junior Dos Santos by verbal submission – 2.00, Round Three.

Vitor Belfort (6’ 0” 196 lb) vs. Rich Franklin (6’1” 195 lb) 
– Catchweight 
Referee: Yves Lavigne

Bruce Buffer introduces Rich Franklin and Vitor Belfort to the Dallas crowd and Yves Lavigne announces his final instructions before the two warriors touch gloves and prepare for battle.

Both men face off in southpaw stance as Rich takes up post at center ring.
4.41: Vitor fakes a kick and Rich reacts, but remains cool.
4.32: Vitor clips Rich with a leg kick.
4.15: Rich clips Vitor with an inside kick.
3.53: Franklin throws a right hand as Belfort counters with a left leg-kick.
3.43: They swap tentative left hooks.
3.33: Franklin pops out consecutive rights and Belfort answers with a glancing right hook as both men test the water.
3.26: Rich front-kicks with his left leg and Vitor catches the kick before releasing it.
3.10: Rich tags Vitor with a right, then dodges the Brazilian’s right-hand response.
2.51: Belfort tries a front kick whilst they feel each other out with some shadow boxing.
2.06: Suddenly Belfort stands more erect and he appears to be on red alert, like a cobra about to strike.  The body language is that apparent.
2.04: He lets loose with a flurry, but it’s a straight right and a left hook that do the damage before Yves Lavigne waves the match over.

Result: Vitor Belfort by KO – 3.02, Round One.

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