JOHNBRODIGAN(dot)COM » ufc93

Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson? Meh

Brodigan — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:33:15 +0000

With Dan Henderson’s split-decision victory over Rich Franklin, he’s now set to coach opposite Michael Bisping in the upcoming “Ultimate Fighters: USA vs. UK.” As is customary, the two coaches fight when the season is done and Henderson will be dropping back down to 185 for the fight with Bisping.

As I’ve been saying, I’m extremely underwhelmed by all of it. I hate the “USA vs. UK” idea, and while I like though of Bisping vs. middleweight champion Anderson Silva, a Henderson/Silva rematch (if Henderson defeat Bisping) isn’t really one I imagine any MMA fan is interested in. It also don’t make a lick of sense when the UFC just had Hendo move up to 205.

If anything, I think Franklin came out of UFC93 the real winner. It was a close split decision that some are calling controversial, so it won’t effect his standings all that much. Plus he can keep developing in the 205 division (Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva would be interesting), while Henderson will be stuck in limbo for most of the year.

If it were me, I’d set the Bisping/Henderson fight at a 195 catch weight, with the winner getting a title shot in his respective division. Both fighters have fought at both 185 and 205, so 195 shouldn’t be that hard. Plus if Hendo beats Bisping, he’ll be 3-0 which makes him has much as a #1 contender in the uber-talented light heavyweight division as anyone else.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, as they say.

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Shogun Rua’s UFC Debut, Take Two

Brodigan — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:16:37 +0000

Shogun Rua was considered by many to be the best light-heavyweight in the world, so it shocked a lot of people when his UFC debut ended with him tapping out to Forest Griffin. To add injury to insult, he had to pull out of a 2008 fight against Chuck Liddell because of a ruptured ACL.

Hopefully the third times a charm for Rua, as he’s set to fight UFC hall of famer Mark Coleman this Saturday at UFC93. Not that he’s looking past this 2006 rematch, but he’s still looking ahead to other things in the UFC:

“I think the goal of every fighter is to become champion. To be the best at what you do and to be the best right now, you have to be the UFC champion. The UFC is running great shows and to become the champion would be a great feeling but I have to take things step by step and right now all I’m thinking about is Mark Coleman.”

I’m curious to see how the Rua/Coleman fight turns out, particularly for Rua. PRIDE fighters don’t have the best track record in the UFC (see: Cro Cop, Mirko), and his debut against Forest was less than impressive. You wouldn’t expect the “top light-heavyweight in the world” to gas as easily and as early as he did.

A dominant performance against Coleman would set Shogun up against any of the other top light-heavyweights in the UFC. A less than dominant performance, or even a loss…it wouldn’t surprise me to see Dana White wishing him well in his future endeavors.

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UFC93: Rich Franklin at the Crossroads

Brodigan — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 13:29:58 +0000

Rich Franklin is at a curious point in his career. He was the most dominate middleweight in the UFC, until he ran into some cat named Anderson Silva…twice. Now he’s giving light-heavyweight another shot and after a victory over Matt Hammil, will be facing Dan Henderson (another former middleweight and former champion) a week from today at UFC93.

He did an interview recently with Five Ounces of Pain to discuss where he sees the rest of his career headed:

“I remember before I ever had the title that it was the most important thing to me,” explained Franklin. “I wanted the title and I wanted to be the champion. Now that I have been a champion I want to be a champion again. As far as my fighting career goes, nothing would please me more than becoming a champion again.”

“On the flip side of that, if I was never a champion again I don’t think that I would be one of those guys that go into a severe depression or become an alcoholic for the rest of my life.”

Unlike some of the other top stars of a few years ago who have seen better days as of late (Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, Wanderlei Silva), Franklin still looks as good as he ever has. When you only have three losses in an eight year career – and two of them are against Anderson Silva – you’re still at the top of his game. And without their being one single dominate fighter in the 205 division, it’s a great place for him to be.

If/when he gets back Henderson, I’d have him avenge that the third loss against the undefeated Lyoto Machida. If he’s coming off of wins over Hendo and Hammil and hands Machida his first loss, that would easily put him in line for a title shot.

And Rich Franklin vs. any of the fighters who might have the title at that point would be a great fight.

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Predictions: UFC 93 Franklin vs. Henderson

Brodigan — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:44:20 +0000

UFC 93: Franklin vs. Henderson returns to the motherland, IRELAND, on January 17. You wanted the picks? You’re getting the picks…

In the main event, I like Rich Franklin over Dan Henderson…though I can see it going to a decision. Hendo really hasn’t impressed me in the UFC so far, and Franklin always seems to have the fire in his eye.

Give me Shogun Rua over Mark Coleman. Simply, Rua’s got more to prove since his UFC debut loss to Forest griffin. Coleman I only think came out of retirement to fight Brock Lesnar before getting injured.

The match I’m most looking forward to is between “the Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (though they might call him the “Celtic Warrior”) vs. Chris Lytle. God willing, this fight is going to be a war than in the end I see Davis pulling off the victory.

For the remaining two fights I’ll take Denis Kang over Alan Belcher (just cause Kang is supposed to be good or something) and Rousimar Palhares over Jeremy Horn (just because he has a cooler name).

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Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson: Who will coach TUF9?

Brodigan — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:05:34 +0000

It was rumoured and then not rumoured, and now it’s official-ish that the winner of the upcoming Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson fight will be the second coach opposite Michael Bisping for the next season of “Ultimate Fighter.” Neither Franklin nor Henderson are said to be all that crazy aboot the idea, but Dana White has said, “so it is written, so it will come to pass.”

I’ll be honest, I’m under whelmed. The idea is that the two coaches would fight after the shows wraps, with the winner receiving a title shot against Anderson Silva. Here’s the rub: Henderson has already lost to Silva, and Franklin lost to him twice. Fans aren’t exactly clamoring for a rematch…especially considering Anderson beat the crap out of them the first three times.

The other thing is that both Franklin and Henderson recently went up to 205, and are even fighting at 205 at UFC 93. To drop down a weight class for a show they don’t want to be one and a fight no one really wants to see…it kinda doesn’t make a lick of sense.

UFC 93 Televised Card

Brodigan — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:31:59 +0000

The UFC makes its Dublin debut on January 17th, and we now know what fights made the televised portion of the card. Besides main event Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin and co-main event Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, we can now expect to see Alan Belcher vs. Denis Kang, Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle (should be a great match), Jeremy Horn vs. Rousimar Palhares.

My assumption is that this will be a free on Spike TV card. Besides being a lackluster card, it’s sandwiched between two PPV’s on December 27th and January 31st.

Franklin vs. Henderson will be at 205, though apparently neither man is interested in being the second coach for the next season of “Ultimate Fighter.” We know Michael Bisping will be one coach. The second, if now Franklin or Hendo… Demian Maia? Nate Marquardt? Thales Leites? Meh.