UFC 103 Preview and Predictions
UFC 103 will go down on September 19 live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Former Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin and Brazilian mixed marital artist Vitor Belfort headline a stacked card in what is sure to be an intriguing bout.
Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort
Vitor Belfort returns to the octagon after losing his last two UFC fights to Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz. Belfort should definitely serve as worthy competition to the veteran Franklin but interestingly enough, he has lost almost all of his stepping stone fights with notable losses to Ortiz, Couture, “Ice Man” Chuck Liddell and Dan Henderson. Franklin on the other hand is coming off an impressive unanimous decision over Wanderlei Silva back in June. If he starts to unload, he could score an early stoppage and deliver a crucial blow to Belfort’s underachieved career. Being that Franklin will have to be cautious of Vitor’s power, look for him to play it smart and pull out another win via unanimous decision.
Mirko Filipovic vs. Junior Dos Santos
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic will certainly have his hands full when stepping into the octagon against Junior Dos Santos, a powerful and skilled Brazilian fighter who is on the rise in the heavyweight division. Though forever dangerous, it seems as if Cro Cop has never completely adapted to the UFC, which calls for more polished skills than Pride and other environments. Put your money on Dos Santos bringing the heat early and ending this one in fierce fashion TKO style.
Paul Daley vs. Martin Kampmann
Martin Kampmann spent the last few months training for a probable “Fight of the Night” against Mike Swick. He must now modify his approach as Swick was pulled from the bout due to a concussion and replaced by Paul Daley. Not what we were expecting, but this should still be a good one featuring the classic striker vs. submission style. Daley can put an end to this fight by landing a single powerful blow but don’t expect his opponent to try and slug it out. Our crystal ball sees Kampmann keeping this on the ground and scoring the win by way of submission.
Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg
It has been a rocky road for Josh Koscheck who is 3-3 over his last six fights and coming off the heels of a crushing knockout defeat at the hands of Paulo Thiago. After four years, Trigg is returning to the UFC, riding a hot four fight winning streak in various organizations. Trigg excels the most at wrestling but will be outmatched by Koscheck who also has a nice ground game. Koscheck may not do it in impressive fashion, but a knockout win is in the cards for this once promising fighter who desperately needs a victory.
Tyson Griffin vs. Hermes Franca
Tyson Griffin and Hermes Franca are MMA fighters who are both fun to watch. Ironically, Griffin and Hermes are both coming off wins after decision losses to Sean Sherk. Franca’s aggressive and often unorthodox style has flustered the majority of his opponents in the UFC. With a nice combination of submission and striking, he has the ability to submit his foes or take them out via a few wild but powerful blows. The style that gives him the most trouble is power wrestling, which is exactly what Tyson Griffin brings to the table. Look for Griffin to dictate the pace of the fight and take Hermes out of his comfort zone. If he does this successfully, a unanimous decision win should be in the bag.