Franklin-Henderson, St. Pierre-Fitch On The Horizon
Both Rich Franklin and George St. Pierre need only time to recover from their UFC 83 bouts before facing their next challenge, according to Dave Meltzer’s latest article from Yahoo! Sports:
“New welterweight champion St. Pierre was offered a title defense with Jon Fitch, but felt his hands were damaged in his win over Matt Serra in Montreal and he couldn’t be ready in such a short period of time. Franklin, who also fought in Montreal, was offered a match with Dan Henderson, but felt after such a hard training camp that he wouldn’t be able to peak again so soon. Both fights are expected to take place later this year.â€
The article also highlights how Matt Hughes came into the picture to face Thiago Alves at UFC 85, and shared Hughes’ strategy for attacking the 24-year-old up and comer:
“Last Tuesday I was at practice and I did the whole practice, I didn’t just coach,†said Hughes…When my boys ran sprints, I ran sprints, and everything I taught them, I did as well. So from there I kinda got the itch too where I said, ‘Hey, I’m not in bad shape,’ and my plan was to start getting ready to return. Then Dana (UFC President Dana White) called and I didn’t hesitate to take the fight.
Thiago is coming off a big win against Karo Parisyan, so honestly, I’ll probably look to take him down, try to wear him out and get him a little slower because he’s got such quick punches, knees and kicks,†said Hughes, a two-time welterweight champion whose hopes for a title shot appear slim after St. Pierre thoroughly dominated him. “I think strength will come into play, me being bigger than he is, but I’m glad to fight Thiagoâ€
Additionally, Meltzer was able to shed a little bit of light on Chuck Liddell’s revised situation:
“Liddell, meanwhile, hopes to be back for a show in September. His likely opponents would either be Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, who he was originally scheduled to face in London before Rua had surgery for a torn ACL, or more likely whoever wins the May 24 match between Wanderlei Silva and Keith Jardine.â€
Not exactly earth shattering news about Liddell though personally I’m hoping Rua can recover and get back into fighting shape to meet “The Iceman” in September.
Tags: Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Georges St. Pierre, Jon Fitch, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Rich Franklin
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WOW!!! This should be pretty huge.I can’t wait for this one.These four match ups should be great to watch.
I hope Chuck faces Rua! These are all going to be sick fights! Hughes is right he needs to take that fight to the ground.
i have GSP beating fitch… not as easy as people think but definitley taking this fight… and then idk about franklin n henderson…if i had to pick i would pick henderson…no way he loses 3 in a row
I agree no way Henderson losses 3 in a row.
y do we have to watch chuck fight the winner of silva vs. jardine? he dominated silva and GOT dominated by jardine. y not have hime face either the winner or irvin vs. evans or have him face machida (all this assuming he still doesn’t get to face rua)?
I think Hendo will be too much for Franklin, but he won’t stop him. Maybe Hendo by split decision. I thing GSP will overwhelm Fitch. Fitch has good, not great hands and GSP has better MMA “wrestling” than Fitch and subs as well. GSP by tapout or unanamous decision.
mmafight.ca
AS FAR AS GSP AND FITCH YOU GOT TO BE JOKING ME. GSP IS GOING TO DOMINATE.THE FRANKLIN VS HENDERSON IS GOING TO BE A BIT CLOSER,BUT I SAY RICH COMES OUT ON TOP.BUT DONT TAKE MY WORD. ANDERSON SILVA ALREADY SAID THAT HENDERSON IS NO RICH FRANKLIN.AND IF ANYONE KNOWS HE DOES.ITS ABOUT TIME TO SEPERATE THE UFC FROM THE WEAKER PRIDE FIGHTERS.AND WHEN RICH FINISHES HIM OFF IT WILL BE OFFICIAL. THERE BEST MID WEIGHT FIGHTER LOOSING TO OUR 2ND BEST.CANT BE ANY BETTER PROOF THAN THAT.
i am not too excited to see chuck and silva its too soon for the ufc to really promote that fight since he just beat him. however i believe a jardine liddel fight would be awesome to avenge that ko not avengeing a dec. but hey who am I. i know these guys go through a lot in their camps and it takes them awhile to recover but i am waiting for jon fitch to get his shot. the only thing is he has his hands full and i am not sire he has it to take gsp. also a franklin hendo fight would be alright i good watch that
I feel kinda bad for Hendo. His fights in the UFC are not quite easy. Dan will be the underdog in this matchup and will probably lose. Everyone needs to be thrown a bone to get the confidence back…..it also plays forth for a possible upset, so either way its good. Let him fight Bisping….I would rather see that then Leben. Bisping couldnt get anymore bones thrown his way….and Hendo fights Rampage, Silva, and now Franklin?? Wow….
HEAVY WEIGHT BOUTS
ANDRE ARLOVSKI VS ANTONIO NOGUIRA
BROCK LESNER VS CHEACK CONGO
HEATH HERRING VS ANTONI HARDONK
FRANK MIR VS BRANDON VERA
RANDY COUTURE VS FADOR EMELINANKO
LIGHT HEAVY WEIGHT BOUTS
MATT HAMILL VS RASHAD EVENS
MORICIO RUA VS HOUSTON ALEXANDER
STEFFEN BONNOR VS KEATH JARDINE
JAMES IRVIN VS THIAGO SILVA
MIDDLE WEIGHT BOUTS
YUSHIN OKAMI VS MICHEAL BISPING
RICH FRANKLIN VS DAN HENDERSON
ALESSIO SAKARA VS JORGE RIVERA
CHRIS LEBEN VS PATRICK COTE
NATE QUARRY VS MIKE SWICK
MARCUS DAVIS VS JOSH BERKMAN
WELTER WEIGHT BOUTS
JOSH KOSCHECK VS JON FITCH
DIEGO SANCHEZ VS THIAGO ALVES
ANTHONY JOHNSON MELVIN GUILLARD
KARO PERISIAN VS ED HERMAN
JON KOPPEHAVER VS
MATT HUGHES VS MATT SERRA
LIGHT WEIGHT BOUTS
CLAY GUIDA VS GRAY MAYNARD
MAC DANZIG VS TYSON GRIFFON
HERMES FRANCA VS ROGER HUERTA
MANNY GAMBURIAN VS KURT PELLIGRINO
COREY HILL VS JOE LOUZON
NATE DIAZ VS MARCUS ARILIO
JOE STEVENSON VS SEAN SHERK IF HE LOSES TITTLE
KENNY FLORIAN VS PJ PENN IF HE WINS THE TITTLE
I hope big B (itch) didn’t spend too much time making those retarded fights up. Mos tof them would be 1 sided and suck, but good try. Go back to world of warcraft
**** you whiteboy you dont know **** i pretty much named every big name fighter in the ufc half of these fights could be set up by the end of this year so for you to call these fights retarded just tells me you dont know what the **** your talking about i only want to hear from real ufc fans so keep you dumbass comments to your self and just wait 30 minutes whiteboy TNA wrestling will be on after UFC unleashed
Those were some real dumb matchups.
marcus davis is a welterweight. War machine is a lightweight. Do your homework.
Henderson will beat Franklin! This idea that the Pride Fighters have been proved to be weaker than UFC fighters is utter garbage.
Pride FC was set up in a totally different way to the UFC – with different weight classes, different emphasis on Titles/contenders, different arena(ring not cage… i am sick out the comparisons…
That fact is Randy Couture (As great as he is) would have struggled with the transition – because lots of his cage tactics would have been useless in a ring – I think a lot of Pride fighters will adjsust and prove themselves in time…
Not to mention fights were arranged on far shorter notice in Pride – no 3 month training camps for each fight…
Back to Franklin v Henderson – I like Rich, but look at who Henderson has fought (and beat) over the years – Wandi,Renzo Gracie,Nog,Bustamte etc…
Franklin has not had that level of competition at the UFC (until Anderson Silva that is)
Hendo will man handle Rich and pound him out!
Bro375,
“THE FRANKLIN VS HENDERSON IS GOING TO BE A BIT CLOSER,BUT I SAY RICH COMES OUT ON TOP.BUT DONT TAKE MY WORD. ANDERSON SILVA ALREADY SAID THAT HENDERSON IS NO RICH FRANKLIN.AND IF ANYONE KNOWS HE DOES.ITS ABOUT TIME TO SEPERATE THE UFC FROM THE WEAKER PRIDE FIGHTERS.AND WHEN RICH FINISHES HIM OFF IT WILL BE OFFICIAL. THERE BEST MID WEIGHT FIGHTER LOOSING TO OUR 2ND BEST.CANT BE ANY BETTER PROOF THAN THAT.”
You need to do some research before you make stupid statements. Anderson Silva fought in Pride way before he ever stepped foot inside the octagon. Don’t get me wrong, the UFC is my favorite organization but don’t bash PrideFC. The level of fighting there was just as good as in the UFC. You do realize that the UFC pretty much gets all of it’s fighters from other organizations right?
dan p and joe yall make no sence its like yall say this stuff just to have a comment out here yall really dont know a ****ing thing henderson lost his two last fights and your still a jock rider dont get me wrong i like pride but most of their big stars just beat up asians it makes me sick to see them test these pride fighters who have lost over and over trying to get them a win noguira was gitting pounded when he fought silvia and the crazy horse herring was a crapy fight between him and congo and if i have to hear about the lucky punch that rampage caught chuck with im gonna throwup dont comment on my **** anymore you dudes are to p u s s y
LORD MARK YOU GOT ME ****ED UP. IF PRIDE IS SO EQUAL TO THE UFC, THEN WHY DO WE TAKE ALL THERE BEST FIGHTERS AND GIVE THEM ALL OUR LOOSERS.OF COURSE SILVA WAS A PRIDE FIGHTER BUT HE NEVER WAS AS DOMINATE AS HE IS NOW.AND HE IS ONE OF THE FEW EXEPTIONS THAT COULD SWITCH OVER AND NOT GET WIPPED.(KROCOP,HENDERSON,WANDERLEI SILVA,RUA,AND SOON TO BE RAMPAGE)AND THE FACT THAT YOU TRY AND COMPARE THAT OLD STYLE ROPE RING TO THE CAGE OF TODAY SHOWS YOUR TRUE IN FIGHT KNOWLEDGE.THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO FIGHT IN A RING ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT WANT TO RUN FROM A FIGHT.IN THE CAGE THERE IS NO GETTING AWAY,NO OUT OF THE RING STOPPAGES,AND NOT AS MANY BULL**** FIGHTS. YOU MIGHT WANT TO TEST YOUR OWN FANHOOD BEFORE YOU GO AROUND CHALLENGING OTHERS. GAY LORD MARK!!
hey bro357,
just to let you know that Pride does not exist anymore that is why UFC is getting all their best fighters. but i do agree cause the only pride fighters that actually are doin good in UFC are silva, and rampage.
But seriously GSP is gonna crush Fitch, fitch is good but his transitions are weak and the thing that is funny how fitch said GSP is afraid to get hit now. but fitch should be thinking “how do i prevent this guy from taking me down and beating me at my own game?” cause that is what is gonna happen
Fitch is good but not even close to the same league as gsp, but then again who is? Hes beat evrybody that is anybody in that weight.
Gsp and Fitch sounds to me like a recipe for a really interesting fight!!! GSP has such a great up-down game and fitch is a really good wrestler and wirely so to me this makes for an interesting match up. Still think that GSP will be too much for Fitch he just has sooo many tools and hes focused!!!!!