In the evening’s co-main event Junior dos Santos battered the legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic through out the first two rounds of the fight. Filipovic looked his best in the first round of the fight, but as the fight wore on dos Santos took over. In the third round, it was more of the same, and eventually dos Santos forced Filipovic verbally submit after landing a combination of knees and punches to his head.

UFC debutant Paul Daley made good on his debut, upsetting UFC veteran Martin Kampmann with a first round TKO. With the TKO loss for Kampann, any title hopes he had coming into the bout have been spoiled. Daley’s victory over Kampmann gives him a strong injection into the UFC’s welterweight division.

In Frank Trigg’s return to the UFC, Josh Koscheck played spoiler and ended his night in the first round with a series of strikes, beginning on the feet, and then finishing him on the ground.

Both bouts on the SpikeTV televised portion of the card ended early. In the first bout Drew McFedries did not look his usual self, and eventually succumbed to a rear naked choke at 1:03 of the second round. In the second of the scheduled SpikeTV bouts, Efrain Escudero ended Cole Miller’s night early, with a first round technical knock out, 3:30 in.

The official results for UFC 103 were:

• Vitor Belfort def. Rich Franklin via KO — 3:02 Round 1
• Junior Dos Santos def. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic via verbal submission (strikes) — 2:00 Round 3
• Paul Daley def. Martin Kampmann via TKO — 2:31 Round 1
• Josh Koscheck def. Frank Trigg via TKO — 1:25 Round 1
• Tyson Griffin def. Hermes Franca via KO — 3:26 Round 2
• Efrain Escudero def. Cole Miller via TKO — 3:36 Round 1
• Tomasz Drwal def. Drew McFedries via submission (rear naked choke) — 1:03 Round 2
• Jim Miller def. Steve Lopez via TKO (shoulder injury) — 0:48 Round 2
• Nick Lentz def. Rafaello Oliveira via unanimous decision — 29-28 (2x), 30-27
• Rick Story def. Brian Foster via submission (arm triangle) — 1:09 Round 2
• Eliot Marshall def. Jason Brilz via split decision — 30-27 (2x), 27-30
• Vladimir Matyushenko def. Igor Pokrajac via unanimous decision — all three judges scored the bout 30-27
• Rafael dos Anjos def. Rob Emerson via unanimous decision — all three judges scored the bout 30-27

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
Vitor Belfort vs. Rich Franklin Prediction:
Belfort def. Rich Franklin via (T)KO — Round 2
I personally will be pulling for Rich Franklin to pick up another victory in this bout, as I’m sure many other fans will be as well. However, Vitor Belfort has been on a role lately and has devastating power in his speedy hands. If Franklin can avoid Belfort’s power, he has a chance at pulling this victory out with a decision, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think Belfort is going to be too quick and too strong for Franklin, and will pull off the TKO in the second round. Franklin will be smart, and careful enough to avoid Belfort’s power for a while, but eventually he will be too slow getting out of the way of Belfort’s hands and will get caught.

Junior Dos Santos vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic Prediction:
Junior dos Santos def. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic via (T)KO — Round 1
Like the last bout, I will likely be pulling for the fighter I see as the underdog, Cro Cop is a legend, and I really want him to do well this time around in the UFC. Cro Cop is a top level striker, and has knocked out some of the best fighters in the world, but in recent years he seems to have lost some of his speed and power. Junior dos Santos is a hungry young fighter, with dynamite in his hands, and impressive speed. Cro Cop’s ability to avoid damage recently has been suspect in m opinion, and I think that dos Santos will overwhelm him early and not let up, putting him down in the first round.

Martin Kampmann vs. Paul Daley Prediction:
Martin Kampmann def. Paul Daley via submission — Round 1
Paul Daley is making his UFC debut filling in for Mike Swick on short notice, though he was already slated to fight on the card. Kampmann is a top level fighter, who boasts heavy hands and a strong ground game. Daley is an outstanding stand up fighter, with knock out power, but Kampmann is no slouch in the striking department. The difference in this fight will likely be Daley’s relative lack of a ground game. I expect Kampmann to take Daley down early and ground and pound his way beyond Daley’s submission defense, and eventually lock in a fight ending submission.

Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg Prediction:
Frank Trigg def. Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision
I think that Trigg and Koscheck are similar fighters, and I think that Trigg’s experience will pay dividends in this fight. Both fighters have good hands, and good wrestling and this fight could take place anywhere. Though both fighters are capable of ending fights, I don’t see it happening in this one, especially since I’m predicting Trigg for the win and his last few have come via decision. I will admit that I’m partly selected with my heart and not my head on this one, I just really like watching Koscheck lose.

Hermes Franca vs. Tyson Griffin Prediction:
Tyson Griffin def. Hermes Franca via unanimous decision
Tyson Griffin is a top level fighter from Sacramento with a strong wrestling base. He has won multiple “Fight of the Night” honors and will definitely be pushing the action against Hermes Franca tonight. Franca has shown a past weakness against strong wrestlers and I expect more of the same here. I believe Griffin will grind out a decision with crisper striking on the feet, and some quality take downs and top control.

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

Erain Escudero vs. Cole Miller Prediction:
Cole Miller def. Efrain Escudero via submission — Round 2
Escudero is a strong wrestler with capable ground and pound, but I think Miller is the more complete fighter and will catch Escudero in the second, possibly set up by rocking him standing.

Tomasz Drwal vs. Drew McFedries Prediction:
Drew McFedries def. Tomasz Drwal via (T)KO — Round 1
This bout will probably be over quick. Both men have won “Knockout of the Night” honors in previous outings, and will likely come out swinging for the fences. In some ways I think the outcome of this fight depends on who connects first, and I think that will be McFedries, who I also believe possesses more power.

PRELIMINARY CARD (Non-Televised)
Predictions:

• Jim Miller def. Steve Lopez via submission — Round 1
• Rafaello Oliveira def. Nick Lentz via split decision
• Rick Story def. Brian Foster via unanimous decision
• Elliot Marshall def. Jason Brilz via submission — Round 2
• Vladimir Matyushenko def. Igor Pokrajac via (T)KO — Round 3
• Rob Emerson def. Rafael dos Anjos via (T)KO — Round 1

KRIS KARKOSKI’s UFC 103 QUICK PREDICTIONS

• Vitor Belfort def. Rich Franklin via (T)KO — Round 2
• Junior Dos Santos def. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic via (T)KO — Round 2
• Martin Kampmann def. Paul Daley via (T)KO — Round 3
• Josh Koscheck def. Frank Trigg via unanimous decision
• Tyson Griffin def. Hermes Franca via unanimous decision
• Cole Miller def. Efrain Escudero via submission — Round 2
• Tomasz Drwal def. Drew McFedries via (T)KO — Round 1
• Jim Miller def. Steve Lopez via unanimous decision
• Rafaello Oliveira def. Nick Lentz via unanimous decision
• Rick Story def. Brian Foster via submission — Round 2
• Jason Brilz def. Eliot Marshall via (T)KO — Round 3
• Vladimir Matyushenko def. Igor Pokrajac via unanimous decision
• Rob Emerson def. Rafael dos Anjos via (T)KO — Round 2

FR702’s UFC 103 PREDICTIONS

• Rich Franklin def. Vitor Belfort via unanimous decision
  I honestly believe that Rich will win this via UD, and stay just a step ahead of Vitor… Belfort isn’t going to run straight out and attack wildly but for some reason I just see Rich being the victor in this bout… Watchout for the left Rich because if you get touched you might go down…
• Junior dos Santos def. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic via (T)KO — round 1
  As much as I personally want to see the Left High Kick ko from Cro Cop, I have to admit that I see dos Santos winning this bout in first via (t)ko.
• Martin Kampmann def. Paul Daley via submission — Round 2
  Paul Daley stepping up and face a very tough guy on short notice, I was seriously looking forward to seeing Swick v Kampmann but hey this will do. No doubt that Daley holds power, and really needs to work on his ground technique I just see Martin overwhelming him with speed and takedowns and Kampmann wins this via submission in round 2. I see this fight being very similar to Kampmann v McFedries.
• Josh Koscheck def. Frank Trigg via unanimous decision
  Welcome back Trigg, for your first fight you have to face a guy that is just as good as you in wrestling someone who has better submission technique than you do and perhaps has faster more powerful hands. Plus you dissed me and Eric at the Loews in Philly, I do however believe that this fight will go to a decision and it will be unanimous for Koscheck.
• Tyson Griffin def. Hermes Franca via unanimous decision
  I see this being a battle of wills and I can’t bring myself to give Franca the win by any means. Sure he hits hard and has great subs but Griffin can take a punch and we all know that he DOES NOT TAP. Franca has his own issues with strong wrestlers, so in this fight I’m going with Griffin via unanimous decision.
• Cole Miller def. Efrain Escudero via unanimous decision
• Drew McFedries def. Tomasz Drawl via unanimous decision
• Jim Miller def. Steve Lopez via (T)KO — round 2
• Rafaello Oliveira def. Nick Lentz via submission — Round 2
• Brian Foster def. Rick Story via unanimous decision
• Elliot Marshall def. Jason Brilz via submission — Round 2
• Vladimir Matyushenko def. Igo Pokrajac via (T)KO — Round 2
• Rafael dos Anjos def. Rob Emerson via unanimous decision

Spike TV-televised combatant Efrain Escudero failed to make weight on his first attempt, weighing in at 157 pounds, one pound over the the non-title lightweight limit of 156. He, like Belfort, was given time to shed the extra weight and did so, weighing in at 156 pounds on a subsequent attempt.

The rest of the fighters on the 13-bout card, including main card fighters Josh Koscheck and Frank Trigg, successfully made weight on their first attempts for the Spike and pay-per-view televised event.

The official weigh-in results for UFC 103 were:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

• Vitor Belfort (196) vs. Rich Franklin (195)
• Junior Dos Santos (236) vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (226)
• Martin Kampmann (169.5) vs. Paul Daley (170)
• Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Frank Trigg (170.25)
• Hermes Franca (159) vs. Tyson Griffin (155.5)^

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

• Efrain Escudero (156) vs. Cole Miller (155)
• Tomasz Drwal (185) vs. Drew McFedries (185.25)

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Steve Lopez (154.5) vs. Jim Miller (154.5)
• Nick Lentz (155) vs. Rafaello Oliveira (155.25)
• Brian Foster (170.75) vs. Rick Story (170)
• Jason Brilz (205.25) vs. Elliot Marshall (204.75)
• Vladimir Matyushenko (205) vs. Igor Pokrajac (203)
• Rafael dos Anjos (155.5) vs. Rob Emerson (155.5)

*Belfort and Escudero each weighed-in over the limit for their bouts and have been given additional time to lose the additional weight.
^ These fighters agreed prior to the weigh-ins to meet at a catchweight of 159 pounds.

Stop back tomorrow for live UFC 103 coverage, as well as MMAFrenzy.com’s fight night recap and post-event news.

Click here for more UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort Coverage.

Spike TV announced on Friday that it will air Efrain Escudero vs. Cole Miller and Drew McFedries vs. Tomasz Drwal from the UFC 103 undercard during a live, one-hour, commercial-free broadcast beginning at 9pm ET on September 19 leading up to the UFC 103 pay-per-view.

Pictured: Anderson Silva

After having his 13-fight win streak that spanned more than 3 years ended by Thiago Silva in his Octagon debut in September 2007, Drwal (16-2, 2-1 UFC) rebounded to earn back-to-back knockout wins over Ivan Serati and Mike Ciesnolevicz in 2009.

Regarded for his knockout power, McFedries (8-5, 4-4 UFC) had lost two-straight fights to Mike Massenzio and Thales Leites before knocking out Xavier Foupa-Pokam in just 37-seconds in his most-recent fight in May. He had previously defeated Marvin Eastman, Jordan Radev, and Alessio Sakara in the UFC, while suffering losses to Martin Kampmann and Patrick Cote.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Junior dos Santos is expected to co-headline UFC 103 alongside a main event featuring Rich Franklin against an opponent to-be-announced. Mike Swick vs. Martin Kampmann, Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg, Sean Sherk vs. Gleison Tibau, and Efrain Escudero vs. Cole Miller are also rumored for the card.

For the latest UFC rumors check out the MMAFrenzy.com MMA rumors section.

[Pictured: Drew McFedries]

According to NSAC executive director Keith Kizer, fighters Diego Sanchez, Clay Guida, DaMarques Johnson, James Wilks, Ross Pearson, Andre Winner, Chris Lytle, Joe Stevenson, Brad Blackburn, Nick Osipczak, Melvin Guillard, and Tomasz Drwal tested negative at the Spike-televised event, which took place at The Pearl in Las Vegas.

For more TUF 9 Finale coverage click here.

[Pictured: TUF 9 lightweight winner Ross Pearson]

Sanchez earned $90,000 for his main event win over Clay Guida ($23,000), while Stevenson received $70,000 by topping Nate Diaz ($20,000) in the first bout of the Spike-televised main card. The total disclosed payroll for the event (excluding fight night bonuses) was $430,000.

The event took place at The Pearl in Las Vegas and drew a sell-out attendance of 1,800 for a live gate of $500,000.

The official salaries for The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale, as reported to the NSAC, were:

• Diego Sanchez ($90,000 – includes $45,000 win bonus)* def. Clay Guida ($23,000)*
• James Wilks ($16,000 – includes $8,000 win bonus) def. DaMarques Johnson ($8,000)
• Chris Lytle ($36,000 – includes $18,000 win bonus)* def. Kevin Burns ($9,000)*
• Ross Pearson ($16,000) def. Andre Winner ($8,000)
• Joe Stevenson ($70,000 – includes $35,000 win bonus)* def. Nate Diaz ($20,000)*
• Melvin Guillard ($24,000) – includes $12,000 win bonus) def. Gleison Tibau ($17,000)
• Brad Blackburn ($18,000 – includes $9,000 win bonus) def. Edgar Garcia ($5,000)
• Tomasz Drwal ($15,600 – includes $7,000 win bonus)*^ def. Mike Ciesnoleviscz ($6,400)^
• Nick Osipczak ($16,000 – includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Frank Lester ($8,000)
• Jason Dent ($16,000 – includes $8,000 win bonus)* def. Cameron Dollar ($8,000)

* Salaries do not include fight night bonuses.
^ The salaries of Drwal and Ciesnoleviscz have been adjusted for the 20% ($1,600) Ciesnoleviscz paid Drwal for failing to make weight.

[Pictured: Diego Sanchez]

Sanchez edged Guida by split decision in the evening’s main event following a standup war that saw Sanchez nearly finish Guida early in the opening frame only to have The Carpenter fight his way back into the fight with ground and pound in the second and third rounds. Ultimately it was Sanchez’s multiple near finishes and cut-opening elbows from his back that earned him split decision victory.

Lytle and Burns also engaged in a standup brawl that saw Burns rock Lytle late in round one only to have Lytle survive to open up a deep gash that sent blood streaming early in the third. The cut may have been the deciding factor in the bout as Lytle was awarded the unanimous decision win.

Stevenson put his recent training with Greg Jackson on full display in a technical tussle with Diaz, as “Daddy” battered Diaz on the feet and was constantly applying pressure on the ground en route to unanimous decision victory.

All six “Fight of the Night” winners, along with Jason Dent who earned “Submission of the Night” and Tomasz Drwal who was awarded “Knockout of the Night”, received $25,000 bonuses.

Click here to read MMAFrenzy.com’s TUF 9 Finale recap and official results.

[Pictured: Joe Stevenson]

The fight opened with a flurry and rarely slowed, as Sanchez battered Guida in the opening seconds with a flurry of punches and knees that appeared as though they could end the fight. The iron-chinned Guida survived the early onslaught to deliver punishment of his own in rounds two and three, but it was Sanchez’s dominant opening frame, head kick knockdown, and cut-opening elbows from the bottom that were enough to earn him the win and put him in contention for a lightweight title shot.

The rest of the card failed to disappoint either as Chris Lytle and Kevin Burns traded blows in a bout that deserved Fight of the Night before being upstaged by Sanchez and Guida, Joe Stevenson looked impressive in topping Nate Diaz by unanimous decision in a technical battle, and welterweight James Wilks and lightweight Ross Pearson were crowned The Ultimate Fighter 9 champions with victories on the Spike-televised main card.

After three quick stoppage victories by Jason Dent, Nick Osipczak, and Tomasz Drwal to start the event, the prelimiary card was marred by a duo of controversial decisions as Brad Blackburn edged Edgar Garcia and Melvia Guillard topped Gleison Tibau.

The event’s official results were:

• Diego Sanchez def. Clay Guida via split decision (28-29, 29-27, 29-28)
• James Wilks def. DaMarques Johnson via submission (rear naked choke) — Round 1, 4:54
  TUF 9 Welterweight Final
• Chris Lytle def. Kevin Burns via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Ross Pearson def. Andre Winner via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  TUF 9 Lightweight Final
• Joe Stevenson def. Nate Diaz via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Melvin Guillard def. Gleison Tibau via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Brad Blackburn def. Edgar Garcia via split decision (29-28, 28-28, 29-28)
• Tomasz Drwal def. Mike Ciesnolevicz via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:48
• Nick Osipczak def. Frank Lester via submission (rear naked choke) — Round 1, 3:40
• Jason Dent def. Cameron Dollar via submission (anaconda choke) — Round 1, 4:46

[Pictured: Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida]

The event takes place on Saturday at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, the same venue which hosted today’s weigh-ins, and airs live on Spike TV beginning at 9pm ET.

Light heavyweight Mike Ciesnolevicz was the lone fighter who failed to make weight, weighing in at 208 pounds for his light heavyweight contest against Tomasz Drwal, who agreed to the higher weight in exchange for 20-percent of Ciesnoloevicz’ show money.

The official weigh-in results for The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale were:

MAIN CARD (Spike TV – 9pm ET)

• 155: Clay Guida (155) vs. Diego Sanchez (156)
• 170: DaMarques Johnson (170) vs. James Wilks (171)
  TUF 9 Welterweight Final
• 170: Kevin Burns (171) vs. Chris Lytle (170)
• 155: Ross Pearson (156) vs. Andre Winner (155)
  TUF 9 Lightweight Final
• 155: Nate Diaz (156) vs. Joe Stevenson (155)

PRELIMINARY CARD

• 155: Melvin Guillard (155) vs. Gleison Tibau (155)
• 170: Brad Blackburn (170) vs. Edgar Garcia (171)
• 205: Mike Ciesnolevicz (208)* vs. Tomasz Drwal (205)
• 170: Frank Lester (170) vs. Nick Osipczak (170)
• 155: Jason Dent (155) vs. Cameron Dollar (154)

* Ciesnolevicz weighed in over the light heavyweight limit, but Drwal agreed to fight him at 208 pounds. Ciesnolevicz will be penalized 20% of his show money, which will go to Drwal.

[Pictured: Diego Sanchez]