UFC 115 - Liddell vs. Franklin

This Saturday night, live on PPV from Vancouver, BC, Canada. Two fights free and live on Spike to lead into the ppv.


PPV Card:
Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
Mirko CroCop vs. Pat Barry
Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald

Free Spike Prelims:
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman

Undercard:
David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

Once again IMO, we have not the most scintillating card in UFC history, but still some decent matchups. Here we go:

Liddell VS. Franklin - was supposed to be Liddell vs. Tito, but to me this is a much better offering....something at least that we haven't seen before. I wish this fight was taking place about 3 years ago, but will take what I can get. Liddell is never in a boring fight and he and Franklin will likely stand and bang. Whoever can land the first shot will get the W. And I have a feeling that is gonna be Chuck.

CroCop vs. Barry - Very interesting. Two strikers who LOVE to unleash kicks from hell. Something tells me that one of these strikers is gonna turn the tables and take the other down. If it stays on the feet, should be quite interesting. Let's hope it does. CroCop says he is excited for a standup war!

Thiago vs. Kampmann - one of my favorite matchups on this card. Two guys who are rather even on the WW ladder. Both quite accomplished at striking, both good on the ground, although I'd give Thiago the edge groundwise. I had been quite a fan of Kampmann when he was blowing through MW competition, but after dropping to WW, he just hasn't performed. Would love to see him get back to his older self. Thiago is one of those really quiet, technical guys that just performs and executes well. Should be a good fight. Hopefully with an end, haha.

Rothwell vs, Yvel - Well, this one won't be a sleeper, nor will it be a decision. I'd almost guarantee. Both big guys who like to throw leather. There should be a KO/TKO ending to this one, and I am leaning towards Yvel for the sake of aggression. Could go either way though. Rothwell has good power, just not as much athleticism IMO.

Condit vs. MacDonald - This is my co-favorite matchup on this card Condit, solid, tough as nails, but been away for a while with some small nagging injuries. MacDonald, up and coming, undefeated awesome prospect (much like Hathaway a couple weeks ago). This will be a great fight. Both very very well rounded. Can't wait!

Spike Prelims:

Griffin vs. Dunham - This is my other co-favorite matchup. Remember a few months back I called Dunham upsetting Escudero (pats self on back). I love watching guys like Dunham fight. Amazing heart, solid technique, and all around skills, all without really looking like a fighter haha.. i don't know if he has the game to take Tyson out, but he will sure as hell make a fight out of it. Tyson as we all know is easily a top 10 LW in the UFC, and possibly one or two good wins from a shot at the belt. This is the perfect free prelim IMO. Again, can't wait!

Danzig vs. Wiman - This may be a loser leaves town match. Both have had some success, but both have lost more recently than win. Should be a good scrap, both are evenly matched, well rounded and have heart. Neither will want to leave the UFC. I predict a Danzig victory somehow.

Enjoy.

How can you go against Handsome Matt Wiman...He's OMA's homeboy!

LOL

CroCop vs Barry is gonna be bangin!

This actually could end up being a barn burner. My only problem is this is getting really expensive. I have laid out around $100 bones in the past 6 weeks and I am starting to get a little annoyed that it cost so much.

I do want to see a Franklin Lidell fight think it would be great...but i am not sure I want to fork out another 50 bucks. I guess I will try and hunt down some friends and see if we can have a little party. Easier said then done though.

David great pre card talk though as usual

I agree on the money thing. The last few fights I watched online cause I just didn't want to shell out the cash. Since UFC 102 I think the cards have ended up pretty weak with a few exceptions. I think the current champions are so complete that they just don't stand and bang anymore and it just is a little boring. I enjoy the technical level so it's not boring to me, but a whole night worth of that is dull.

I want to see this fight, but I really think Rich will play it smart and get chuck to the cage and work on him there. He is not really going to get him on the ground and nobody but rampage will stay and bang with him.

I will say every time the card looks weak, it tends to be better than the exciting cards.

I was thinking it is getting expensive too, and the fights haven't been good enough to justify the cost. Saying that I am still going to end up buying the card. Fifty bucks for a night of entertainment is much cheaper then if we went out to dinner and a movie. Plus we usually have at least five or six people come over. Hopefully this is the card where there will be some good sleeper fights on it. Out of everyone on the main card I want to see Pat Berry fight. Later, Mike

I'm loving Rory McDonald in this fight. This kid is a real up and comer.

Jeff, I agree completely about Rory. Having said that, Condit is just one of those guys you can never count out. Love both guys and don't want either to lose. Can't wait!

And breaking news out of the WEC....Uriah Faber will DROP to 135 and fight Takeya Mizugaki next!!

Along with that if Faber gets through Takeya and Torres wins his fight, the next will be Faber vs torres.

Also in the news yesterday - Dana white pretty much changing his position with Anderson Sylva. Now he is saying if he performs (not dances around) Sonnen, than he will be given a top 3-5er at 205 division. HUGE Ramifications if this happens. I am sure with only 2 fights left on his contract Dana is doing whatever he can to entice Anderson to stick around.

Also - Frank Mir to Light Heavyweight? He would be a massive man for that division and really pose a threat if he was lighter. he was was very fast against Nogiera and even quick against Kongo. I think the additional bulk slowed him way down, not that it mattered against Carwin. It would be very interesting that's for sure.

There we go...Anderson Silva vs. Frank Mir.

My prediction (not that anyone asked for it) - Franklin destroys Liddel

Dana is pretty weak when it comes to his word. He always makes some harsh stand and then backs off on it. Typical. I though Mir was packing on weight to be HW contender.....seems like a big drop to 205 for him. I am done with Anderson Silva.....period.....

Anderson Silvia next fights on my birthday. I want nothing more for my birthday then Sonnen to put a good old ass whooping on Silvia. I know it is not going to happen but it would make my day if it did.
Phatboy I will put some money on Chuck if you are down.

I think I am going to buy the UFC belt. Just so I can rock it around the house when I play poker.

I was looking at the UFC action figures at Target today....

That belt would look really cool while wakeboarding IMO.

Mike - we are on. You let me know how much you want to lose.

Phatboy we will put 20 on it that way I can buy you some drinks at BUMP! If you get bored you should cruise up we are BBQ ribs and I am getting an outdoor ping pong table too. We might even wakeboard!!!!!

DTW The belt is 5.5 pounds so it would probably weigh me down when I was riding. But I go to a monthly poker tournament at a local casino and I was thinking or wearing there. Hell, I will probably just wear it everywhere my birthday weekend.

Helium or JetPilot should make a vest that looks like the UFC belt on the bottom haha

NO WAIT...better idea....the SWOCK non CGA vest!!! I would buy one of those in a heartbeat!! Flesh color with Lesnar's tattoo on the front!!!

Deal. And I will be stopping by for sure....hopefully without having to jack your internet connection again....lol I want to come watch you guys ride and maybe get a pull behind that X2

Get'em Chuck!!!!!!

WOW...Dunham, very very impressive domination of Tyson Griffin! Don't quite understand how a judge gave two rounds of that fight to Tyson though. Rough hour for the refs and judges there on Spike.

Dave Im not watching give us the play by plays?

oh, Well Danzig got screwed by the ref stopping the fight thinking he was asleep, but he wasnt, so Wiman by "choke"

Dunham pretty well dominated Griffin, which really surprised me. Dunham will be getting much tougher competition again. he's for real.

MacDonald was beating Condit to a decision, but he seemed to hit a cardio wall. Condit was able to finish him with strikes on the ground & the ref stopped it with like 7 seconds left in the fight.

Rothwell & yvel went at it like a couple lightweights for the first round, then they leaned on each other pretty much the rest of the way. Good fight and decision for Rothwell.

Kampmann & Thiago was decent, a bit anti-climactic, but decent. Nice ground chess type match overall. Kampmann by UD.

LOL...CroCop submits Barry. hahahahaha

Bye bye Iceman.

Franklin by brutal KO. And his other arm is broken haha.

hahaha.

What happened in the Lidell fight? Man Chuck is done!!!!!!!!!!

He was actually looking pretty good. Broke Franklin's left arm with a kick. But Chuck's chin is gone. Franklin hit him with a hard right (not even his power hand) and floored him. Bad. Look at Chuck's face!

Chuck was doing real good tell the last 10 seconds when he left his face open and franklin came a knockn' on it!

Actually looked like Chuck had a chance to win it and you know the score cards had Chuck winning the first round, well untill he got KO'd

I'm still kind of shocked by that fight. Both Franklin and Chuck looked great. Chuck looked cut, in great shape.. best I've seen him in a long time.

Franklin didn't even look like he clipped him that hard.. but damn, Chuck was out. Totally asleep. His chin is AWFUL.

I thought it was kind of crappy that he walked out without even saying anything to his fans.. nothing to Joe Rogan... just left.

Franklin swinging like that with a broken arm?! He's a stud! Pink shorts and all.

Ahh.. logged in as Anthony. Damn it!

Oh well.

Bonuses:

Franklin $85k for KO of the night
CroCop $85k for SUB of the night LMAO
Condit & MacDonald $85k each for FIGHT of the night

So judging from Chacks face Franklin must have tagge him more then once?

So all in all on a scale from 1-10 what would you rate this fight card Dave?

I'd say a solid 7. Condit / MacDonald was very nice. Kampmann / Thiago was quite technical, and a great showing against a tough opponent by Kampmann. And of course add a point or two to my final score for seeing Chuck's last fight (more than likely)

I thought this card was great. The Condit/Macdonald fight was awsome. I thought all the fights had a lot of action and some good finishes. I was hoping Barry would finish CroCop. He was pounding him early. Poor Chuck, he looked good until the end. Looks like I will be buying Phatboy some drinks this weekend!

As usual these sleeper cards turn out great! Butterbean Lidell needs to quit. That could quite possibly be the weakest KO ive seen in a main event. Total props to Franklin, I thought he had a broken hand but an arm is just crazy! That was a short loopy hook type punch that I still cant believe knocked him out cold like that. The CroCop fight was pretty fun to watch also. CroCop by choke!!!! bahahahahahaha wonder if anyone called that? Pretty disapointed in some of the refs. Stopping a fight with 7 seconds to go?? Right when Condit gases out and puts his head down to lay on him? Why wasnt it stopped 2 minutes ago? Poor kid took a beating only to get stopped with 7 seconds to go.. Totally unnecessary IMO.

One of the better cards in recent history. CroCop sub of the night? that is a stretch....but funny that he asked for it. Guess he got $85K for having the balls to ask for it.

The stoppage in the Danzig fight was a fing joke. That is a call that should be reversible in my opinion. On the 7 seconds left in the round, these guys are taught to make the call no matter how much time is left in the round - I am ok with that call.

The condit fight was awesome, he stepped up and beat someone that was better than him. He literally beat the heart out of that kid, I never expected that.

Dave - Why the hate for Chuck? I know he's way past his prime and needs to retire... but he was absolutely unstoppable at the peak of his game. What's not to like?

I don't hate Chuck at all. Did I come across that way?

Regarding Condit....I can't remember the last time he's been finished. You have to beat him for three solid rounds in order to win a fight with him. IMO, Condit is as tough as they come. More heart than 99% of other fighters IMO. Having said that, he really needs to stop getting into fights like this. Maybe he needs to start stronger, or more aggressively, or whatever, but he can't last much longer having fights like the one against MacDonald & Ellenberger, & Kampmann.

A bit.. with the posting of the picture and "hahahaha" as the caption.

I thought it was a funny picture, especially so soon as the fight had barely ended. I love those candid type pics where people just look really bad, but they're only like between a blink or something. Add a badly cut lip, a gash on the forehead, and a couple guys helping you up & I had to laugh. I don't hate Chuck at all. He was never my favorite, but far from least favorite too. I just find it ironic that all the amazing KO's he had over his career are seemingly now coming back to him on the receiving end. Very weird. I mean, he broke Franklin's arm and still got KO'd. Theres HUGE writing on the wall, I hope he can read it.

I do too. Chuck has a wonderful legacy and unfortunately.. I think coming back after the party has ended is only diminishing that legacy. I'd like to see him move on to other things within MMA.

What do you think he should do? I don't have the highest confidence in him as a commentator....

IMO Chuck needs to retire before he is though fo as a joke in the sport. Yes he had a great career, but now everyone is knocking him out it's almost comical. Chuck was once the most feared man in all of MMA, not everyone is lining up to get their knockout. I honestly have never seen a guy get knocked out as much as Chuck!!! It's crazy, when you can't take a punch you better keep your arms up. Maybe Chuck should fight Kimbo Slice, someone would get knocked out in that fight. At ths point Chick has absolutely zero clout in the octagon. As Dave said, Chuck would never make it as an announcer so thats out.

Chick could always go on the circuit and do fight camps etc...and people would still pay decent money to train with Chuck, unless of course he keeps coming back and getting knocked out and is nothing more then a laughing stock, then anything he ever accomplished in the first part of his career wouldn't ammount to anything either. All people would remember would be Chuck laying there on the canvass with mediocre fighters staring down at him laughing because they knocked out Chuck Lidell (Again)

LOL what the hell? I swear something is wrong with my keyboard!

I think Chuck should stay with The Pit and mentor/train/coach other fighters.

Dan - I don't think it's the keyboard..

I really should take the time to log Anthony out before posting. Oh well.

Yeah, your keyboard is messed up. Hahaha.

There are two guys who I could watch fight off their backs ALL DAY LONG....Condit & Hazelett. LOVE it!!