UFC 126 - Franklin vs Griffin / Belfort vs Silva

[Rappy Veteran]

Main card

* Middleweight Championship bout: Anderson Silva © vs. Vitor Belfort

* Light Heavyweight bout: Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin

* Welterweight bout: Jake Ellenberger vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha

* Light Heavyweight bout: Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader

* Bantamweight bout: Miguel Torres vs. Antonio Banuelos

Preliminary card

* Featherweight bout: Chad Mendes vs. Michihiro Omigawa

* Lightweight bout: Paul Taylor vs. Gabe Ruediger

* Bantamweight bout: Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Demetrious Johnson

* Light Heavyweight bout: Kyle Kingsbury vs. Ricardo Romero

* Welterweight bout: Mike Pierce vs. Kenny Robertson

[Kriz]

They do like to look ahead in advance dont they, i like how there are more fights announced for this event than there is UFC123..

Frankilin/Griffin should be a good fight, Franklin coming off his win against Chuck and Griffin beat Tito by decision in his last fight, both fighters looking to get back up there in the title contention.. I can see Griffin walking away with this one, Franklin couldnt get past Silva in middleweight he has even less of a chance of getting past these slightly bigger guys, did well against Chuck but so would i against guy who lost 4 of his last 5 fights :D

If Griffin does win, it'd set up a lovely rematch against Shogan Rua, pretty boring fight first time round both fighters we're nursing injuries..

[D. S. Veteran]

What is this, the elderly beat-up championship? I understand that both Franklin and Forrest are pretty much out of the title picture but maybe they could serve dutifully as gatekeepers instead of going on a UFC old-timer rampage. Tito and Liddell were way beyond their prime and now these guys are beating each other up? Can't wait to see the promos to see all the "animosity" that they have for eachother. LoL. Company man to the end. The card will be built on the Belfort fight for sure and I hope Belfort takes the win so the MW class gets more interesting.

[Kriz]

Yeh and thank christ, i didnt want to see a straight remax between Silva/Sonnen.. Sonnens got a deathwish anyway calling out Brock the other week.

[D. S. Veteran]

Yeh and thank christ, i didnt want to see a straight remax between Silva/Sonnen.. Sonnens got a deathwish anyway calling out Brock the other week.

That's your opinion. I believe in Chael Sonnen. When he lost, I was in disbelief. Almost cried. True story.

[Kriz]

Dont get me wrong he is a good fighter, an immediate rematch though i just did not agree with, if he wanted to ***** around for 5 rounds an beat him that way then that was his choice, it was also his choice to slacken on his defending an get caught in a relatively easy triangle.. It made me laugh, simply because he came off as such a prick before the fight, this isn't WWE, cutting promo's doesnt win you matches.

[D. S. Veteran]

Dont get me wrong he is a good fighter, an immediate rematch though i just did not agree with, if he wanted to ***** around for 5 rounds an beat him that way then that was his choice, it was also his choice to slacken on his defending an get caught in a relatively easy triangle.. It made me laugh, simply because he came off as such a prick before the fight, this isn't WWE, cutting promo's doesnt win you matches.

Cutting promos gets PPV sales (just look at UFC 100) and makes Dana White happy. UFC 117 didn't sell more because Silva was the other half of the fight and people were still ****ed about UFC 112.

About the loss, just look at Chael's record. His losses are almost all by submission. But he was defending the triangle correctly until he left his arm in there and Silva channeled Werdum against Fedor for the double submission. If Belfort takes the title, steamrolls over Nate (sorry Okami, ain't gonna happen) and then fights Chael, that PPV will sell a lot.

[Kriz]

I didnt say it was a bad thing overall, if you're going to do it though you have to back it up, and he did for the 4 1/2 rounds until he got submitted. He doesnt just smack talk to sell PPVs, what was his reasoning in talking crap about Brock and Wanderlei? He's a cocky jock with talent yeah, that doesnt mean i have to like him as a person and personally i dont, talentwise he is up there but who wouldnt be using steroids.. ;)

[D. S. Veteran]

We need to fix the numbering. This is UFC 126.

Jon Jones is also fighting in this card. It will be better than UFC 125 now that Aldo has dropped out of the fight injured.

[Rappy Veteran]

[trag3dy]

That's kind of a weak promo, but here's to Vitor destroying Silva. (Y)

[team_NOOB]

Griffin and Franklin, the two fighters I just can't seem to get into.

They lack flare - they lack training in overall different fighting styles - they will probably knock each other out in this fight.

[mikebiacsi]

I'm looking forward to watching Jones fight, I've never seen him fight but i've heard alot of good things about him.

[Kriz]

You're in for a treat mikebiacsi! Im on Belforts side too, ****ing hand it to him!

[D. S. Veteran]

I'm looking forward to watching Jones fight, I've never seen him fight but i've heard alot of good things about him.

Bones is a great fighter. Bader, well, in numbers he's pretty awesome too. But fighting wise... meh. His last fight bored me to tears while Bones utterly smashed The Janitor.

And Belfort will probably get KTFO because I want Silva vs Sonnen 2!!!

[Rappy Veteran]

[+StevoFC MVC]

Bones is a great fighter. Bader, well, in numbers he's pretty awesome too. But fighting wise... meh. His last fight bored me to tears while Bones utterly smashed The Janitor.

And Belfort will probably get KTFO because I want Silva vs Sonnen 2!!!

Sonnen is taking time off from fighting. If he is gone long enough, i doubt his first fight back would be against Silva. Besides, Silva's fight after this will probably be against GSP in a catchweight.

[D. S. Veteran]

Sonnen is taking time off from fighting. If he is gone long enough, i doubt his first fight back would be against Silva. Besides, Silva's fight after this will probably be against GSP in a catchweight.

Yeah, Chael was suspended. But imagine this:

TUF 14: Sonnen vs Bisping/Wandy (probably Bisping). Winner goes on to get a title shot or fights Wanderlei for a title shot. Silva's next fight (providing he wins) will be against Okami because GSP still has Shields to deal with. After GSP vs Shields is done, then maybe Dana will do a major push. GSP should just move up to MW anyway since if he beats Shields he will have crushed the WW division (some of them even twice).

[+StevoFC MVC]

Yeah, Chael was suspended. But imagine this:

Yes, Chael was suspended but he is taking more time off than that anyways due to his federal court case.

[D. S. Veteran]

Ok but still, Silva vs Bisping is an awful fight to make.

[Rappy Veteran]

UFC middleweight fighter Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort has discontinued his working relationship with MMA coach Shawn Tompkins, according to Tompkins himself, who revealed the news during a recent appearance on The Fight Show with host Mauro Ranallo.

Belfort and Tompkins began working together prior to Belfort's 2008 Affliction bout against Terry Martin; "The Phenom" began training at the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas while Tompkins was still on the staff, and then followed Tompkins when he left the gym in 2009. While speaking with Ranallo, Tompkins alluded to Belfort's at-times doubted mental fortitude and also discussed "The Phenom's" relationship with Mike Tyson.

"Well, you know, Vitor's done this before. Vitor sometimes, he gets a little clouded in his head," said Tompkins. "It's not that he brought in Mike Tyson or anything like that. Vitor just wanders, you know, and he goes where what's happening, what's famous, what's popular and he'll go over there. Mike Tyson isn't teaching him anything. Neither is the other eight gyms that he's training at. Just because he's over at Couture's and not with me doesn't mean he's with Couture. Vitor isn't loyal to anybody. We've seen it before."

The gym switch comes shortly before Belfort will challenge UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva for his title and, despite the fact that he obviously feels slighted, Tompkins gave both Belfort and Silva his best wishes.

"I hope for the best for him, but you know, for a guy who told me about respect, loyalty, and God and all this stuff for so many years, he sure did prove the opposite," he said. "So, we'll see. Best of luck to him. Best of luck to Anderson, as well."

Reportedly training back at Xtreme Couture, Belfort will attempt to wrest from Silva his belt this February 5th in the main event of UFC 126, which will go down at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2011/0119/535659/vitor-belfort/

[nubs]

That's why Vitor will never be champion.

[Kriz]

Yeah cus training at Xtreme Couture is a bad thing.. :|

[nubs]

Yeah cus training at Xtreme Couture is a bad thing.. :|

No, changing trainers last minute is. People like GSP change up their training style all the time, they just don't do it right before a big fight.

[Rappy Veteran]

No, changing trainers last minute is. People like GSP change up their training style all the time, they just don't do it right before a big fight.

yeah quite a bad decision considering the opponent he has