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Reavant
10-05-2010, 10:40 PM
Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin will meet former light heavyweight titleholder Forrest Griffin at UFC 127 on Feb. 5 in Las Vegas.

A source close to the deal confirmed to Sherdog Tuesday that the rumored fight was true. The news was first reported by MMAFighting.com.

Franklin won the middleweight strap when he defeated Evan Tanner by fourth-round TKO at UFC 53 in 2005. Franklin, a former high school math teacher, defended his title three times before running into current champion Anderson Silva in 2006. “Ace” was battered by the Brazilian’s knees and fell in the first round. After his loss to Silva, Franklin started training under Matt Hume and rattled off back-to-back victories over Jason MacDonald and Yushin Okami before receiving another crack at Silva and a chance to regain his title at UFC 77. It was not to be for Franklin, however, as Silva again dominated the former champion, knocking him out early in round two. Since that time, Franklin has gone 4-2 in the UFC, losing only to former champions Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort. The Cincinnati product’s last attempt in the Octagon resulted in a first-round knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 115 in June.

The inaugural winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, Griffin has gone from TV star to world champion in his time with the UFC. His official debut with the company was at the original Ultimate Fighter finale in 2005. Griffin defeated co-finalist Stephan Bonnar and proceeded to win back-to-back fights before losing a razor-thin split decision to former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz at UFC 59. After submitting a heavily-favored Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 76, Griffin was given a shot at the light heavyweight title, then held by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Griffin used his reach and threw and onslaught of leg kicks against the champion, earning a hard-fought unanimous decision and lifting the title from “Rampage” at UFC 86. The new champion would lose the title in his first defense, however, as he was knocked out by “Sugar” Rashad Evans at UFC 92. Now training at Xtreme Couture, Griffin returned the favor to Ortiz in his most recent fight, defeating “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” by split decision and evening his record to 1-1 against Ortiz.

A middleweight title fight between Vitor Belfort and champion Anderson Silva is expected to join the Franklin/Griffin scrap at UFC 127.

The Naitch
10-05-2010, 10:45 PM
not wow worthy enough for me. If it was that match alone as the headline, it wouldn't be worth buying, but since Silva vs. Belfort will be headlining it, it's all good

Fuck that's still a long time from now

MoFo
10-06-2010, 08:38 PM
Niiicce.

I thought it was gonna be Griffin v Jon Jones next, and I like Griffin so didnt want him to get fucked up again. Not to say he couldnt lose to Franklin tho.

The Naitch
10-07-2010, 01:02 PM
Griffin is scared of Jones

The Show Off
10-07-2010, 05:12 PM
Griffin is scared of Jones

And why wouldn't he be? Jon Jones makes good fighters look awful. He made Hamill, Vera, and Bonner look like they'd never fought before.

Nark Order
10-07-2010, 07:06 PM
I don't think Griffin is even shy about it. He said that he'd definitely fight him, but that he's not going to go around asking Joe Silva for the fight.

Nark Order
10-07-2010, 07:11 PM
A matchup between the UFC’s top light heavyweight prospects is in the works for early next year, as Jon Jones and Ryan Bader are expected to meet at “UFC 127: Silva vs. Belfort” on February 5 in Las Vegas, according to MMAjunkie.

The winner could earn a shot at the 205-pound title currently held by Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, as The Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Bader (12-0) recently topped Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 119 for his fifth-straight UFC win, while Jones (12-1) is coming off back-to-back first-round TKOs of Brandon Vera and Vladimir Matyushenko in 2010.

The Super Bowl weekend UFC 127 fight card is expected to be headlined by middleweight champ Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort.

Krimzon7
10-07-2010, 10:34 PM
So, I was working out at my gym today and Forrest Griffin comes in to work out with some of his old buddies from the A. He looks to be in decent shape, but it's obvious that he hasn't been hitting the gym as he should. he'd get raped by Joey Karate right now.

Johnny McNasty
10-08-2010, 04:58 PM
I would much rather see this fight than Jones vs Griffin. Maybe because I like Forrest too much, to want to see him get mauled again.

The Mask
10-09-2010, 05:20 AM
i hope that's not true about the winner of jones/bader getting a title shot. neither of them has fought anyone in the upper ranks of the division yet.

Funky Fly
10-09-2010, 05:40 AM
Yer. Winner of that fight should face the winner of Machida Rampage first, maybe. Maybe.

Krimzon7
10-09-2010, 10:38 PM
Yer. Winner of that fight should face the winner of Machida Rampage first, maybe. Maybe.

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