UFC 103
Who: Rich Franklin (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (18-8)
When: Saturday, 10 p.m.
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
WEST CHESTER TWP. — Rich Franklin wanted a rematch with Dan Henderson.
Ultimate Fighting Championship fans did not.
Score one for the fans.
“I wanted a rematch because I felt like I won the first fight anyway,” Franklin said following a public workout Monday, Sept. 14, at Sacan Family Martial Arts. “But at this point in my career, I’m just interested in doing fights that the fans want to see. And if they don’t want to see that fight, then I don’t want to put it on.”
Instead, Franklin will be fighting Vitor Belfort in a 195-pound catchweight bout that will be the headline act of UFC 103 Saturday night in Dallas.
Both fighters are former UFC champions, but Belfort will be fighting his first match since making a second return to the UFC following the demise of Affliction in July.
“Vitor wasn’t even on the radar, but when I heard about Affliction collapsing I just had this gut-instinct feeling that’s what would end up happening,” Franklin said. “This is a good fight for the fans. Vitor is a good fighter, and even though he hasn’t been in the UFC for a couple of years, he’s been active outside the UFC.
“This is definitely a tough fight,” Franklin continued. “But this is a business to me. This is what I do for a living. And he’s the one who stands between me and my paycheck.”
Saturday’s bout will be the first on Franklin’s recently signed six-fight contract. And at 34, he said he knows his chances of fighting for another title hinge on each and every match.
“I feel like I’m a better fighter now than I was 10 years ago, but if I lose a fight now it’s a major setback because I’m running out of time,” Franklin said. “I don’t plan on fighting another 10 years. Physically, I feel like I could. But it’s just not what I want to do.”
So in some ways, a title will be on the line Saturday night despite the fact that it’s not technically a title fight.
Regardless of title implications, Franklin said his opponent — and his fans — will always get his best.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m walking out in front of 500 people or 50,000 people with 10 million people watching nationwide, a fight is a fight is a fight,” he said.
“When there’s something on the line, whether it be your reputation or your pride or a pay day — any of that or all of it — as a competitive person, you give everything you’ve got to try to win.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193or jmorrison@coxohio.com.
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