UFC 103 - Rich Franklin vs Vitor Belfort. Sept. 19, 2009

**EmperorCesar** · Posted On: 9/21/2009 11:04am

So its safe to say we will never see the Pride Cro - Cop ever again...

**Siniq** · Posted On: 9/21/2009 11:37am

I think the kick wasn't on purpose. Either way I hate the refs.

**Shawarma** · Posted On: 9/21/2009 11:55am

Mmm, delicious crow, so tasty....

OK, so Belfort won. Still not that eeempressed wiz his performance - Franklin should have taken the fight to him more.

CroCop did better than I thought he would, but he's not into it anymore. Go to Japan for some ridiculous freakshow matches and huge paydays, then retire. He's done.

Grumbles...

**Goju - Joe** · Posted On: 9/21/2009 12:51pm

Cro Cop is delusional to stay at Heavy Weight.

Either they're too big wrestlers or too big strikers

**Shawarma** · Posted On: 9/21/2009 1:56pm

He used to do fine, Joe - He just doesn't seem to have his heart in it anymorecoughroidscough.

**Hesperus** · Posted On: 9/21/2009 2:24pm

Watch the fight again, Al'Turk hurls his face onto Mirko's fingers.

**Fighting Cephalopod** · Posted On: 9/21/2009 3:03pm

Originally Posted by Goju - Joe

Cro Cop is delusional to stay at Heavy Weight.

Either they're too big wrestlers or too big strikers

This loss had nothing to do with Dos Santos' size and everything to do with Crocop's lack of combinations and shitty defense.

**Frenzal** · Posted On: 9/21/2009 11:32pm

And lack of heart and slowing reflexes .

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 9/22/2009 9:13am

Originally Posted by Zimmer

The first round was a "good" round for Cro-Cop. I still would have given it to Junior though. I have an odd feeling that massive ball shot was intentional.

Just hitching a lift cos I can't otherwise post...

Anyway...I wondered whether it was intentional as well. Odd, that I thought that so perhaps...it was deliberate(?). Cro Cop was very out-of-sorts and, oddly, was retreating IN A STRAIGHT LINE. Something the commentators "the difference is drinkability" didn't seem to notice. A pity Mirko never saw Barrerra v Hamed; Barrerra pivoted on the front foot by 90 degrees so that he was at a right angle as Hamed moved forward to retaliate. Crop Cop could have done likewise.

That apart, it was RETURN OF THE STRIKERS to my eyes. Franca displayed amateurish swinging in lieu of dedicated punching and he was dropped twice onto a one knee (that's how it seemed to me, others may think he was preparing for a Takedown). He was OUT and the Ref was right to stop it. The hair was, um, "curious" but then, I have none so one up to him. BTW, I've seen him before and he looked terrific - on the ground and showing Mastery but just not this time.

Daley. The Ref deserves credit for stopping the fight when he did. The Dane was out on his feet and was not defending himself nor fighting back. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that the commentary team were checking themselves and deciding that it was stopped too soon. Not me, my reaction (in my chair) was instant: the bloke was in trouble from a big punch and did well not to collapse when he retreated instinctively to the netting.

Belfort v Franklin. I thought the latter was the more likely to win out as he was showing more ringcraft and movement however the strike to the Temple finished him even before Belfort followed up to make sure. No criticism of Matt, he was just unlucky with the placement of the strike.

Cheers