Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson

Now that the UFC has such a rich talent pool, we (the fans) are able to witness some really competitive match-ups. Joe Silva – the matchmaker for the UFC – now has a lot to work with and this Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson showdown is a perfect example of what we should be seeing more of. Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson have a lot in common with each other. Both are former champion fighters who at one point, were seemingly unbeatable. Since then, both fighters have experienced some hard losses and both “one-time supermen” seem to share the same kryptonite in Anderson Silva.

However, this fight is taking place in the light heavyweight (205lbs) weight class. New fans of mixed martial arts may not be familiar with Dan Henderson’s accomplishments overseas in the now-bankrupt PRIDE organization but Dan Henderson knocked out Wanderlei Silva to become PRIDE’S light heavyweight champion. As a matter of fact, Dan Henderson held both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles at the same time. Of course, since coming over to the UFC, he lost his light heavyweight title to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in a hard fought five-rounder and in his very next fight, Dan Henderson dropped his middleweight title as a result of getting choked out by Anderson Silva in the second round.

Rich Franklin has been a very successful fighter in his own right. The former UFC middleweight champion has been demolishing every opponent put in his path. That is of course, with the exception of Anderson Silva who has knocked out Rich Franklin not once, but twice with devastating knees from the clinch. Rich Franklin’s losses to Silva are most likely his reason for moving up a weight class. Rich Franklin’s choice to change divisions has been a good one so far as he’s already earned an impressive stoppage victory over the highly touted Matt Hamill in a fight where Rich Franklin displayed his much improved striking – particularly Thai-style kicks to the body.

So How Do Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson Match Up?

Both Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson are so well rounded that it is going to be tough for one to exploit the weakness of another. Dan Henderson – who trains out of team quest – is a former Olympian wrestler turned MMA fighter so his Greco-roman fighting style should give him an advantage in the tie-ups. It’s tough to tell who has the better striking in this one. Rich Franklin displayed excellent striking ability in his last fight (as he usually does) while Dan Henderson is known for his aggressive style and powerful overhand right. Anyone who is able to knock out Wanderlei Silva with a spinning back-fist the way Dan Henderson did should never be underestimated.

If you look to the ground game, well ..there’s no decisive winner here either. Dan Henderson is the better wrestler so he should be able to dictate where the fight takes place. If he wants to take Rich Franklin down, it’s likely that he’ll be able to do so. However, with Rich Franklin’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu background and submission defence, it’s unlikely that he’ll be submitted and its here where he may even catch Dan Henderson with something (although it’s still quite unlikely). I imagine if Dan Henderson is able to secure a takedown, he’ll be looking to just pound Rich Franklin out.

Skill-sets aside, the most important characteristic a fighter can have is “heart” and in this case, both fighters certainly have it. I don’t see either fighter giving up in this one and I especially don’t see either fighter fatiguing as both Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson have gone the distance before in five round, championship fights. This fight will only be 3 rounds. This is a really tough one to call, which is a good thing as it goes to show just how evenly matched Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson are. If I was to predict anything, I have to say that this will likely go to the judges scorecards. As for the winner, it can really go either way so I would just throw my money on the underdog (if their even is one).

Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans

Who would have thought the ultimate fighter reality series would produce so much talent. As a matter of fact, up until only recently, being a contestant on the show was almost looked down upon by the non-reality series UFC roster.

Well, thanks to guys like Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans, fighters coming off the show and into the UFC are now getting a lot more respect. Having both recently taken out former top ranked fighters – Forrest over “Shogun” and Rashad over Liddell – this showdown will certainly be interesting.

I’m calling this this as the fight of the night right now – and that’s saying a lot considering just how stacked UFC 92 is. As we all already know, Forrest Griffin is a workaholic warrior who just keeps pressing forward. It’s that never-say-die mentality that has got him where he is today.

Forrest Griffin isn’t the greatest wrestler, he isn’t the greatest striker, nor is he the best submission artist – yet he’s the champion in arguably the most competitive division in the UFC. How does that happen? Well, it happens as a result of work ethic and “heart”.

Rashad Evans – who up until this point has yet to be defeated in his 13 fight MMA career – embodies similar characteristics. Having gone to decision in nearly half of his fights, he’s no stranger to going into “deep waters” with a game opponent – which will likely happen against a guy like Forrest Griffin.

So How Do Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans Match Up?

Neither of these guys is a “master” in a specific fighting style. They’re both just well rounded, really tough guys with a lot of heart. If there’s any standout advantage, it would be Rashad with his wrestling ability. Rashad is a much better wrestler than Forrest – and most of the light heavyweight division for that matter.

As for whether or not it will make a big difference in the fight, I’m not so sure. While Rashad Evans is the better wrestler, Forrest Griffin will likely be the bigger of the two as he walks around and cuts weight from around 240lbs while Rashad looked pretty small compared to Chuck Liddell in his last fight.

Of course, you could throw a wrench in that theory by pointing out that Rashad used to fight (and toss guys around) at heavyweight. Just look how Rashad was able repeatedly slam Stephan Bonnar when they fought back in 2006.

Both Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans are fighting out of great camps so you can rest assured that they’ll both be entering the octagon with very detailed game plans. And speaking of strategy, one thing worth pointing out is the fact that the last man to defeat Forrest Griffin was Keith Jardine – who just so happens to be one of Rashad’s team-mates.

This is one of those fights where it’s extremely hard to predict a winner. The only sure thing in this fight is that both fighters will give it their all and of course, Rashad’s wife will be sitting somewhere within the first few rows screaming at the top of her lungs.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva

While many of the newer MMA fans may not be aware, this will actually be the third meeting between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and the “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva. The first two meetings – under the now bankrupt PRIDE organization – left Quinton “Rampage” Jackson a bloody mess. Granted, fighters are constantly evolving and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is not the same fighter today as he was back when he took those beatings at the hands – well, technically the knees – of Wanderlei Silva.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has been very successful thus far in his UFC career while Wanderlei Silva was recently on a downward spiral as he dropped three straight – one of which was in his UFC debut against Chuck Liddell. However, it looks as though Wanderlei Silva has returned to his old ways in his last fight as he racked up a brutal knockout victory against light heavyweight standout, Keith Jardine. Not only did Wanderlei Silva secure a knockout, but he did so in a fashion so devastating that the MMA community forums exploded with talks of the “rape choke”. If you missed it, Wanderlei Silva basically held Jardine down with a hand across the throat while he repeatedly landed shots to the face with his free fist.

On the other hand, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is fresh off a disheartening loss at the hands of now-champion, Forrest Griffin. Following the fight, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson lived up to his nickname as he literally went on a hit and run “rampage” in LA and as a result, he became a household name as the story was covered in some of the worlds most popular tabloid sites, programs and publications.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva – How they match up.

Having met on two other occasions with the same result, there’s a good chance that Wanderlei Silva is to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson what Anderson Silva is to Rich Franklin – unbeatable. While Quinton “Rampage” Jackson isn’t the same fighter today as he was on Halloween four years ago when he last squared off with Wanderlei Silva, fighting is just as much mental as it is physical and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s current mental state is certainly in question. Even had “Rampage” not “lost his marbles” so to speak and mistaken a public road in Orange County for the Indy 500, fighting someone who has brutally knocked you out – on multiple occasions – is a big mental hurdle to overcome on its own.

In terms of their skills sets and fighting style, both fighters are extremely aggressive so it should make for an exciting fight. While both are capable of fighting on the ground – especially Wanderlei Silva as he’s a black belt in BJJ – both Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Wanderlei Silva prefer to keep it standing and slug it out. Wanderlei Silva has the better Muay Thai as he’s already effectively utilized a Thai clinch on Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in their previous encounters. However, being a product of Juanito Ibarra – a renowned boxing trainer – Quinton “Rampage” Jackson may be a more technical boxer.

If the unexpected happens and the fight does hit the ground, it will certainly be an advantage for Wanderlei Silva. However, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s only submission loss has come at the hands of Kazushi Sakuraba – who has been labelled by some as the “greatest grappler in all of mixed martial arts” – and that loss occurred more than 7 years ago. Since then, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has faced many other great grapplers – none of which have been successful with their submission attempts. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s ability to evade submissions is due to his seemingly in-human strength. Rampage – aka. “King of the Slam” – literally power bombed BJJ black belt, Ricardo Arona at a PRIDE event back on 2004 to escape a triangle attempt. All that being said, it’s a virtual certainty that this fight will be an all-out slugfest with the victor likely being awarded a generous bonus for “KO of the night”.

The biggest factor in this fight will be the mental state of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Having recently displayed instability with his antics as of late – and the fact that he’s facing a man who has knocked him out on two separate occasions – Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will certainly have to come into this fight in the right frame of mind if he hopes to have any shot at beating the light heavyweight legend, Wanderlei Silva.

So before you pick a winner and place a bet, take everything into consideration – including the odds. In a sport where anything can happen, all you can do is trust your instinct. Everyone responds differently to defeat – as already mentioned – so it should be interesting to see whether or not Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is able to bounce back.