Anything MMA, except thumb wrestling

[SkinsOrlando]

:laugh:

Okay, so I SUPPOSE I didn't mention that Skins always takes the underdogs and the sigs are self-imposed after the standard 2 week limit.

Time to scan the ES photo threads...

I'll gladly post a fresh one in the show yourselves thread if I lose this time.

[#98QBKiller]

Franklin is willing to move to 205. I think it would be great for him and the UFC

From his manager Monte Cox:

“Rich has to make a decision. We’ve certainly considered going to 205 and seeing how he does up there. He’s fought almost everybody in the 185-pound division. There are some guys that he could fight, but if he beats them it knocks them out of title contention. And nobody is looking to see Rich and Anderson Silva 3 right now, including me. He’s not helping the 185-pound division right now by beating everybody up in it. We’ve talked about going to 205 and how would he match up with some of those guys, with a Forrest Griffin or a Keith Jardine. There’s a whole bunch of 205’s that I think would be interesting. In the end, we do what the UFC wants. If they want us to try 205, we’re up for it. If they want to keep us at 185, then we’ll do that too.”

I love this idea. Rich is a great fighter but A) Anderson Silva is beating everyone to a pulp and He's a bad style match up for Franklin

Franklin has pretty much cleaned out the 185 division other than Silva, I think he'd be a good match for Jardine, Forrest, Chuck, Machida etc.

[cahones01]

205 is definitely the best move for Franklin, but he'll still be nothing but a gate keeper at that weight class. I could see him beating the likes of Houston Alexander, Keith Jardine, etc but thats about it as far as the top of the division goes. Rampage is way too strong and his boxing skills are much more technical than Franklins. Forrest is a huge 205er at 6'3 who walks around in the 240's, has a great ground game that he hardly uses, and loves to stand in the pocket and trade. Machida has already handed Franklin his ass, and strong wrestlers like Tito Ortiz would give him all kinds of problems.

[StillUnknown]

I love this idea. Rich is a great fighter but A) Anderson Silva is beating everyone to a pulp and He's a bad style match up for Franklin

Franklin has pretty much cleaned out the 185 division other than Silva, I think he'd be a good match for Jardine, Forrest, Chuck, Machida etc.

Machida already beat him. i don't think Franklin will be that successful at 205. Franklin's main attribute at 185 was that he was physically bigger than almost everyone he faced. at 205 he loses that advantage. he's a well-rounded fighter, but beating any big names at 205 to be honest.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

205 is definitely the best move for Franklin, but he'll still be nothing but a gate keeper at that weight class. I could see him beating the likes of Houston Alexander, Keith Jardine, etc but thats about it as far as the top of the division goes. Rampage is way too strong and his boxing skills are much more technical than Franklins. Forrest is a huge 205er at 6'3 who walks around in the 240's, has a great ground game that he hardly uses, and loves to stand in the pocket and trade. Machida has already handed Franklin his ass, and strong wrestlers like Tito Ortiz would give him all kinds of problems.

If all those people would woop Rich, why is it definitely his best move?

I'd rather sit at #2 in the world and get headliner fights than become an entrance test for bigger, stronger guys. Rich will get another crack at Anderson. I think it will be his best chance, too. He was winning the standup battle until Anderson got the thai on him. I mean Rich was peppering the heck out of Anderson, it was a freakin lesson on how to perform a technical standup.

As we all know, Anderson is a freak when he stuns somebody. If you watch an actual spider wrap up a bug in its web, it will remind you of how Anderson reacts to a stunned opponent. His finishing combinations are next to a prime Fedor as the best EVER. But before the actual stun happens, Anderson has been handled by many fighters pretty well.

If Frankling can stay out of the clinch, or throw it off with a vengence, he has a very good chance. I'm thinking Anderson will try to sub Franklin next go-around. He knows Rich can strike with him, and Rich will have his clinch-radar on full alert. Rich has escaped some very close subs lately, if he were fighting Anderson, he probably would have gotten locked up.

I think Rich's best performance against Anderson will be the next. Don't expect it until 2009, however.

[Chachie]

He was winning the standup battle until Anderson got the thai on him. I mean Rich was peppering the heck out of Anderson, it was a freakin lesson on how to perform a technical standup.

I don't remember it that way, Strokes. I remember Rich being able to stay out of the clinch a little better but other than that he was only buying time.

I think Rich's best performance against Anderson will be the next. Don't expect it until 2009, however.

So you're saying he'll make it to the start of the third round before being dismantled and getting a 3rd broken nose at the hands of Anderson Silva?

I say he better just quit while he's a mile behind. No more Spiders for Franklin.

[Sebowski]

Machida already beat him. i don't think Franklin will be that successful at 205. Franklin's main attribute at 185 was that he was physically bigger than almost everyone he faced. at 205 he loses that advantage. he's a well-rounded fighter, but beating any big names at 205 to be honest.

Machida-Franklin was in 2003.

Franklin is a much better fighter now (as is Machida).

I think it would be a great fight.

[StillUnknown]

If all those people would woop Rich, why is it definitely his best move?

I'd rather sit at #2 in the world and get headliner fights than become an entrance test for bigger, stronger guys. Rich will get another crack at Anderson. I think it will be his best chance, too. He was winning the standup battle until Anderson got the thai on him. I mean Rich was peppering the heck out of Anderson, it was a freakin lesson on how to perform a technical standup.

As we all know, Anderson is a freak when he stuns somebody. If you watch an actual spider wrap up a bug in its web, it will remind you of how Anderson reacts to a stunned opponent. His finishing combinations are next to a prime Fedor as the best EVER. But before the actual stun happens, Anderson has been handled by many fighters pretty well.

If Frankling can stay out of the clinch, or throw it off with a vengence, he has a very good chance. I'm thinking Anderson will try to sub Franklin next go-around. He knows Rich can strike with him, and Rich will have his clinch-radar on full alert. Rich has escaped some very close subs lately, if he were fighting Anderson, he probably would have gotten locked up.

I think Rich's best performance against Anderson will be the next. Don't expect it until 2009, however.

Rich Franklin was not winning the standup in the 2nd fight. he got in a couple more shots against Silva, but they didn't do any damage. Silva had a couple of flurries on franklin in the 1st round, and he landed the spinning back kick that landed flush to Rich's gut. Rich looked better in the 2nd fight, but in no way was he winning the stand-up

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

I don't remember it that way, Strokes. I remember Rich being able to stay out of the clinch a little better but other than that he was only buying time.

So you're saying he'll make it to the start of the third round before being dismantled and getting a 3rd broken nose at the hands of Anderson Silva?

I say he better just quit while he's a mile behind. No more Spiders for Franklin.

Rich made an extra effort to gtfo of the clinch, but it just made him have a pronounced look of fear and desperation. If I were Rich, I'd keep going after Anderson. What do you have to lose but a nose? Hell, Michael Jackson has no nose and he owns a huge ranch. Rich isn't even a pedifile.

It's like when you're playing a video game and you can't beat a level, so you turn it off, sleep on it, come back the next day and suddenly do better. I liked Rich's performance in the last fight. Besides the back kick, shimmy-defense that he got owned on, and the demise at the very end of round 1, Rich looked to be very game. I would have given him round 1 if it wasn't for the final 20 seconds.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Rich Franklin was not winning the standup in the 2nd fight. he got in a couple more shots against Silva, but they didn't do any damage. Silva had a couple of flurries on franklin in the 1st round, and he landed the spinning back kick that landed flush to Rich's gut. Rich looked better in the 2nd fight, but in no way was he winning the stand-up

Like I said, if the first round was 4 minutes and 40 seconds long, I would have to consider scoring it 10-9 Franklin. Of course, Hendo won the first round in his title bout and got manhandled in the 2nd round. Seriously, fighters need to utilize the Kalib Starnes technique on Anderson and ride him in to the later rounds. He holds his hands down sometimes and gets hit in the face every fight. He loves the pocket and eventually finds the stunning shot while he eats punches to the face. He really has a fantastic jaw, and trusts his face to absorb shots. Rich just needs to get in and out of the pocket, way out.

He needs Doc. Louis to corner him in the next fight.

[cahones01]

"If all those people would woop Rich, why is it definitely his best move?"

Because if he doesn't then he's stuck in a division where he'll never get another shot at the title. He had his ass handed to him twice by the current champ, and nobody wants to see a third match up between them. it would be like Tito fighting Chuck again except much less competitive than both of those fights.

"He was winning the standup battle until Anderson got the thai on him. I mean Rich was peppering the heck out of Anderson, it was a freakin lesson on how to perform a technical standup."

What match were you watching? The fight was dead even with VERY little stand up from either fighter, a takedown by Franklin, a sweep and escape from Anderson, than he landed the spinning back kick and the rest of the round he handled Rich easily along with a knockdown.

"I'm thinking Anderson will try to sub Franklin next go-around. He knows Rich can strike with him, and Rich will have his clinch-radar on full alert."

Rich hasn't even come close to striking with him. Not getting killed in every single exchange doesn't mean he can hang with Anderson. And what clinch radar? If he had any if was kneed off of his face long ago.

"I would have given him round 1 if it wasn't for the final 20 seconds."

The spinning back kick landed at 2:02 of the first round and Anderson dominated from there on out. The fight was even before that, then Anderson took over and had the round won anyway. When you throw in the knockdown that's a 10-8 round when scoring a fight with the 10 point must system.

"Like I said, if the first round was 4 minutes and 40 seconds long, I would have easily scored it 10-9 Franklin."

Here's the video. You really need to rewatch this fight if you believe that statement. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAGt9ZUEpfc&feature=related

"He holds his hands down sometimes and gets hit in the face every fight. He loves the pocket and eventually finds the stunning shot while he eats punches to the face"

He holds his hands down b/c he has an insane chin. Have you ever seen the video of him sparring with Nog? They have on no head gear and he's standing there letting Nog punch him full on in the face with flurries. His head doesn't even move, then he lets his own hands go. I'll try and find that for you too. Even if you don't agree with anything I've said, you still need to see that. It's awesome to watch.

[Chachie]

I have to say, Strokes. I have NO idea where you are coming from on this subject. Franklin got pwn3d to the max again and should NEVER attempt fighting Silva anymore. I truly doubt Silva would give him another fight and I know for sure I would not pay the UFC to see it.

That page has been turned. Franklin cannot beat Silva. Ever. Not even 2 Franklins.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

"If all those people would woop Rich, why is it definitely his best move?"

Because if he doesn't then he's stuck in a division where he'll never get another shot at the title. He had his ass handed to him twice by the current champ, and nobody wants to see a third match up between them. it would be like Tito fighting Chuck again except much less competitive than both of those fights.

Sure he will get a shot at the title. They won't let Rich just sit there and watch people he's beat leapfrog him. Not that it should have anything to do with it, but Dana loves Rich, he WILL get another shot. I'd love to see how Rich approaches the next fight. He won the boxing battle, Anderson had to throw a back kick, backfist and flying knee to take the chess match out of Rich.

Seriously, all you talked about was how badly Rich would get destroyed if he moved up in weight class, but you say it's his best move? "Let me go get my ass kicked by more people than just one. I'll even make less money!"

"He was winning the standup battle until Anderson got the thai on him. I mean Rich was peppering the heck out of Anderson, it was a freakin lesson on how to perform a technical standup."

What match were you watching? The fight was dead even with VERY little stand up from either fighter, a takedown by Franklin, a sweep and escape from Anderson, than he landed the spinning back kick and the rest of the round he handled Rich easily along with a knockdown.

Franklin was getting the better of the punching exchanges. Even after the back kick, Franklin caught Anderson with a nice 1-2 combination. There wasn't VERY little standup. Anderson did everything he could to keep Rich clinched, the ground battle lasted maybe a minute. Anderson didn't backfist, back kick and flying knee Rich while they were on the ground, broskie.

"I'm thinking Anderson will try to sub Franklin next go-around. He knows Rich can strike with him, and Rich will have his clinch-radar on full alert."

Rich hasn't even come close to striking with him. Not getting killed in every single exchange doesn't mean he can hang with Anderson. And what clinch radar? If he had any if was kneed off of his face long ago.

He was avoiding the thai desperately in the 2nd fight. In the first, it looked like Anderson's hands were glued to the back of Rich's head. If it wasn't for Anderson's brick-hard face, Rich might have stunned him with a few of those straights and combinations. Rich is a very smart guy, he will work on his gtfo of range technique to prepare for the next fight.

"I would have given him round 1 if it wasn't for the final 20 seconds."

The spinning back kick landed at 2:02 of the first round and Anderson dominated from there on out. The fight was even before that, then Anderson took over and had the round won anyway. When you throw in the knockdown that's a 10-8 round when scoring a fight with the 10 point must system.

I forgot about the flying knee and it may have won the round for Anderson, otherwise, 10-9 Franklin without that and the end of the round. I don't think the back kick hurt Rich that much. It was cool to see, and it connected, but not very effectively. I like how Rich handled the punching exchanges, and he definitely won the boxing match (until the jaw shot at the end). The problem is, Rich has no flavor. He does all the basics very soundly, and Anderson did that (quite hilarious) shimmy defense around it, which could have also woo'd the judges. But in my book, Rich could have been on his way to winning that round if it wasn't for the final :20.

"Like I said, if the first round was 4 minutes and 40 seconds long, I would have easily scored it 10-9 Franklin."

Here's the video. You really need to rewatch this fight if you believe that statement. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAGt9ZUEpfc&feature=related

I did, and Rich does better than you think if you can stop being enamoured with Anderson's aura and eye-pleasing style.

"He holds his hands down sometimes and gets hit in the face every fight. He loves the pocket and eventually finds the stunning shot while he eats punches to the face"

He holds his hands down b/c he has an insane chin. Have you ever seen the video of him sparring with Nog? They have on no head gear and he's standing there letting Nog punch him full on in the face with flurries. His head doesn't even move, then he lets his own hands go. I'll try and find that for you too. Even if you don't agree with anything I've said, you still need to see that. It's awesome to watch.

I made this point a few posts back. Anderson gets hit in the face, and nobody talks about his jaw. He'll shimmy his hands like Sugar Ray Leonard while taking a few to the jaw, but everybody sees Anderson moving his hands like that and says, "what a pimp", ignoring the shots he eats.

I like Anderson Silva and he's one of the most entertaining fighters out there, but Rich Franklin ABSOLUTELY deserves another shot, and I think he'll surprise us. He may not win, but I think he'll come out with his best showing.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

I have to say, Strokes. I have NO idea where you are coming from on this subject. Franklin got pwn3d to the max again and should NEVER attempt fighting Silva anymore. I truly doubt Silva would give him another fight and I know for sure I would not pay the UFC to see it.

That page has been turned. Franklin cannot beat Silva. Ever. Not even 2 Franklins.

I'd rather pay the UFC to see Franklin get another nose than see Leben get pummled in 45 seconds or Lutter fall asleep on Anderson's stomach. After Okami and (hopefully Davis), why pay to see anyone fight Anderson? Lindland won't come back, and even if he did, he's gonna need his walking cane to fight Anderson. Do you really want to see Marquardt get put through the meat grinder again? I'd rather see Rich come back one more time and give it a shot. Of course it's going to have to be on a really strong card for people to order it. Hell, it can be on Spike. Dana knows it will have to be.

I swear, it sounds like Anderson came out with a brand of viagra the way you all are talkin. (Not to sound like a Sherdogger).

[#98QBKiller]

I have to say, Strokes. I have NO idea where you are coming from on this subject. Franklin got pwn3d to the max again and should NEVER attempt fighting Silva anymore. I truly doubt Silva would give him another fight and I know for sure I would not pay the UFC to see it.

That page has been turned. Franklin cannot beat Silva. Ever. Not even 2 Franklins.

If he continues to clean out the division along with Anderson then it's inevitable IMO.

The best should fight the best and this wouldn't be the first trilogy between fighters by any stretch.

[cahones01]

"Sure he will get a shot at the title. They won't let Rich just sit there and watch people he's beat leapfrog him. Not that it should have anything to do with it, but Dana loves Rich, he WILL get another shot. I'd love to see how Rich approaches the next fight. He won the boxing battle, Anderson had to throw a back kick, backfist and flying "knee to take the chess match out of Rich.

Seriously, all you talked about was how badly Rich would get destroyed if he moved up in weight class, but you say it's his best move? "Let me go get my ass kicked by more people than just one. I'll even make less money!""

There are so many things wrong with this statement it's not even funny. First of all, who has he beaten that has leap frogged him? Nobody. But he will only get a shot at the title if he EARNS it. A lackluster win over a gassed Travis Lutter is not a good start. His arm bar escape was nice, but his stand up looked terrible, his footwork was way off, and he never looked comfortable during that fight. He even said that himself in his post fight interview. He will have to beat some top 10 fighters in order to get another shot. Even if he does, nobody wants to see that fight again. That's the same reason you don't see Tito fighting Chuck, Nog fighting Fedor, Baroni fighting Tanner, etc. All of those guys had two shots at the same opponent and lost both times. It doesn't matter if Dana likes him or not. He's been beaten badly twice by the champ at his division. And saying Anderson HAD to throw a spinning back kick/back fist/flying knee is ridiculous. You make it sound like he was out of options and pulled something out of his ass to win. He beat Rich for a second time very easily, end of story. Of course Rich looked better in this fight than he did the first time. Hell he couldn't have done much worse. I also never said how badly he'd get destroyed if he moved to 205. There are plenty of people he could beat at that weight class and I named a few. I said I didn't see him beating anybody at the top of the division. There's a big difference between those two statements.

"Franklin was getting the better of the punching exchanges."

I just went back and scored the fight again. Rich landed 20 strikes in the first round, Anderson landed 31 and scored the knockdown. How is that winning the exchanges?

"I forgot about the flying knee and it may have won the round for Anderson, otherwise, 10-9 Franklin without that and the end of the round. I don't think the back kick hurt Rich that much. It was cool to see, and it connected, but not very effectively."

See my above statement. Not sure how you even come close to scoring that round for Rich. And if that kick didn't hurt and wasn't effective than why was Rich staring up at the clock with a look of death on his face when they clinched after that kick?

"but Rich Franklin ABSOLUTELY deserves another shot"

No he doesn't. He hasn't even come close to earning a third fight yet. If he cleans out the rest of the division like #99QBKiller said then he would deserve it. Until that happens he doesn't deserve it at all.

[cahones01]

"I'd rather pay the UFC to see Franklin get another nose than see Leben get pummled in 45 seconds or Lutter fall asleep on Anderson's stomach. After Okami and (hopefully Davis), why pay to see anyone fight Anderson? Lindland won't come back, and even if he did, he's gonna need his walking cane to fight Anderson. Do you really want to see Marquardt get put through the meat grinder again? I'd rather see Rich come back one more time and give it a shot. Of course it's going to have to be on a really strong card for people to order it. Hell, it can be on Spike. Dana knows it will have to be.

I swear, it sounds like Anderson came out with a brand of viagra the way you all are talkin. (Not to sound like a Sherdogger)."

Why would you pay to see Franklin get a new nose job for the third time, but ridicule Leben, Lutter, and Marquardt for their losses? That makes no sense. All of them got schooled by Anderson. Rich got schooled twice. Why should he get a third shot if you don't want any of them to get a second?

I'm not even an Anderson nuthugger. He's a good fighter and fun to watch, but I'm far from his biggest fan. You must be a Franklin fan though. If not then I have no idea how you can just skip over the facts people have posted about the first two fights and make statements like the ones you're making.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

"Sure he will get a shot at the title. They won't let Rich just sit there and watch people he's beat leapfrog him. Not that it should have anything to do with it, but Dana loves Rich, he WILL get another shot. I'd love to see how Rich approaches the next fight. He won the boxing battle, Anderson had to throw a back kick, backfist and flying "knee to take the chess match out of Rich.

Seriously, all you talked about was how badly Rich would get destroyed if he moved up in weight class, but you say it's his best move? "Let me go get my ass kicked by more people than just one. I'll even make less money!""

There are so many things wrong with this statement it's not even funny. First of all, who has he beaten that has leap frogged him? Nobody. But he will only get a shot at the title if he EARNS it. A lackluster win over a gassed Travis Lutter is not a good start. His arm bar escape was nice, but his stand up looked terrible, his footwork was way off, and he never looked comfortable during that fight. He even said that himself in his post fight interview. He will have to beat some top 10 fighters in order to get another shot. Even if he does, nobody wants to see that fight again. That's the same reason you don't see Tito fighting Chuck, Nog fighting Fedor, Baroni fighting Tanner, etc. All of those guys had two shots at the same opponent and lost both times. It doesn't matter if Dana likes him or not. He's been beaten badly twice by the champ at his division. And saying Anderson HAD to throw a spinning back kick/back fist/flying knee is ridiculous. You make it sound like he was out of options and pulled something out of his ass to win. He beat Rich for a second time very easily, end of story. Of course Rich looked better in this fight than he did the first time. Hell he couldn't have done much worse. I also never said how badly he'd get destroyed if he moved to 205. There are plenty of people he could beat at that weight class and I named a few. I said I didn't see him beating anybody at the top of the division. There's a big difference between those two statements.

First of all, you said he could beat Houston and Jardine. And hello, Jardine isn't too shabby. I'd take that bet. That equals out to exactly 1 fighter you're confident Rich would beat. Now you've convinced me, 205 is the way to go. I'd love to see Nog/Fedor again, Chuck and Tito is a different story. Their styles clash so much it's like a different sport they're playing. And Baroni/Tanner? Who gives a hell about Baroni? I don't want to see him fight anybody, period. Are you telling me that if BJ Penn didn't pull off that RNC against Matt Hughes in their first fight, he wouldn't be allowed to fight him again?

Sakuraba fought and got KTFO by Wanderlei Silva 3 times, why can't Rich, a pioneer and former champion get 3 shots, eventually? Of course there will be a layoff, but I think that's pretty disrespectful not to allow him to ever have a shot again. He disposed of Lutter real well. Who cares about footwork and whatnot when it comes to the W? This isn't ballroom dancing. You win, you move up. I don't get tired of playing an NFC East opponent 3 times a year, nor will I get tired of seeing two of the best middleweights ever go at it.

"Franklin was getting the better of the punching exchanges."

I just went back and scored the fight again. Rich landed 20 strikes in the first round, Anderson landed 31 and scored the knockdown. How is that winning the exchanges?

Did you count all the strikes? Watch the punching exchanges, like I said. Rich landed some nice inside leg kicks, but when they mixed it up with the hands, toe to toe, Rich was connecting harder. This isn't boxing where you graze the peach fuzz and get a landed punch. Rich was bouncing his Anderson's head back. Anderson just has a coconut and you can barely tell it does anything. Of course Rich's standup isn't anything to stare in awe at, but he is technically sound and got through Anderson's defense. When was the last time Anderson ever fought a better striker than "Sugar" Rich Franklin? Lee Murray?

"I forgot about the flying knee and it may have won the round for Anderson, otherwise, 10-9 Franklin without that and the end of the round. I don't think the back kick hurt Rich that much. It was cool to see, and it connected, but not very effectively."

See my above statement. Not sure how you even come close to scoring that round for Rich. And if that kick didn't hurt and wasn't effective than why was Rich staring up at the clock with a look of death on his face when they clinched after that kick?

You mean the clinch 40 seconds and 3 knees to the gut after that kick? I'm guessing the knees may have played a roll. Rich came forward after that kick, and kept throwing punches. Anderson even whiffed a couple of times.

"but Rich Franklin ABSOLUTELY deserves another shot"

No he doesn't. He hasn't even come close to earning a third fight yet. If he cleans out the rest of the division like #99QBKiller said then he would deserve it. Until that happens he doesn't deserve it at all.

This can go unsaid. Obviously, if he doesn't earn it, he won't get it. But if he earns it, he shouldn't be disqualified because he's already lost twice to Silva.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

"I'd rather pay the UFC to see Franklin get another nose than see Leben get pummled in 45 seconds or Lutter fall asleep on Anderson's stomach. After Okami and (hopefully Davis), why pay to see anyone fight Anderson? Lindland won't come back, and even if he did, he's gonna need his walking cane to fight Anderson. Do you really want to see Marquardt get put through the meat grinder again? I'd rather see Rich come back one more time and give it a shot. Of course it's going to have to be on a really strong card for people to order it. Hell, it can be on Spike. Dana knows it will have to be.

I swear, it sounds like Anderson came out with a brand of viagra the way you all are talkin. (Not to sound like a Sherdogger)."

Why would you pay to see Franklin get a new nose job for the third time, but ridicule Leben, Lutter, and Marquardt for their losses? That makes no sense. All of them got schooled by Anderson. Rich got schooled twice. Why should he get a third shot if you don't want any of them to get a second?

I'm not even an Anderson nuthugger. He's a good fighter and fun to watch, but I'm far from his biggest fan. You must be a Franklin fan though. If not then I have no idea how you can just skip over the facts people have posted about the first two fights and make statements like the ones you're making.

Leben lasted exactly 3 tenths of a second against Anderson, apparently you want Lutter to leapfrog Franklin (unless he's still out of breath), and Marquardt to get another well-deserved shot by beating Dean Lister and Joe Doerkson.

If I had $40 to spend on Anderson fighting any of those guys, it would be put towards Franklin, sorry. Sure, do the math and they've only lost once and Franklin has twice...so give some other guys shots first. Maybe there will be some leapfrogging, but it IS only fair. I would like to see Marcus Davis get a chance, and Okami might be able to do something to Anderson on the ground, but after that Franklin will start to have Silva in his sights once again...barring any losses in the next few fights.

Who knows, if Anderson loses the belt, we might see it sooner than we think.

[Sebowski]

Leben lasted exactly 3 tenths of a second against Anderson, apparently you want Lutter to leapfrog Franklin (unless he's still out of breath), and Marquardt to get another well-deserved shot by beating Dean Lister and Joe Doerkson.

If I had $40 to spend on Anderson fighting any of those guys, it would be put towards Franklin, sorry. Sure, do the math and they've only lost once and Franklin has twice...so give some other guys shots first. Maybe there will be some leapfrogging, but it IS only fair. I would like to see Marcus Davis get a chance, and Okami might be able to do something to Anderson on the ground, but after that Franklin will start to have Silva in his sights once again...barring any losses in the next few fights.

Who knows, if Anderson loses the belt, we might see it sooner than we think.

Where do I start......

there are more guys that can challenge at 185 than you list.

Anderson's next fight will probably be against Okami in four-6 months. Who knows who will be a top contender by then? If Bisping beats Leben, and then beats someone else he can get a title shot. Wanderlie might move down to 185.

The UFC can bring in people too. Sonnen, Trigg, Lawler, Cung Le (longshot), Villasenor, Ninja Rua.....

Point is looking that far down the road is pointless right now.

And I would much ratehr see Silva-Leben or Silva-Bisping than Silva-Franklin.

Marcus Davis fights at 170.

Put me on record saying Franklin would be great at 205. I think he would be a challenge for everyone in the division.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Where do I start......

there are more guys that can challenge at 185 than you list.

Anderson's next fight will probably be against Okami in four-6 months. Who knows who will be a top contender by then? If Bisping beats Leben, and then beats someone else he can get a title shot. Wanderlie might move down to 185.

The UFC can bring in people too. Sonnen, Trigg, Lawler, Cung Le (longshot), Villasenor, Ninja Rua.....

Point is looking that far down the road is pointless right now.

And I would much ratehr see Silva-Leben or Silva-Bisping than Silva-Franklin.

Marcus Davis fights at 170.

Put me on record saying Franklin would be great at 205. I think he would be a challenge for everyone in the division.

Ah yes, Davis is a 170 pounder. I want him to fight GSP.

I'm looking forward to seeing Bisping and Leben. I like Leben, but want Bisping to win just so we can have some parody in MW. Every person you mentioned isn't exactly a threat to the UFC belt. And the UFC is losing fighters at a much faster rate than gaining them.

Franklin made 205 to get after Shamrock and got the hell out of that division. I don't see how he could threaten the better fighters up there, I think he knows that, as well. If anything, he should try 170, IMO.

[Chachie]

I'd rather pay the UFC to see Franklin get another nose than see Leben get pummled in 45 seconds or Lutter fall asleep on Anderson's stomach. After Okami and (hopefully Davis), why pay to see anyone fight Anderson? Lindland won't come back, and even if he did, he's gonna need his walking cane to fight Anderson. Do you really want to see Marquardt get put through the meat grinder again? I'd rather see Rich come back one more time and give it a shot. Of course it's going to have to be on a really strong card for people to order it. Hell, it can be on Spike. Dana knows it will have to be.

I swear, it sounds like Anderson came out with a brand of viagra the way you all are talkin. (Not to sound like a Sherdogger).

I'd love to see Spider get punked. I prefer when the weight class is a bit muddier. Total dominance gets boring. He will be beaten. Liddell was seen as the UFC's almighty until Jackson entered. Until he gets beat though, it's awful hard to pick against him when he looks this perfect.

My only point about Rich (I sound like a hater, but I swear I love the guy) is that I don't see him being any more successful vs. Silva than any of the other guys you mentioned. Rich has only proven his first loss was no fluke. The other guys should get at least the humiliating attempt at a rematch the way Franklin did.

Crap, I just realized that Franklin could move to 205 and then Silva could too. :doh:

[#98QBKiller]

Crap, I just realized that Franklin could move to 205 and then Silva could too. :doh:

GSP has openly said that he will eventually move up to 185.

[Sebowski]

Ah yes, Davis is a 170 pounder. I want him to fight GSP.

I'm looking forward to seeing Bisping and Leben. I like Leben, but want Bisping to win just so we can have some parody in MW. Every person you mentioned isn't exactly a threat to the UFC belt. And the UFC is losing fighters at a much faster rate than gaining them.

Franklin made 205 to get after Shamrock and got the hell out of that division. I don't see how he could threaten the better fighters up there, I think he knows that, as well. If anything, he should try 170, IMO.

I remember Franklin kicking Shamrock's ass at 205, then everyone commented on how great rich looked at 205 and was surprised to see him go back to 185.

[cahones01]

"First of all, you said he could beat Houston and Jardine. And hello, Jardine isn't too shabby. I'd take that bet. That equals out to exactly 1 fighter you're confident Rich would beat."

Nice to see you can count. I listed Houston, Jardine, etc. in my first post. That means more than just those two fighters. This does help explain why you think Rich won the stand up.

"Sakuraba fought and got KTFO by Wanderlei Silva 3 times, why can't Rich, a pioneer and former champion get 3 shots"

You really can't compare the Japanese sending out there hero to get destroyed over and over again in the hopes that he'll regain some national pride to the UFC title fights. And how exactly is Rich Franklin a pioneer of our sport? Your man crush on this guy is insane.

"Did you count all the strikes? Watch the punching exchanges, like I said. Rich landed some nice inside leg kicks, but when they mixed it up with the hands, toe to toe, Rich was connecting harder. This isn't boxing where you graze the peach fuzz and get a landed punch. Rich was bouncing his Anderson's head back"

That's counting every strike that landing, even the ineffective ones. I'm not sure what you're seeing when you watch this fight, and apparently no one else on here does either.

"This can go unsaid. Obviously, if he doesn't earn it, he won't get it."

If this can go unsaid then why are saying he deserves another shot? He hasn't earned one yet, so why even bring it up? And in case you missed it, here's the quote from the article about him going to 205:

"He's fought almost everybody in the 185-pound division," said Cox. "There are some guys that he could fight, but if he beats them it knocks them out of title contention. And nobody is looking to see Rich and Anderson Silva 3 right now, including me."

That's from his own manager.