The War On … UFC 103
Leave a CommentIt is i, your local midweek columnist, bringing you LIVE coverage of UFC 103. The pre-show for this event can be seen on Spike.
Efrain Escudero def. Cole Miller by TKO in the 1st round.
Jim Miller vs. Steve Lopez. Lopez is replacing Thiago Tavares due to injury.
Miller controlled the match from the midpoint of the 1st round, and only lost control in the final moments of the round.
Jim Miller def. Steve Lopez by TKO in the 2nd round, due to Lopez’s shoulder popping out after an attack.
OTHER PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS
Rafael dos Anjos def. Rob Emerson via unnimous decision. Emerson replaced Matt Wiman, who pulled out with injury.
Vladimir Matyushenko def. Igor Pokrajac via unanimous decision
Eliot Marshall def. Jason Brilz via Split Decision
Rick Story def. Brian Foster via Submission in the 2nd round. Story replaced Paul Daley in the bout.
Nik Lentz def. Rafaello Oliveria via unanimous decision. Lentz replaced Dan Lauzon, who pulled out with injury
Tomasz Drwal def. Dres McFedries via Submission in the 2nd round.
Get ready for the PPV portion of the card. The following matches are scheduled.
MAIN CARD
Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort
Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic vs. Junior dos Santos
Martin Kampmann vs. Paul Daley. Daley replaces Mike Swick, who pulled out through injury. Daley was scheduled to face Brian Foster in the undercard, but he was replaced by Rick Story.
Josh Koshcheck vs. Frank Trigg
Tyson Griffin vs. Hermes Franca
MAIN CARD RESULTS
Tyson Griffin vs. Hermes Franca
Franca’s hair is a shade of purple for this fight.
Griffin had more action in the first over Franca in the first round, and stays in control in the second, until Franca grabs ahold of the leg of his opponent. Franca gets free shots in on Griffin, until he let’s go of the leg. Tyson grounds Hermes, pounding away as Franca tries to get in an armbar. Hermes tries one last attempt at a submission, going for the heel, but Griffin has none of it, and the referee stops the fight.
YOUR WINNER: Tyson Griffin via TKO 2nd round
Josh Koshcheck vs Frank Trigg
Trigg gets a few good shots in early, but that’s all he gets, as Koshcheck knocks him to the mat, then nails Frank with four big blows, to cause a ref stoppage.
YOUR WINNER: Josh Koshcheck via TKO 1st round
Martin Kampmann vs. Paul Daley
Kampmann starts with a flurry, but Daley holds his ground, counter punching well. Every time one fires in shots, the other comes straight back with punches of their own. Paul Daley hurts his opponent, and Kampmann stumbles back to the fence. Daley fires punches with both hands, and the ref prematurely ends it.
YOUR WINNER: Paul Daley via TKO 1st round
My coverage showed a replay of the undercard bout between Rafael dos Anjos and Rob Emerson.
Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic vs. Junior dos Santos
dos Santos gets the advantage early, pushing Cro Cop back to the cage, but the Croat fights out. Junior fires punches, but none of them land clean, until a right hand, gets through. Junior goes with a flurry of punches. Mirko is game, but ends up with a lump over his right eye. The Croatian shoots for a single, but his opponent back away. Cro Cop goes for clinch, and briefly gets Junior on the ground. The Brazilian is cut over both eyes. Both men get in good clean shots as the first round ends.
We move to Round Two, and Mirko head-kick lands short. Mirko connects a left kick, but dos Santos connects a right hook. Junior charges, and he’s on the attack. Cro Cop shows good defense, but no offence. Cigano lands an uppercut, and Mirko pushes him away, when he gets too close. The Croat misses another high kick, and receives a stiff shot to the mid-section. Both men clinch, and Cro Cop gets a left knee in. Santos gets a knee in of his own, but falls to the ground, as Cro Cop gets a kick in right on his groin protector. The referee gives Cigano five minutes to recover. dos Santos opens up a cut above Cro Cop’s right eye, with a hook, then gets in a body kick before the round ends.
Round Three, and Cro Cop lands two lefts, but his opponent is unphased. Dos Santos lands a body shot, then three knees to the body, and a right hook. One more knee crushes the Croat, and he is hurting after that one. Cigano lands a knee to his opponent’s head, rocking Filipovic. Dos Santos continues with the knees to the body, then lands a punch to the left eye of Cro Cop, who quits after this. The Croat took the punch directly to the eye.
YOUR WINNER: Junior dos Santos via TKO 3rd Round
Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort
Belfort stars with a left kick, and Franklin checks it. Rich moves in and out of range, whilst Vitor has his left hand cocked, locked, and ready to unload. Midway through, and the crowd is getting restless, as not one meaningful blow has connected. Vitor knocks Franklin down to his knees with a left hook. He lands another left, and finishes the fight landing punches with both hands.
YOUR WINNER: Vitor Belfort via TKO 1st round
That’s all from UFC 103. Stay tuned to BWF for what is a busy weekend.