MMA Rated first reported and more recently confirmed that Rich "Ace" Franklin will move up in weight to the 205lb light heavyweight division to face three-time NCAA Division III national wrestling champ and "The Ultimate Fighter 3" standout Matt Hamill.
Franklin makes the move after middleweight champ Anderson Silva, whom he was beaten badly by twice, made the same decision to move up to the light heavyweight division just a week or so ago. UFC 88: “Breakthrough” will take place at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA with a main event featuring Chuck Liddell vs Rashad Evans.
The 205lb. division, which was already stacked now has what many consider to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world in Silva and Franklin who many consider the best middleweight around besides Silva.
13 comments:
Damn...!!!
i tot franklin will go down in the welter. that division is totally stacked and I don't see him performing any better that he did in middlewt.
i figured since silva moved up, rich would just stay at middleweight and get his belt back. silva is the only fighter in the world at 185 that can beat him. This doesnt make much sense, but im sure he has good reason.
i dont ever see rich going to 170, he was originally a light heavy who moved down to middle. he walks around at around 200. cutting to 170 i think would be too much.
i figured since silva moved up, rich would just stay at middleweight and get his belt back. silva is the only fighter in the world at 185 that can beat him. This doesnt make much sense, but im sure he has good reason.
i dont ever see rich going to 170, he was originally a light heavy who moved down to middle. he walks around at over 200 i believe. cutting to 170 i think would be too much.
To Mediocrity. No way he could make ww. He already cuts more than most fighters do.
IF Rich Franklin beats Matt Hamill, he should then be fed to Wanderlei Silva.
Honorable decision by Franklin. Proves he is determined to beat, and not afraid of, Silva.
I wish Franklin would put more faith in his ground game.
Oh, and by the way, Franklin will destroy Hamill in the first round from the stand-up.
Franklin has faught at 205 and even 220. I'm suprised he can make 185. I have a premonition.... Rich "Ace" Franklin vs. Anderson "The Spider" Silva fight at 205, after they both walk through opponents with ease, and Franklin finally winning. He's a big guy, and with his proper body weight, he can whoop ass.
Uhm, do you guys not realize Anderson isn't dropping the Middleweight belt and this move up to 205 lbs is just so he can challenge himself? Anderson has shown that he's way better than anyone he's been put in front of in the UFC, proving that twice against Rich Franklin. Anderson is still going to fight at 185, but it does suck if Rich decides to stay at 205 considering how weak the Middleweight Division currently is.
Silva moved up to 205 to avoid fighting Yushin Okami, plain and simple. Why else would he start with Irvin. Does not matter who moves up to 205. Lyoto Machida is going to rule that division. Bank on it.
Lyoto Machida is over rated, his fight with Tito Ortiz was just him trying not to lose, not to win... The UFC would never want a fighter like that as their middleweight champion. Saying he could beat Silva isn't accurate. Silva is the best PFP fighter in the world according to any ranking. Machida needs to get his shit straight and get to where he can finish his opponents in an exciting fashion before UFC would consider him for a title shot.
to those people who said they thought franklin should stay at middleweight because silva's move up. franklin would still have to fight silva for the belt because silva just wants more fights he's going to fight in both weight classes. i dont think franklin will win another belt so maybe he just wants to be in more exciting fights and he'll get those at lightheavy weight. i think he'll beat hamill in round one. i know hamill's good but it's franklin.
p.s machida is not over-rated i agree he's not the most exciting fighter but its just smart fighting. and i think machida had tito down in the first round so he wasnt just defending
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