This Saturday is Henderson vs. Franklin. Just imagine if this fight took place 18 mos ago. Hendo is still the reigning Pride welterweight and middleweight champ, and Franklin only had one nose job via Anderson Silva. But both guys lost title shots to The Spider and Hendo also lost to Rampage, since that time. They should have this fight at 195 lbs and call it the tweener division or heavy-middleweight. Hendo bounces between 185 and 205, and Franklin is currently testing out the 205 division since his run at 185 is over. I'm pulling for Hendo as a fan, but not sure how many fights the guy still has in him. It's tough to say what this fight means, if anything. There has been such a carousel of champions at 205 lately, that the list of title contenders is pretty long. Would a win put either guy in the mix? Probably not. Rumor has it that the winner gets to coach the TUF 9 American team, and face Bisping.
In another battle for relevance, Shogun Rua and Mark Coleman are doing battle. I thought Coleman was retired and gone from MMA.?! Shogun has been injured so much, it's like he's fallen off the map. I guess Rua can avenge a loss to Coleman from their respective Pride days. Rua reportedly broke his arm during a Coleman bodyslam, which stopped the fight.
The next couple weeks are packed with MMA action. Next Saturday, Spike replays the Couture/Lesnar fight during the Affliction fight with Fedor vs. Arlovski. Next Sunday is a WEC fight Varner vs. Cerrone and Faber vs. Pulver II. Two weekends from now is UFC 94, St. Pierre vs. Penn and Machida vs. Thiago Silva. A fight-filled way to start the New Year!
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