UFC 103: Belfort Knocks Out Franklin
UFC 103 took place on September 19, 2009, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Vitor Belfort returned to the UFC with a first-round stoppage of Rich Franklin in a 195-pound catchweight main event. Junior dos Santos finished Mirko Cro Cop in the heavyweight co-main event, while Paul Daley and Josh Koscheck supplied quick welterweight wins on a thirteen-bout card.
Video context: Belfort’s official UFC video blog follows his preparations before the Franklin fight. It is contemporary preview material, not a post-fight recap.
Belfort makes an emphatic return
Belfort had not competed in the UFC since 2005. His return placed him against another former champion in Franklin, who had beaten Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99. The main event was contested at 195 pounds and did not carry either the middleweight or light heavyweight championship.
The opening exchanges were measured before Belfort found the opportunity to accelerate. His hand speed changed the contest abruptly, as punches put Franklin down and follow-up strikes brought the referee’s intervention. The finish came at 3:02 of the first round.
The result restored Belfort as an immediate presence in the UFC. His return was significant because it delivered the speed and finishing ability associated with his earlier career against an accomplished opponent. For Franklin, it interrupted the momentum of his Germany victory and demonstrated how quickly a competitive-looking matchup could turn.
Dos Santos gets past Cro Cop
Dos Santos had made his name in the UFC with early finishes of Fabricio Werdum and Stefan Struve. Cro Cop offered a more experienced striking opponent and a longer test. The Brazilian maintained pressure and attacked with punches, carrying the contest beyond the first round.
In the third, dos Santos forced the stoppage at 2:00 after Cro Cop indicated that he could not continue. Contemporary accounts describe the verbal surrender during a striking attack, and the bout is recorded as a TKO. It was another important heavyweight victory, showing that dos Santos could maintain his offense through a more extended contest.
Welterweight newcomers and veterans strike quickly
Daley made his UFC debut against Martin Kampmann after entering the matchup as a replacement. He used his punching power to stop Kampmann at 2:31 of the opening round. The result gave the welterweight division another dangerous striker and immediately changed expectations around his arrival.
Koscheck also finished inside the first round, stopping returning veteran Frank Trigg with punches at 1:25. Tyson Griffin completed the main card’s run of stoppages by defeating Hermes Franca in the second round. Franca had missed the lightweight limit, and their contest proceeded at an agreed 159-pound catchweight.
An eight-bout preliminary card
Efrain Escudero stopped Cole Miller, and Tomasz Drwal submitted Drew McFedries with a second-round rear-naked choke in the televised preliminaries. Jim Miller beat Steve Lopez when a shoulder injury ended their bout early in round two. Rick Story secured an arm-triangle submission against Brian Foster.
The other four preliminary contests went to the judges. Nik Lentz defeated Rafaello Oliveira, Vladimir Matyushenko beat Igor Pokrajac and Rafael dos Anjos outpointed Rob Emerson, all by unanimous decision. Eliot Marshall earned a split decision against Jason Brilz. The full card therefore combined a main program of finishes with a substantial range of supporting contests.
Complete UFC 103 results
Main card
- Vitor Belfort def. Rich Franklin — KO/TKO (punches), round 1, 3:02; 195-pound catchweight.
- Junior dos Santos def. Mirko Cro Cop — TKO (strikes), round 3, 2:00.
- Paul Daley def. Martin Kampmann — TKO (punches), round 1, 2:31.
- Josh Koscheck def. Frank Trigg — TKO (punches), round 1, 1:25.
- Tyson Griffin def. Hermes Franca — TKO (punches), round 2, 3:26; 159-pound catchweight.
Preliminary card
- Efrain Escudero def. Cole Miller — TKO (punches), round 1, 3:36.
- Tomasz Drwal def. Drew McFedries — submission (rear-naked choke), round 2, 1:03.
- Jim Miller def. Steve Lopez — TKO (shoulder injury), round 2, 0:48.
- Nik Lentz def. Rafaello Oliveira — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Rick Story def. Brian Foster — submission (arm-triangle choke), round 2, 1:09.
- Eliot Marshall def. Jason Brilz — split decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Vladimir Matyushenko def. Igor Pokrajac — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Rafael dos Anjos def. Rob Emerson — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
Returns, debuts and heavyweight momentum
The Dallas event gave Belfort a memorable comeback, Daley an immediate statement and dos Santos another step forward. Its identity came from those actual results and the depth of its thirteen fights. The evening’s mix of established names and emerging contenders made it a significant late-summer card across several divisions.
Sources
Article Tags
UFC 103, Vitor Belfort, Rich Franklin, Junior dos Santos, Mirko Cro Cop, UFC Results
