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By: Jason Bent, MMATorch Columnist The main event of UFC 93 is a non-title affair with the winner likely to be the coach who shall oppose Michael Bisping on the next edition of 'The Ultimate Fighter,' but this is in fact a stellar match-up. After Couture-Lesnar and the three headed monster of main events that was UFC 92 it is easy to overlook this event on the way to UFC 94, but in doing so you would be missing out on what is potentially a great bout. The best meals are not always eaten in a five star restaurant, and the best fights do not always have to be for a title. If this fight were a meal it would be served in a lunch box and this no-nonsense, no titles on the line sort of bout is perfect when you consider the two men who will be squaring off on Saturday night.
"Hollywood", "Dangerous", "Hendo" or simply Dan; it makes no difference what you call Dan Henderson but the one moniker firmly attached to his name should be fighter, as this is really the best way to describe the veteran competitor. Henderson is a lifelong wrestler, and in fact has been wrestling since before many of today's UFC fighters were even born as he is 38 and began his wrestling career at the age of 5. Henderson was a state champion at the high school level who competed in the NCAA championships and also was a member of both the 1992 and 1996 U.S. Olympic wrestling teams.
Henderson actually began his MMA career as a way to earn enough income to allow him to continue competing as a wrestler, and he just happened to realize that he could not only make a living in the world of MMA but also that he had a knack for it. Dan is a gifted athlete but he is probably one of the best examples of what happens when your work ethic exceeds your natural ability. He may have entered into the world of MMA as a wrestler, but you cannot and should not ever consider Henderson to be a wrestler in the world of MMA, as he has evolved into simply a tremendously skilled fighter who is not limited to just using his grappling in order to succeed.
Some of the notable fighters that Henderson has beaten along the way are Carlos Newton, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva. Henderson has lost 7 times in his career, but not once has he ever been stopped which is remarkable when you consider the men that he has faced in his career. Supreme grappling ability with an iron chin and power in both of his hands makes him a deadly opponent for anyone he will ever face. Age is not working against him either as he is relatively the same fighter he has always been, and it would not seem as if he is closer to 40 when you observe him in training or inside of the Octagon. In fact he has added new wrinkles to his game consistently over his career, and this can be proven by simply going back and watching footage from each of his fights and observing the different nuances or how he has become better in certain aspects of the fight game. In his earlier fights it was primarily his right hand that an opponent had to watch out for but over time he has made his left hand a weapon as well, and has arguably become enough of a striker that he could probably thrive on this alone against many opponents.
Rich "Ace" Franklin is boring. What I mean is this is not the guy who is going to sell t-shirts or products because his face is emblazoned upon the package, and he is not an outspoken sort who can be counted on for a memorable soundbite. Rich Franklin is the former math teacher who looks unassuming and makes you wonder just what he could be capable of before he shows you just how special of a fighter he really is. There is no doubt that Franklin is one of the world's best fighters, and he has basically been a Superman of sorts with his only kryptonite coming in the form of Anderson Silva.
Franklin is much like Henderson in that he is a no-nonsense type of guy who actually gives a damn about something other than himself, and this is one of the reasons he has flown under the radar for so long. Lesser fighters have the ability to sell a pay per view based on their name alone, and a lot of folks were kind of nonplussed by the notion of Franklin headlining this PPV and as such deemed it to be skippable on the way to Penn vs. St. Pierre. Franklin isn't a personality but he is most definitely a fighter and certainly could be looked upon as a role model. In today's sports climate, and particularly so in the UFC with guys like Quinton Jackson and Josh Neer performing real life adaptations of 'Grand Theft Auto' on the streets, it is refreshing to see a "boring" guy like Franklin get a spot atop the card, and it is a well deserved one at that.
Rich Franklin has beaten everyone he has faced with the only exceptions being two losses to Anderson Silva and one defeat at the hands of the still undefeated Lyoto Machida. His first splash on the scene came at the finale of the first season of 'The Ultimate Fighter,' and he faced and defeated Ken Shamrock in front of a large audience that had absolutely no clue who in the hell he even was. Shamrock was the star and Franklin trounced him before the entire world knew that Ken was a shot fighter. Franklin would challenge the late Evan Tanner for the UFC Middleweight Championship in his next bout and scored a TKO victory to become the new champion. Rich would successfully defend his championship against the likes of Nate Quarry and David Loiseau before meeting his match in Silva.
Franklin bounced back from his loss to Silva with a TKO victory over the dangerous submission specialist Jason MacDonald and a decision over Yushin Okami before trying to reclaim his UFC Middleweight Championship. Facing SIlva for a second time was a case of same fight, but on a different day, as he was simply no match for the man widely considered to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world not named Fedor. Rich returned to the light heavyweight division at UFC 88 and decimated Matt Hamill in what was just a picture perfect performance, and a reminder of just how good of a fighter he can be.
For Dan Henderson to win this fight it is going to take him being mentally sharp for the fight and cognizant of his many advantages. It is Dan's ability to do so many things well that will be what guide him to a victory over Franklin. Dan's knockout power is enough that it should keep Franklin from trying to dig his heels in and gain an advantage on the feet, and the distance between the two men should be carefully controlled by Henderson. Dan will have the luxury of having enough pop in his punches to keep Franklin at bay and the takedown ability to do as he pleases from the clinch. By no means is this an easy fight for either man, but the gameplan for Henderson should be pretty simple, and if the right hook doesn't connect for him it should mean that he enjoys top control and tries to out-point this one on the ground. I look for Henderson to want to strike with the striker in Franklin, and he certainly has enough power to win this battle and the chin to remain in the pocket all night long.
For Rich Franklin to win this fight it is going to be as a direct result of his superior footwork and his advantage in terms of hand speed. Rich is quick enough and skilled enough to circle Henderson, and should be looking to stick and move with quick powerful shots before getting safely out of the way of a counter hook. Rich can ill afford to get in a clinch against Henderson, as he will be taken down at will; this is why his main concern should be to dictate the pace of the fight and control the distance. If he can keep this one standing he has a chance, as his boxing skills are solid and his conditioning is second to none, but the moment it hits the ground is when he will find himself in serious trouble. Franklin will be looking to take this one the distance, and it will be footwork and his ability to stay out of harm's way that gives him a chance to not only do so but possibly eke out the decision victory.
Bent's Prediction: Dan Henderson by Unanimous Decision
I see nothing to suggest that Henderson could be stopped for the first time in his career at the hands of Franklin, and it would appear that "Ace" will look to do what he can to get to the scorecards in hopes of coming out on top. The winner gets to be the coach of the U.S.A. team on the upcoming edition of 'The Ultimate Fighter,' which is really not much of a prize at all; but it isn't about what this win gets them immediately rather what a loss prevents them from getting a chance to obtain in the near future, and as such we should see these two men giving their all in this battle. Dan Henderson has every single advantage going into this fight but this is not to suggest that Rich Franklin has no chance at all but at the moment I can't really see him winning this one.
Penn vs. St. Pierre is causing many to forget about this card or simply overlook it, but it should be noted that this one should be a good show capable of standing on its own with what looks like a superb main event match. Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin are two men who love to fight, and when they meet on Saturday at UFC 93 it is a safe bet that we will feel the same way in regards to watching them do what they do best. Henderson and Franklin don't need to be fighting for a title and they also don't need a lot of hype, or rather any at all, and the two of them actually prefer it that way. Saturday night is time for them to head to work and the two men are simply going to pack a lunch, clock in and go to work. Two good men who are great fighters face off at UFC 93, and this one looks to be one that no fight fan can afford to miss.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
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