UFC 126 Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin: A Head-To-Toe Breakdown
This Saturday, two respected and popular UFC veterans lock horns. The winner may reclaim contender status. The loser will fall another wrung down that slippery ladder of relevance.
Light heavyweight Forrest Griffin has lost two of his last three, but more significantly, has not fought in over a year, thanks to a shoulder injury.
Rich Franklin, meanwhile, has split his last four contests, though the two wins came over Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva—two scalps that would have been much more valuable five years ago.
Both have juice, both have gas in the tank. But both probably aren't destined to reestablish themselves as threats to the strap.
This is supposed to be a head-to-toe breakdown, so let's do it just like that.
1. Head
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Griffin has been his usual candid self when discussing his own headspace going into this fight. He has said he fears ring rust will be a major issue after a 14-month layoff, and that he's "a little more nervous than usual."
A red herring? Maybe. But I'm inclined to believe psyche is more of a problem for Forrest than Franklin, who appears confident and fairly hungry after handing Liddell what turned out to be his final loss in the Octagon.
Advantage: Franklin
2. Arms
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Griffin's walkout music is that Dropkick Murphys song from The Departed, a perfect theme for a man who plants his feet and swings like he's bouncing on the south side of Boston. Franklin's sharp boxing and Muay Thai gives him an advantage, at least on paper.
Advantage: Franklin
3. Heart
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Heart here doesn't mean courage—which both have in spades—but rather, cardiovascular endurance. We know that Griffin and Franklin, even at the well-seasoned ages of 31 and 36, both come with their reserves fully stocked for a war.
The 17-6 Griffin is 5-1 in the UFC in fights that went the distance, and that doesn't include one of his signature wins—a late-third-round choking submission over a gassing Mauricio Rua (who is the current light heavyweight champ, though he displayed major rust in that bout).
The 28-5-1 Franklin is 3-1 in those instances. Both men won in the single instance that each has gone the distance through a five-round championship bout; Franklin defended his middleweight title over David Louiseau, while Griffin went the distance to earn the light heavyweight strap over Rampage Jackson.
Griffin has the edge here record-wise, but one of the great quotes from one of the most eminently quotable UFC fighters in history: "I can do anything for 25 minutes."
Advantage: Griffin
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4. Legs
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Here, I mean grappling and submissions. This area is fairly even, and for both men, the ground game seems more like a necessary evil than a battlefield in and of itself. Still, Griffin is more comfortable in this position than Franklin, who can pull off the occasional submission, but generally employs defensive grappling designed to maintain or restore verticality.
Advantage: Griffin
5. Final Verdict
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Even on a card containing the likes of Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort and Jon Jones, this contest has Fight of the Night potential. It will be a close one, but while Franklin's skill set is perhaps a little broader, Griffin's toughness and relative youth should carry the day.
If anyone in the light heavyweight division can throw off ring rust in his first fight back, it's Griffin. Commentators love to say Griffin gets better when he bleeds. If that's truly the case, he should be great at UFC 126.
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